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Tell me about your Ventless fireplace...pros-cons

17 years ago

We built a house 5 years ago and put in a Direct vent fireplace and have been real disappointed. We are building again and are considering a Ventless. I've heard all the scary things about "no oxygen left in the room" etc. etc.

I just would like to hear if you have one and your experience with it...pros and cons.

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Comments (4)

jca1
17 years ago
There are so many mixed feelings about this that no one can answer your question really. I'm no expert really, but I can say this: I love ventless units I have one in my new house, I hate vented gas log sets of any kind because they waste gas in my opinion. In 13 years I have responded to a few CO calls avoer furnaces but never once a set of ventless logs, heaters or anything. Ventless units burn the same air vented units do, it all comes from inside the house both primary and secondary air, only Direct vent units do not fall into this category. A vented unit can burn the air up in a room just as fast as a ventless can, and either have to be sized correctly for where they are going, or make-up air provisions made. Ventless need annual cleaning and inspecting to make sure they stay clean.
helenill
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for answering jcal. I love the look of fireplaces even when they are not burning, but only plan to use one to take the chill out in the morning because we like sleeping with the heat down. Also would like to use one for about 30 minutes if we come home and the house is cold.
I hear so many different opinions when I shop around. If we only used one about a total of 1 hour a day, would there be much moisture in the house...one place told me they can cause mold problems.
Since we don't use ours very much now, I would like to go with one that really put out a lot of heat quickly.
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jca1
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They do add a lot of moisture to the air, I can't remember for the life of me how much water per gallon of gas, but anyway. Lots of people use a dehumidifier with unvented units. You will be amazed at how much heat an unvented set will put off. I reccomend a millivolt burner then you can wire it to a wall switch, or add a remote.
mightyanvil
17 years ago
Ventless gas fireplaces release all of the products of combustion into the house and are designed to automatically shut down if the gas, for some reason, is not burned completely and carbon monoxide is released into the house.

If you plan to use it rarely in a well ventilated space or think it will never fail when used for longer periods of time by you or others, then install one.

Personally, I think they are potential killers and should be outlawed in all rather than just some states. As an architect, I refuse to specify them.

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