Hearth appliances are one of the most popular features in American homes. In fact, half of all U.S. households have at least one fireplace or freestanding stove. And, fireplaces rank among the top three features desired by new home buyers according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Today, the selection of hearth products is greater than ever.
Gas Logs
For people who have an existing fireplace but seldom have time to build a fire, a set of gas logs may be the best way to have dancing flames at your fingertips. Gas logs provide dramatic realism, from the lifelike ceramic fiber, concrete or refractory logs down to the glowing embers. These logs sets have a burner that uses either natural gas or propane.
Vented and Vent-free logs
Vented units have a spectacular flame pattern, but are decorative only. Vent-free models offer high efficiency but may not be permitted in some areas (check with your local building official or hearth specialty retailer before installing any unit). Whether you want the look of a small split pine campfire or massive oak logs, there is a gas log set for you.
Decorative Vented Gas Log Sets (Based on BTU's and Fireplace Construction)
Decorative Vented Gas Log sets make up the largest portion of the gas log sales in the United States. Known in the industry as Decorative or Beauty logs, these log sets create the look of an authentic wood fire with their beautiful yellow flames, a deep glowing ember coal bed, and durable hand-cast logs molded from real wood. Most decorative gas logs are cast from a ceramic refractory material with steel bar reinforcements and are custom colored with high temperature stains/paints to ensure longevity and beauty.
Vent Free (Unvented) Gas Log Sets
Vent Free (Unvented) Gas Log Sets are designed for heat. In fact, they are tested to a special heat standard to certify heating performance. Based on their special burner/combustion requirements, vent-free gas logs operate at a 99%+ efficiency level ensuring a clean burn and maximizing fuel efficiency to produce heat. This ability to burn cleanly and completely is the reason vent-free gas log sets can be burned with the fireplace flue (damper) closed. Vent-free gas log sets are design certified by CSA and include special safety features not found on standard vented log sets. Most notable is the Oxygen Depletion Sensor which detects the level of oxygen in and around the gas log set. If for any reason the oxygen level drops below 19% (basically the same oxygen level as found in Denver, CO.), the set will automatically turn itself off.
Due to the exacting requirements on vent-free sets, logs have exact placement and cannot be moved or arranged differently. It is also true that the yellow flames cannot come in actual contact with the logs. Consequently, vent-free log sets have yellow tipped flames which are positioned between logs to ensure they do not have actual contact. Vent-free gas logs sets are the most fuel efficient available. Because they burn at a 99%+ efficiency, heat is the primary outcome.
It is important to note that vent-free gas logs sets have to be sized by the cubic feet to be heated vs. just the size of the fireplace. This proper sizing minimizes any possible odors, excessive heat and any possible excess moisture. Due to the level of heat produced by vent-free gas logs, it is recommended that a heat hood be used to protect combustibles above the fireplace.
Today gas-burning hearth products are the most popular hearth category. Thanks to significant product innovations almost 70% of all hearth products now burn gas.
Gas appliances have convenient optional features that allow you to have a beautiful fire at the touch of a switch, thermostat or even a remote control. All gas stoves, fireplaces, inserts and logs can burn either natural gas (NA) or propane (LP). As with their wood counterparts, they are designed to either provide aesthetics or to produce heat.
Vented / B-Vent
Gas hearth products are characterized by how they are vented. Natural draft stoves, fireplaces and inserts vent bi-products of combustion outside the home using an inexpensive ("Class B") pipe similar to that used on furnaces or gas-fired water heaters. As with a conventional wood stove or fireplace, the pipe goes vertically through the roof. Natural draft units are tested and listed as either decorative or heater-rated units.
Vent Free (Unvented)
Vent Free refers to the kind of hearth appliance that draws its combustion air from inside the home and is designed to burn so efficiently that it eliminates the need for venting.
Direct-vent
Direct-vent stoves, fireplaces and fireplace inserts vent in a revolutionary new way. Many do not need a full chimney terminating through the roof, so installation costs are lower. Because they can vent directly through the wall, this new technology is great for apartments and condominiums or unusual applications such as under a window. Direct-vent units are also especially attractive in tightly insulated homes. By pulling air for the fire from outside the home and exhausting the burned gasses through the same vent system, the combustion process is "sealed" from the living area. This eliminates concerns about indoor air quality and results in a balanced burn that is not affected by fans or other drafts. Most direct-vent units are very efficient and are rated as "heaters" by testing agencies and regulatory authorities.
