And gas fireplaces are better for the environment as propane burns cleaner than wood-burning versions. Ventless logs are an alternative. You won’t get the effect of burning real firewood. For these reasons, both wood-burning fireplaces with traditional masonry chimneys and vented gas fireplaces are less prevalent than they once were. A special regulator creates a fine mixture of gas and air that burns extremely cleanly, and the units are carefully tested in approved laboratories before they can be sold. Some freestanding gas fireplaces (called “vented” gas fireplaces) exhaust their fumes through a hole in your wall. Remember, one of the two byproducts of perfect combustion is water vapor, which is harmless to people but maybe not great for your home. You can buy a detector that measures down to a single part per million, called a low-level CO detector, for $75 to $150. Click Follow Search to get alerts on new listings. For people in dry climates, a little extra water vapor might be a plus—your fireplace is also a humidifier. Don't Neglect These 6 Maintenance Tasks—or Else, Debunked! For instance, all gas fireplaces without a vent come equipped with oxygen depletion sensors. Air flowing out a chimney vent flue can even prevent combustion gases from other appliances from exhausting properly. A two-sided fireplace has a very similar design, except that they only have an open front and back. Also known as unvented or vent-free fireplaces, a ventless gas fireplace operates with natural gas or liquid propane (LP) that flows into a gas burner mounted in the fireplace. For one, these ventless fireplaces aren't meant to be installed in bedrooms or rooms without ample square footage. But it does present a potential issue: Vapor hitting a cold surface will create beads of water, which can eventually start to grow mold. That said, these gas fireplaces do have several safety features that work to prevent potential issues with carbon monoxide. After spending over $1200 for a local company to install gas logs in our main family room masonry fireplace, I decided to order this unit for our secondary installation and did it myself for substantially less money. But if you do decide to go ventless, make sure to properly size and install the fireplace and follow the safety measures in your manual carefully. And the special outdoor conversion kit lets you take the Superior outdoors, to bring its light and warmth to an entirely new setting! A see-through fireplace has more than one viewing angle. The study also found higher-than-recommended levels of nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant that can irritate the lungs. A two-sided ventless gas fireplace runs from about $1,000 to … Fireplace installation costs between $100 and $5,600 depending on the type. On the surface, a ventless gas fireplace looks quite similar to a vented fireplace. One is a fresh-air intake that provides combustion air help the gas burn more efficiently. Then you'll know for sure that your fire is as safe as it is snuggly. Now They Regret It. However, ventless fireplaces have neither of the two outdoor vents found in vented units. Here's How Anyone Can Get a Fireplace, 5 Fabulous Fireplace Face-Lifts That Won't Burn Through Your Wallet, Most Affordable (and Warm) Places to WFH This Winter, The Most Dreamy Bedrooms We’ve Ever Seen—in the Movies, An Author’s Modern Retreat in New York Is Impossible To Put Down, 5 Things You Didn’t Know a VA Loan Could Do for You. In theory, a gas fireplace without a vent should be safe because of how propane gas burns (and there are no worrisome flames and extreme heat around your kids and pets). For extra peace of mind, consider investing in a low-level CO detector to hang near the fireplace. California is the only state that outright bans all ventless fireplaces, and there are notable restrictions in Massachusetts. You don’t need to have an existing fireplace or chimney. But is a ventless gas fireplace safe and effective—and will the flames throw enough heat? Because venting is such a large part of the installation cost, ventless fireplaces are generally a lot less expensive than vented units. Ventless gas fireplaces, in particular, are popular because they're clean and easy to use. Even though few homes today rely on fireplaces as their primary heating source, many homeowners still enjoy the ambiance of a warm fireplace. Because of CO safety concerns, ventless gas fireplaces are banned in California and Canada. The cost of the firebox unit or insert and the log assemblies are roughly the same for both ventless and vented gas fireplaces. A ventless gas fireplace is one without a chimney