Your concerns are valid. My husband won't allow a TV to be mounted over the fireplace because of the heat. You should contact the best installer in your area for suggestions. I don't think there is a simple as in inexpensive fix to this problem. Some fireplaces come with a fan to push the air into the room so it won't travel up the wall. Maybe the electrical can be added from the other side of the wall. Good luck.

I had the same problem with my vented gas fireplace and found someone that recommended auto firewall rubber. This can withstand a tremendous amount of heat. I purchased two, 2 fireplaces, patches of it off amazon and stuck them to the top of my stacks. This worked out GREAT!! It has been over a year and they are still attached. The adhesive is industrial strength. Now all I need to do is solve the wind sound on windy days. Hope this helps!

First, DON'T install a ventless fireplace!!! Even though the MFG.s will tell you the exhaust fumes are OK, do you really want to breathe them? Many people end up with Major Headaches and chronic breathing issues. Does it sound like a good idea to breathe burnt exhaust gasses? B type flue(vent) pipes are dual thickness pipes. A pipe inside another pipe, suitable for use at 1" or more to flammable materials. Outer casing pipe is sealed and will not conduct air. D (Direct Vent) type flue(vent) pipes are also dual layers but they are capable of exhausting burnt gas through the inner pipe and importing exterior(outside) combustion air for burning. Think of a straw inside a larger straw. Inside straw blowing, outside straw sucking outside air for combustion. A fan is usually used to help exhaust the burnt gasses. Details below: B-Vent (Natural Vent) gas fireplaces are designed primarily for decorative use. Generally they produce a larger and more realistic yellow flame. B-vent fireplaces are sometimes available without a glass window, so many homeowners are attracted to this design because of the open, realistic flame effect; some models do have a glass window so the existence of a window on a fireplace does not define its product classification. Natural vent gas fireplaces use room air for combustion and vent fumes through a vent or chimney that must terminate vertically above the roof line. The key to determining whether a B-vent fireplace will meet your heating needs is to check the manufacturer's listed efficiency rating (gas consumed x efficiency = heat output). While efficient, heater-rated B-vent fireplaces do exist, many lower quality "builder grade" fireplaces have no efficiency rating and, therefore, will not supply substantial heat. In fact, this category of fireplace will often use the greatest amount of gas at the lowest range of efficiencies. If you live in a warmer climate where you want the aesthetics of a fire without much heat, this may be the appliance for you. Likewise, bedrooms and smaller rooms may be a good candidate for a b-vent fireplace, but please check building codes to see if this class of fireplace is approved in your locality or for installation in the room where you'd like to use it. Local/national codes in some areas prohibit the use of b-vent rated appliances, especially in colder climates. Be aware that very "air tight" houses can cause performance problems with b-vent rated appliances, so please consult an experienced fireplace installer who can advise you on the proper installation and use you are considering. Direct Vent Fireplaces offer the most features with respect to gas consumption, efficiency ratings and venting options. A direct vent fireplace will always have a glass window because these fireplaces are sealed systems using a double walled venting system. Combustion air enters the appliance via one section of pipe while fumes and moisture are vented through the other pipe. Most often, a double wall "pipe within a pipe" system is used. Subject to each model's requirements for distance and offsets, direct vent fireplace venting may be terminated either horizontally or vertically. Efficiency rating will average 65% to 84%, similar to ratings on gas furnaces. Keep in mind that these appliances must "waste" some of the heat produced to create a draft of rising warm air to evacuate the fumes produced without aid of a forced air exhaust system. Think of direct vent fireplaces as a decorative furnace: the beauty of a realistic flame with high efficiency. This appliance is great for primary or supplental heating and for emergency backup heating as most work without aid of electricity. Because this is a sealed system that uses outside air for combustion, direct vent fireplaces are usually the favored choice among those in the fireplace industry because of their greater efficiency and exceptionally reliable performance. Hope this info helps, I am a General Contractor. Renron

We also have one that was put in when the house was built. About 5 yrs ago, I guess. The previous owner never used it. We tried it the first winter we were here, and the smell gave me an instant headache and I had dh turn it off. We gave it one more shot this Christmas, and again..I got sick right away. The smell was horrible, and simply scared me. Then we had an ice storm two wks ago. The day it hit, and people all around us were losing power, I told dh to gave it another try. But, this time to call the gas company and ask their opinion on the smell. They sent a guy right out. That alone amazed me, because there were trees down all over, and the roads were a solid sheet of ice. He apologized it took so long (2 hours), cause he had to take so many different routes to get here. Anyways, he told us he had one that he used every night because he loved how much heat it put out. Especially after being outside working in the cold all day. Told us about some kind of emergency shut off it had. Something to do with oxygen levels in the home. Explained the smell would get better (I think you just get used to it). Well, our power flickered on and off the rest of the day. And by 4:00pm, we were officially out for 4 days! If it wasn't for that, we'd have FROZE! It heated up our living area, where we all hung out that whole time, to upper 70's in just minutes. But, it didn't get anywhere near warming up the other rooms, so we just kept them blocked off. At night, we'd turn it off because it still made me a nervous wreck. Especially with my kids sleeping on the floor in front of it. I do miss the heat. I'm always curled up on the couch with a blanket at night, with our heater running. With this, we were all in t-shirts it was so toasty. We have to rechaulk under our mantel, because it gets soooo hot. That I'm guessing it melted it. I wouldn't put one in our next home, if I had the chance. Because, in the end..I just didn't feel comfortable with it. But, I'm grateful we had it.