What are the Benefits of a Direct Vent Gas Fireplace?

Consider this common predicament: you are thinking of installing a gas fireplace, but you live in a home that has a single chimney and it already vents a central furnace.  Furthermore, you don’t want to tear up your whole house by running a pipe through multiple floors and out the roof.  So what is the solution?

If you asked that question just over 30 years ago, the answer would be either move, build another chimney, or forget the fireplace altogether. Fortunately, direct vent gas fireplaces have become so advanced, and indeed so popular, that a practical solution may be right in front of you.

Direct vent gas fireplaces are unique because they can be vented through an exterior wall or through the roof. Whereas a traditional B-vent gas fireplace must vent up a chimney and draws combustion air from the building envelope, direct vent gas fireplaces pull their combustion air from the outside into a sealed firebox.  This not only leads to greater installation flexibility but also much higher efficiency rates over the life of the fireplace.  

This diagram illustrates basic direct vent fireplace technology. Outside air is pulled in for combustion and then vented out through a secondary pipe or via a pipe-in-pipe vent (as you see in the drawing above). A huge benefit of direct vent gas fireplaces is that they can be terminated through an exterior wall or through the roof.

Thinking about a direct vent gas fireplace for your home?

As ubiquitous as they’ve become, both consumers and building professionals alike still have questions about direct vent gas fireplaces.  Here are some common questions we’ve come across. 

• Unlike traditional B-vent fireplaces, direct vent fireplaces do not necessitate a chimney for venting.
• Simply run a direct vent pipe through your walls and terminate through the roof or an external wall.
• This allows for much greater flexibility in positioning your fireplace.

• You will have to run a natural gas or liquid propane (LP) gas line to the fireplace location.
• You’ll also need a standard 120v electrical outlet.  Fireplace manufacturers will specify exact requirements in their fireplace installation manuals.

Direct vent gas fireplaces are always enclosed in glass.  This design feature aids in their overall efficiency and guarantees that room air isn’t used in combustion.   Regulation dictates that all glass-enclosed fireplaces must have a safety barrier and for years that meant bulky screens that detracted from otherwise clean designs.  Today, higher-end direct vent gas fireplaces offer a choice between a fine stainless steel mesh screen or a double glass solution known as a glass screen barrier.  Check out the comparison for yourself in this short video featuring the Lucius 140 peninsula fireplace by Element4.

*Not all direct vent fireplace manufacturers allow for a TV or other electronics to be installed above their fireplaces.  Make sure to check with the manufacturer before planning a fireplace installation with a TV.

Bidore 140 by Element 4 with a custom television cabinet featuring an automatic sliding door.

In addition to the TV Above Fireplace Installation Guide above, this video will answer many of your more technical framing and finishing questions in regards to Element4 direct vent gas fireplaces.

Compared to burning oil, wood, coal, or gasoline, both fuels used in direct vent gas fireplaces, natural gas, and liquid propane, burn significantly cleaner and have less of an environmental impact.  Both fuel types do produce carbon dioxide and water during combustion. Liquid propane can produce carbon monoxide while burning if there’s not enough combustion air, but that’s not a problem with a direct vent model as all by-products are vented outside.

With improved efficiencies, turn-down rates to reduce heat output when needed, and electronic ignitions rather than standing pilot lights, modern direct vent gas fireplaces have significantly reduced their environmental impact over the years.  However, for an even more ‘green’ choice you may consider an electric fireplace.  When paired with renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, your carbon fireplace footprint can be next to nothing.  

We can thank the Shimek brothers of Apple Valley, Minnesota for the popularity of gas fireplaces in homes all across the country.  Drawing on their fascination with combustion and love of tinkering, Dan and Ron began diving into gas fireplace technology in the late 1970s. By 1987, they received the patent for the first direct vent technology.

What began as a garage innovation morphed into an industry-changing breakthrough. All of a sudden, architects and builders could design and build homes without adding costly and labor-intensive chimney features.

Today, companies like Element4 have taken the idea of a direct vent gas fireplace and completely transformed the aesthetic approach.  With clean modern lines, efficient yet robust flames, and an endless selection of design styles, these modern gas fireplaces have been elevated to the likes of fine art.

Start building the direct vent gas fireplaces of your dreams.  Talk to one of our friendly specialists.