or vent—and it's an increasingly popular option for cash-strapped homeowners, since installing a fireplace vent can cost up to $3,000. And it is not a good choice if anyone in your home suffers from breathing problems, such as asthma or COPD.. A double-sided or multi-sided gas fireplace insert runs from $1,200 to more than $8,000, not including labor or installation. Fireplace Cost. Gel-powered ventless, no gas fireplace: $300-$700. Here are the average prices installed, which includes the flue, vent, or chimney. Manufacturers offer a variety of guidelines and restrictions that aim to mitigate harm. Solutions for Heating up Your Garage During Winter, Venting a Hot Water Heater: What You Should Know, 5 Common Problems With High-Efficiency Furnaces, Easy Winter Preparation Checklist for Your Home, Troubleshooting an Electronic Ignition Furnace That Won't Light, Wood Heat vs. A ventless gas fireplace is one without a chimney or vent—and it's an increasingly popular option for cash-strapped homeowners, since installing a fireplace vent can cost up to $3,000. By contrast, vented gas fireplaces create a dangerously high amount of combustion exhaust and therefore must be vented to the outdoors. The problem is that since these ventless versions typically don't come equipped with a CO detector, most people won't realize their fireplaces aren't functioning properly. So should you install a ventless gas fireplace? Yet the World Health Organization's guidelines for CO exposure recommend no more than one hour of exposure at concentrations as low as 26 ppm. But to sound the alarm at lower levels, the exposure has to be much longer. "When you have natural gas combustion, you're combining oxygen with methane," explains Allison A. Bailes, who has a doctorate in physics and is the founder of Energy Vanguard, which guides homeowners on healthy, eco-friendly improvements. A lack of oxygen—which can be caused by fans, drafts, nearby candles, or an older chimney or improperly maintained fireplaces—can "change the combustion process, making it incomplete," Bailes explains. Multi-sided fireplaces are often installed as built-in models between two living spaces. These monitor how much oxygen is reaching the fireplace and, if it's too little, will automatically shut the fireplace off before incomplete combustion can create a hazardous situation. Johnathan taught building construction for Rising Sun Energy in Berkeley California. The fireplace burns up to 35,000 BTU's, too, providing plenty of warmth. Shop our top selection of gas fireplaces, wood burning fireplaces, electric fireplaces, fireplace inserts, and more today! The cost to install a gas fireplace is $2,300 to $4,000, a traditional wood-burning fireplace runs $1,900 to $3,300, and an electric fireplace costs $100 to $2,200.Building a masonry fireplace costs $3,500 to $5,600.. When ignited, the flames run through gaps in artificial ceramic fiber logs, giving the illusion of a real wood-burning fireplace. Still, hazards are present. By contrast, a ventless fireplace costs between $1,000 and $5,000. A fireplace makes a home. In many states, there are restrictions on where the home you can install a ventless fireplace—they may not be allowed in sleeping areas, for example., Low oxygen levels can be a concern with well-insulated homes that have a slow exchange of indoor and outdoor air. Peninsula models have three viewing sides (front, back, and one side). And non-vented burning of natural gas or propane also produces water vapor as a byproduct, which can increase humidity levels and the risk of mold., It's therefore wise to do your homework on the units you are considering. ©1995-2021 National Association of REALTORS® and Move, Inc. All rights reserved.realtor.com® is the official site of the National Association of REALTORS® and is operated by Move, Inc., a subsidiary of News Corp. Audrey Ference has written for The Billfold, The Hairpin, The Toast, Slate, Salon, and others. There are limitations, though. In other words, low levels of CO coming from a ventless gas fireplace might fly under a detector's radar entirely. National Association of Certified Home Inspectors, What You Need to Know About Your Wood-Burning Stove and Heater. How Much Does Repairing a Fireplace Cost? Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 12 years. It has a control panel to operate the pilot light and flames, and holes in ceramic artificial logs for the flame jets. