Vent-Free Gas Heating Appliances
A vent-free gas heating appliance operates without a chimney, flue or vent, so you can install them just about anywhere in your home without making a hole in the wall or roof. These supplemental heating appliances include space heaters, stoves, fireplaces, fireplace inserts and gas logs, which are permanently connected to a natural gas or propane fuel line. Most require no electricity.
They are available in many heat outputs (6,000–40,000 Btu/hr) and are used to supplement your central heating system and warm only certain areas of your home. To control the heat output from these appliances, consumers now have the choice of manual, thermostatic and remote controls that are available for most designs.
During the past decade, vent-free technology has been adapted to a variety of hearth products including gas logs that are installed in existing masonry or manufactured fireplaces or vent-free fireboxes; fireplace systems that are installed against or recessed into a wall and trimmed out with a mantel; stoves available in “retro" cast iron designs that have porcelain or painted finish, or are in a more modern sheet metal configuration; and finally inserts that recess into existing fireplaces and are trimmed out with a metal surround that extends over the fireplace opening.
Consumers should consult a full-service retailer when choosing the right vent-free gas product for their particular needs and have the appliance professionally installed and serviced.