Wood Venting Options
When people think of a fire on the hearth, they think of burning wood, which is natural. Wood is the traditional fuel. It grows locally, is abundant in most areas and is one of our few renewable sources of energy. For many, nothing beats the warmth and beauty of a true wood fire.
Burning wood also makes great sense from an environmental standpoint. As concern about global warming and greenhouse gases increases, so does the attraction of using renewable biomass for energy. Trees convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, replenishing the atmosphere. Most firewood comes from harvesting dead trees. Unlike fossil fuels, there is no net carbon contribution when burning wood, as those same gases are given off when the tree decomposes in nature.
Burning wood has become less polluting and more efficient over the past decade. Sophisticated new designs have doubled the energy efficiency of stoves. Even better, the amount of smoke emitted by wood stoves has been reduced by an average of 90 percent. All wood-burning stoves and inserts sold today are certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as clean-burning. And less smoke means less potentially flammable creosote within their chimney systems; the safety record of wood-burning appliances is the best ever.
A fireplace remains the most popular choice and adds significantly to the value of any home. Most fireplaces are no longer traditional brick and mortar, but are engineered and pre-built by major manufacturers. More than seventy-five percent of all fireplaces installed each year are factory-built and shipped to the construction site. A factory-built fireplace is actually a firebox enclosed within a steel cabinet. A blanket of insulating air keeps the outer wall cool, land spacers surrounding the cabinet allow it to be installed in close proximity to the wood framing (hence the name "zero-clearance fireplace"). They pass rigorous testing standards established by Underwriters Laboratories and the American Gas Association and have an excellent safely record. Factory-built fireplaces are surprisingly inexpensive. They use a safe, lightweight chimney and do not need any additional footing or other structural support. Because they have fewer limitations than site-built masonry fireplaces, they can be easily and safely installed in almost any room. Factory-built fireplaces are available in a range of sizes, and can be open on one, two ("see-though" and corner models), or three sides ("peninsula"). Brick, stone, marble and other facing materials can be combined with your choice of mantels to suit your decor.
Fireplace Inserts
Fireplace inserts are heating units that retrofit into an existing fireplace (masonry or factory-built). They burn wood, gas or wood pellets and offer superior efficiency. Inserts utilize the existing chimney, though a flue liner or other modification may be necessary. Vent-free inserts require no chimney or flue modification. Most have blowers to circulate the heat. Inserts are used to change an existing non-efficient fireplace into an efficient, heat producing zone heat.
Freestanding Stoves
A freestanding stove gives you the ability to incorporate virtually any style into your home décor. The most versatile hearth product, stoves are available in a wide selection of sizes and styles. They are made of steel, stone or cast iron, and finishes include porcelain enamel and high temperature paint in an array of colors. Freestanding stoves burn wood, gas, coal, wood pellets, oil or are electric, and many use a space age ceramic glass to provide fire viewing. They are generally used to heat a specific room or zone of the house. Stoves are very efficient and control of the fire, heat output, burn times and installation options are greatly improved. The gentle waves of radiant heat will make your home cozy on the coldest winter day.
Electric Fireplaces and Stoves
An electric stove or fireplace is a simulated gentle wood flame, but without a chimney or venting system. Electric fireplaces and stoves have a built-in heater to provide the right amount of warmth controllable by the flick of a switch. These appliances can be installed into an existing fireplace opening, into a mantel, or can be free-standing. They are ideal for apartments, town homes, offices or even hotel lobbies and rooms.
Electric hearth products have great appeal for consumers because of their ease of installation, safe, cool-to-the-touch exteriors, and their clean, hassle-free convenience. Thanks to new technology, electric fireplace users can enjoy the ambiance of a fire with or without heat. Electric fireplaces can be installed in virtually any room without special venting or fuel supply as they simply plug into any standard household electrical outlet.