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI), What You Need to Know About Your Wood-Burning Stove and Heater. Home Buyers Reveal: 'What I Wish I Had Known Before Buying My First Home', Selling Your Home? As a result, "When they're running correctly, ventless gas fireplaces do a pretty good job," says Bailes. In this study of 30 homes with these particular gas fireplaces, half of the homeowners they observed ran them longer than recommended. Get quick and easy access to your home value, neighborhood activity and financial possibilites. Pellet Stove Comparison Guide. All of the heat will stay inside your home though, so if that is what you are looking for, ventless logs are a wise choice. We have two fireplaces, and one is a two-sided see-thru one. The major price difference between the two types of fireplaces is the cost of venting. Safety issues come into play, however, when your combustion in a gas fireplace becomes less than perfect. Burn Wise is a partnership program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that emphasizes the importance of burning the right wood, the right way, in the right appliance to protect your home, health, and the air we breathe. According to the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI), a patchwork of regulations across the United States controls the legality of ventless fireplaces. The popular Kidde CO detector, for example, will sound the alarm after 4 minutes of propane gas exposure to air with 400 parts per million of carbon monoxide. Instead, combustion air for the burner is drawn into the fireplace from the air inside the home, and exhaust fumes also remain inside the home. American Lung Association. Johnathan C. Brewer II is a licensed general contractor specializing in kitchen, bath remodels, and general construction with two decades of professional experience. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Wood-burning fireplaces are inherently inefficient, since a good deal of the home's heat inevitably escapes up the flue rather than radiating into interior spaces. At 40 ppm, it takes 10 hours for a Kidde detector to go off (and it doesn't measure below that concentration). Also known as unvented or vent-free fireplaces, a ventless gas fireplace operates with natural gas or liquid propane (LP) that flows into a gas burner mounted in the fireplace. In the remaining states, a welter of regulations controls ventless fireplaces based on factors such population of the city, altitude, and surrounding geography. As with vented fireplace, ventless units usually have blowers that circulate air around the firebox to heat the room. Double-sided Gas Fireplace Prices. A freestanding gas fireplace can go wherever you want it to go. Another issue with fireplaces concerns the energy loss. Roughly a third of states allow these units with no restrictions. According to Bailes, most home CO detectors are designed to detect high levels of the odorless propane gas, and the probable emission from ventless propane fireplaces is quite low. To solve these issues, a ventless gas fireplace might be the solution. In a traditional vented gas fireplace, there are two vents that run to the outside of the home. If you read the manual and follow the rules, you'll probably be fine. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the, Sorry, we were unable to share this article. 8 Myths About Renting You Should Stop Believing Immediately, 6 Ways Home Buyers Mess Up Getting a Mortgage, 6 Reasons You Should Never Buy or Sell a Home Without an Agent, Difference Between Agent, Broker & REALTOR, Real Estate Agents Reveal the Toughest Home Buyers They’ve Ever Met, The 5 Maintenance Skills All Homeowners Should Know, Click for complete coronavirus coverage from realtor.com, Fireplace Safety Tips to Stay Warm (but Not Get Burned) This Winter, Feeling the Chill? A vented gas fireplace costs between $3,500 and $8,000 to purchase and have installed, depending on the amount of carpentry required to run the ductwork. After starting his own general contracting firm, Brewer Builds, in 2008, Johnathan began his TV career as an on air carpenter and has been featured on HGTV’s “Super Scapes”,“Curb Appeal the Block”, “Elbow Room”, DIY Network's “House Crashers”, "This Old House", and OWN Network's Emmy award winning show “Home Made Simple”. They will conserve more energy as they operate with the flue closed. Beyond CO poisoning, another concern with ventless gas fireplaces is water vapor. These People Rushed to Buy Homes During Covid. With any fireplace installation, a major issue is venting the exhaust gases, whether it is simple smoke from a wood-burning fireplace, or the exhaust fumes produced when you burn gas. She lives in Austin, TX. Both require the same type of natural gas or propane connection, so there is no cost difference in terms of plumbing. (Some