If you’re in the market for a new gas fireplace, you’ll probably be doing your research to find out what will be best for your situation. It’s worth considering the convenient alternative that's increasing in popularity - direct vent fireplaces. It simply means that they are vented directly through a wall or roof rather than needing an existing fireplace. There are a few reasons why this kind of heating option could work really well in your home.The benefits include health, efficiency and ease of installation. Let’s consider them one by one.
At the end of the day, any burning process will produce carbon monoxide, and you probably know, especially if you have a carbon monoxide detector, that isn’t very healthy for anyone to breathe for too long or in high quantities. If you have the option to avoid that kind of air pollution, it’s worth doing, and the main health benefit of a direct vent gas fireplace is just that. Unlike a traditional fireplace that contains the fumes from the fire for you and your family to breathe, the direct vent system removes those toxic gases, prevents them from building up in the house and takes them safely straight out into the open air, before they get the chance to release them into your living space. That means you'll have peace of mind, especially if you have young children in your family.
Next, in terms of fitting, the relative ease of installation of a direct vent fireplace is great news for anyone who might be interested in a fireplace but whose house doesn’t have a chimney. If you were thinking of a traditional fireplace installation, it might require extensive building work to introduce a stone built flue and foundations for stability. That’s a big job, and to be avoided if you can. A direct vent system does away with the need for that kind of work. It still requires space for pipes to be embedded, but you can get by without having extensive stone work done. In other words, it’s not such a big upheaval to get this unit installed, it should cost less for the installation, and you can probably plan to have it finished quicker. Those are major advantages.
So, it’s healthier to run, and simpler to install. What else? Well, now let's talk about the fuel efficiency. On average, direct vent fireplaces are around 5 times more efficient than normal fireplaces. Five times! That’s certainly worth a thought. The fuel saving has to do with convection. In an ordinary fireplace, convection would result in drawing the hot air upwards, increasing the amount of gas and carbon monoxide, and making the flue work even harder to release the warm air into your home. But with a direct vent gas fireplace, you don’t have that hassle. The convection effect doesn’t happen in this kind of unit. Good news for your health, as well as great news for your budget.
Basically, in terms of gas fireplaces, you’d be well advised to investigate a direct vent gas fireplace. The benefits you're looking at including enhanced air quality, simple and less intrusive fitting, and all round money and fuel-saving opportunities. Just what you were looking for.