In 40+ years of marriage I've always had a gas clothes dryer. Zero problems. Gosh, my mom once had a gas refrigerator! I prefered gas cooktops in the past -- think most professional chefs use only gas. Are newer convection, etc. electric cooktops gas-comparable? Reach higher BTU's? After having some asthmatic troubles I switched to electric for cooktop and ovens. One oven is a combo microwave/oven, so it's electric anyway. What I really miss is my old Thermador VENTED broiler! (Switching didn't help the asthma, BTW.) We piped for both electric and gas in the kitchen when we built. We have natural gas available; it powers our HVAC, water heaters and clothes dryer. Looked into gas hookup for fireplace, but we so seldom use the fireplace it didn't seem worth thousands to build plus ineficient use of fuel. Here the two power sources are rapidly drawing even on cost . I have the perfect south-facing roof just waiting for affordable solar power!

@Patricia Colwell @Beverly @Mark Bischak @Debbie and Ed Butler all great suggestions and comments. Agree should have gone with a linear fireplace. But it's too late. The builder explained why the bottom trim is there now and the portion we don't want will be removed. It had to do with painting, but regardless it will be removed. There is something about a wood stained floating mantel that I like. But I could opt for a painted traditional style mantel with supports/legs if that look would be better for my space. Our ceilings are 16' at the peak and the room is large, vaulted and a lot of light. The TV will be a decent height for viewing. The room is really large. 36' wide by 25', though will have the seating area focused around the fireplace. The kitchen and eating area are on the opposite wall of the fire place (behind me as I took the picture. Open concept. And I do agree I should have chosen base cabinets and then done floating shelves instead of the big shelving units. But that will be a project for several years from now when I really dislike the shelves. But I do have a lot of fun blown glass and neat pieces to display. Back to the fireplace. Here is a pic of one I like 0 screenshot it off Instagram so it's not a full pic and I don't have a hearth). A question I have is how far across does the mantel go? and should there be a gap between the tile and the wall edge and mantel or is it ok to have the wall below the mantel completely tiled?

Questions to Consider When Choosing a Gas Fireplace https://www.minisplitunit.org/ Is a Vented or Ventless Gas Fireplace Better? A gas fireplace doesn’t produce smoke or odors, but its flames do create pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen and sulfur oxides. Vented fireplaces send these emissions outside, while ventless ones direct them into your living quarters. Wood-burning fireplaces provide great ambience, but they can't beat the easy, no-fuss efficiency of gas. You don't have to split, stack, season, or haul logs. There are no ashes to bag, no smoky smells, no chimney to clean. You can start, adjust, and snuff out fires with the touch of a remote control. The fire needs no tending and won't die out from neglect. A wall thermostat can control the flame size—and therefore heat output—to maintain a specific temperature setting in the room. The fixed glass panels covering direct-vent fireboxes ensure that the furnace- or boiler-heated air in the rest of the house doesn't escape up the flue, as it does with a wood fire. You can get as much as 75 to 99 percent of a fuel's energy back as heat, instead of the 10 to 30 percent for wood fires. Gas fireplaces can go almost anywhere—in an upstairs bathroom, in a basement, or outdoors—without needing a chimney. Questions to Consider When Choosing a Gas Fireplace How much does a gas fireplace cost? Expect to pay $2,000 to $5,000 (including installation) for a heat-producing insert or built-in fireplace. Decorative log sets run about $400 to $1,000. Should you use natural gas or propane? Gas fireplaces can burn either type. Natural gas is less expensive and produces about 5 percent more heat. Choose propane where natural gas isn’t available. How much care and maintenance? For about $150, have your certified technician come once a year to clean and adjust the burner, ensuring that you have realistic, soot-free flames.

You really need to post the model of the fireplace. I had gas logs (Peterson Real Fyre) that had an electric gas valve, but the valve knob was accessible in the firebox and you could turn it on and light it manually with a match. My current direct vent gas fireplace (Mendota) also has an electric valve, and during the installation we installed an emergency power jack in the wall next to the fireplace. I have a battery pack I can plug in there to keep the fireplace operating during an A/C power outage. Each manufacturer does it a little differently. Bruce