Proper ventilation provides greater operating efficiencies with
each stove, fireplace and insert, as well as providing a home that
is free of potentially harmful by-products of burning fuel products.
Proper installation is not only necessary for the performance of
your new stove, fireplace or fireplace insert, but is necessary for
your safety. Ace Hardware & Hearth installs what we sell. We use our
own technicians and installers who understand the importance of
delivering legendary Ace service. For more information and pricing
on having Ace install a hearth in your Maryland home, click the
price quote button below.
Each appliance type (gas, wood,
pellet) uses venting indigenous to that type. For detailed
information on chimney systems, venting and installation, click the
link below:
No Chimney? No Problem! 1-2-3 Instant Fireplace
Choose the location in your home. Be sure there is access to the
outside from the wall you choose.
Select a fireplace. Choose from a wide range of Ace Hardware &
Hearth fireplace packages.
Pick the perfect mantel. Finish your fireplace with one of many
completely finished mantels.
Direct Vent technology means you no longer need an expensive,
elaborate chimney. Simply vent your fireplace through an outside
wall.
Direct Vent Gas Fireplaces
Direct vent fireplaces, stoves, and inserts do not require a
chimney and take just a few hours to install.
Direct vent uses a 7" diameter pipe with a 4" pipe inside. The
inside pipe is used for exhaust and the outside pipe is used for air
intake. Direct Vent models do not use any air from inside the house
for combustion.
Direct vents often vent up a few feet and then elbow out through
the wall. Some units vent straight out through the wall. Either type
can also be vented through the roof. Direct vent fireplaces:
Have an inner pipe that vents the exhaust.
Can either vent out the top or out the back, for installation
versatility.
Can vent horizontally through an outside wall, or vertically
through the roof - no chimney required!
Are ideal for adding warmth & efficient heating to a cold room.
Are generally certified as gas wall furnace for highest
efficiency.
Are zero clearance to combustibles.
Are easy to install, have space-saving depth, but requires
finishing such as a mantel and surround.
Are suitable for well-insulated homes or homes with no existing
chimney.
Always have an enclosed front.
Are the best choice for newer, more air-tight homes.
Gas B-Vent
B-Vent pipe is 4" in diameter, and is used for exhaust only.
B-Vent models use air from the room for combustion. B-Vent models
must vent above the roof line. They can either vent straight up
through an existing chimney (in which case a less expensive flexible
liner can be used) or through the wall and then up above the roof.
Gas B-Vent fireplaces and stoves:
Use room air for combustion and venting terminates above the
roofline (like a furnace).
Are more decorative with lower efficiencies.
Are zero clearance to combustibles.
Are relatively easy to install, space-saving depth, but requires
finishing such as a mantel and surround.
Can be large traditional fireplaces in clean-face or circulating
models.
Are ideal for locating anywhere in the home where B-vent can be
installed.
Gas Vent-Free
A vent-free gas fireplace operates without a chimney, flue or
vent, so you can install one just about anywhere. Vent-free
fireplaces operate on natural or propane gas. Most models require no
electricity. Natural or propane gas fuels the flame through a
permanent line that is connected to a blue-flame/yellow-flame burner
or ceramic plaque burner within the heating appliance.
The primary gas combustion by-products that can affect indoor air
quality are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide,
oxygen and water vapor (humidity) when new or serviced annually by a
qualified technician. Because a vent free appliance can put up to a
gallon of water vapor into a home very four hours it is burned, in
regions that are known to be humid, vent-free could lead to mildew
or mold issues. Using a dehumidifier while in use may minimize this
hazard. Also, people with sinus sensitivities or asthma may see
their symptoms exacerbated by using a vent-free appliance. If pets
are in the home, you may smell the airborne dander being burned and
returned to the living space.
Today's vent-free fireplaces operate well within nationally
recognized standards and recommendations for all five by-products.
American Gas Association Research Division confirms these low
emission levels.
Vent-Free Safety
Oxygen Detection Safety-Pilot. Since 1980, vent-free gas heating
appliances have been equipped with a unique safety-pilot system
called an oxygen detection safety-pilot, or ODS. The ODS is the
proven technological innovation that revolutionized the safety of
vent-free gas heating appliances. The ODS automatically shuts off
the gas supply in the rare event that the oxygen level in the room
falls to 18 percent. Questions remain about the long-term effect of
vent-free gas fireplace emissions on indoor air quality. In 1995,
the Vent-Free Gas Products Alliance of the Gas Appliance
Manufacturers Association (GAMA) commissioned a study on indoor air
quality as it relates to vent-free gas heating products in the home.
The results proved that vent-free gas heating products meet or
exceed the most current and applicable nationally recognized
standards and guidelines for indoor air quality. Even so, the
Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association recommends the installation of
a carbon monoxide detector with all gas hearth products.
Wood Burning Stove and Fireplace Venting
Wood burning fireplaces are naturally vented three feet above the
roof of a house or a minimum of two feet above any point of the
structure within a ten foot radius. Depending on the fireplace
selected, this venting can occur through a masonry or stainless
steel, Class A type all-fuel chimney system. Click the link below to
see a complete Wood Burning Fireplace Fact Sheet from the Hearth,
Patio & Barbeque Association.
Pellet Burning Unit Venting
Proper venting is essential for proper appliance performance,
dwelling safety, maintenance frequency, and indoor environment.
Pellet stoves produce little or no visible smoke after startup, but
exhaust gases, fine ash, and water vapor must be removed safely from
the appliance to the outdoors without leaking into the house. The
purpose of all vents is removal of combustion by-products during
normal operation. For most designs, the exhaust is mechanical: a fan
blows the combustion by-products out and pulls air needed for
combustion into the fire.
Source: gamanet.org
Ace recommends industry trained professional install all venting
systems. Permits may be required.