Since your fireplace is not against an outside wall, that does pose complications. A direct vent fireplace would be complicated and costly to install. But you might consider a direct vent gas stove, either cast iron or soapstone. These are free-standing units that have to be some distance from combustible surfaces (the wall behind and on either side of the stove), and they have to stand on a noncombustible surface such as brick, tile, or slate. There would be a chimney that goes up from the rear of the stove to the ceiling, through the ceiling, and continuing on through the roof to the outside. If yours is a 2-story house, the cost would of course be higher than if it is a on-story house, and you'd have to figure out where the chimney would occupy space in your upper floor(s), peferrably in a closet where it would not be seen. A friend of mine had such a system in their 2-story house, but it was planned before construction, whereas yours would be retrofitted. All of this sounds complicated and expensive, and probably is, which is probably why the previous owner put in ventless. Although electric would not give you the kind of performance you get from gas, I would not dismiss it. Some electric units are pretty good. Just stay away from gas ventless.

keadog Based on your options, GT should be in the trade space. It sounds like you are in a rural area. We built in a rural area in 2007 and have a Gt system - propane was our only other option (we only use that for cooking and tankless hot water). Here are some lessons learned from my expereience: 1) Make sure you factor in the cost to run the electrical service to your home AND make sure you get enough amperage. The GT heat pumps need quite a bit of current on start up - my 5 ton heat pump requires a 70 amp circuit and my 3 ton heat pumps require 30 amps. Once the heat pumps start they draw less current - but you still need to factor the start up load into the overall needs for the house. The added cost for additional amperage is relatievly cheap when they install - but very expensive to add later. Based on your house size I would reocmmend a 400 amp service if you go with GT. 2) If you do chose GT, I strongly recommend a propane auxilliary heater instead of the electical heat packs. Have the system wired so that a small backup generator can power the thermostats, the HVAC fan, and the propane heater ingition. That way, when the power goes out you can still have heat. An alternative is to install a larger backup generator that can drive your GT heat pump and loop but that might not be cost effective. Either way - make sure you factor in a backup heating system into your plans. 3) Make sure that the company who is doing the GT system has been in the business for many years AND is available to provide service. These systems have to be designed properly and must be tailored to your specific site and house design. They are expensive and you need to have it done right AND have a reliable company that can service it when needed. If you can't find a highly rated local company to install and maintain the system then I would not recommend GT. 4) Make sure you factor in the building envelope: windows, doors, sealing and insulation into the overall HVAC design. If the envelope isn't tightly sealed and insulated well you won't be happy with a GT system. 5) Do your own research on the Heat pump manufacturers - use this site to ask the experts on the proposed equipment. Make sure it is a quality product. 6) Ask the HVAC contractor what type of monitoring system they provide so that you know that the system is working as efficiently as designed. Mine had nothing and I had to add indicators such as pressure and temperature guages over time. Goodluck with the build.

Have you decided what to do? I'm debating the same thing and would be interested in what you ended up with. But we have 10 ft ceilings, which I think is leaning me towards the 36", even though I'd prefer the 33.

You couldn't give me a ventless fireplace. We have a second house with one. They deplete the oxygen in the house and when operation they emit lots of water (probably not an issue in AZ) carbon dioxide and other small amounts of combustion by products. while I don’t normally suffer allergies there are three things that cause a slight asthmatic like symptoms in me: dogs, mold and ventless fireplaces. These units all have oxygen sensors which is a primitive electomechanical device which is supposed to shut down the heater when the O2 level drops to low. When not operating properly they can like any combustion device emit carbon monoxide. When we rented the property we had to disconnect it beacauss local codes prohibit these in rental properties. I believe most building codes near me prohibit new installs in any property .