direct-vent fireplaces are vented with a single two-chamber vent pipe). Ventless gas fireplaces have a feature called an oxygen detection system (ODS), which automatically turns off the unit if oxygen levels in the room fall below a certain level. For the best experience, please enable cookies when using our site. Perhaps as a result, 20% of these homes had CO concentrations greater than what the Environmental Protection Agency considers safe (9 ppm over eight hours, a recommendation similar to the WHO's). Ventless fireplaces may well be a good choice for a decorative feature in a room where its use can be supervised, but shouldn't be used as a principal source of heat, especially in a sleeping area. Make sure its specifications meet safety standards, and that the unit is approved for installation by your building code authorities. Vented gas fireplaces are somewhat better at retaining heat, but modern homes are now being built so airtight that even a vented gas fireplace may create negative air pressure that hinders good exhaust. So if you were hoping for heat and flames for hours in this space, the ventless pick isn't for you. Guidelines also advise that they shouldn't be run for too long (typically no more than two hours). Read our, Cost of Ventless Gas Fireplaces vs. Other Options. The safety of ventless gas fireplaces is a subject of debate. Bluegrass Living B100TN Vent Free Natural Gas Fireplace Insert, 10,000 BTU, T-Stat Control, Black $409.99 Regal Flame 22" Heater Smokeless Ventless Curved Wall Mounted Electric Fireplace Stove Easier to install than vented wood or gas fireplaces and capable of warming small rooms, gas fireplaces that have no vents passing to the exterior are becoming more popular for remodeling work and even in new-construction homes. This, in turn, could put their health at risk. There is a slight difference to the flame jets between the two styles, and as a result, ventless fireplaces tend to burn somewhat less realistically than vented units. Incomplete combustion creates the dangerous molecular byproduct carbon monoxide (CO)—an odorless gas that causes brain damage and even death at high-enough exposure levels. The fireplaces may also have built-in CO (carbon monoxide) detectors that also automatically shut off the fireplace if high levels are detected. If you're the better-safe-than-sorry type, you're probably better off sticking with something vented, even if the cost is higher. When ignited, the flames run through gaps in artificial ceramic fiber logs, giving the illusion of a real wood-burning fireplace. Ventless gas fireplace: $2,000-$3,500. This may sound dangerous, but ventless fireplaces are engineered in a manner that minimizes the exhaust fumes. Here's what you'll want to know before you buy a ventless gas fireplace for your home. No plumbing is required, as these units use alcohol-based gel fuel canisters that burn for up to three hours. Because there is no airflow to the outdoors, they do not create the negative pressure problems that can occur with a vented fireplace. Ventless Fireplace Inspection. It looks like Cookies are disabled in your browser. Some manufacturers recommend leaving a window cracked open while running operating the fireplace to ensure there is a source of fresh air., NACHI also observes that although fumes are greatly reduced, ventless fireplaces still release small amounts into the home, increasing the risk of carbon monoxide exposure. Others are ventless; the exhaust enters your indoor space. Yet a study conducted at the Building Research Council at the University of Illinois suggests that many may not adhere to these ventless guidelines as much as they should. The other vent safely removes any exhaust gases created by burning the natural gas or LP to the outdoors. In a process called "perfect combustion," molecules of oxygen combine with methane's carbon and hydrogen to create two harmless byproducts: water vapor and carbon dioxide (CO2). Special conversion kits (see Accessories tab above) allow you to reconfigure the fireplace itself into single-sided or see-thru variations. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. Venting a fireplace is especially complicated in retrofit installations, where it can be problematic to find a route for the chimney flue. Ventless gas fireplaces are deemed to operate within the range of safety for cycling these combusted gases back into the home's interior. Direct-vent gas fireplaces require two vents in the back: one that expels gases and another that draws in fresh air from the outside. The cheapest way to have a ventless fireplace in your home is with gel-based units.