Who does not love a fireplace in the middle of the winter? If you live in a cold climate you understand exactly what I am talking about. People that live in the cold climate and don’t have a fireplace are missing. If you have more cold months than summer months you really need to consider buying a fireplace. If you think a fireplace is really expensive then you need to consider other options such as a vent less fireplace. The ventless fire place has only been in production for about 12 years so they are relatively new to the market. However, they can be purchased at a decent price compared to having one installed.

What is a ventless fireplace?

The ventless fireplace is pretty much what the name implies. The fireplace can be gel fuel fireplace that uses natural gas. The natural gas fireplace usually shows fake logs which emit the fire, they are commonly referred to as ventless fireplace logs. It does not require a chimney or flu to be vented outside. So, you don’t have to have a hole placed in your roof along with installing a chimney. The fireplace can also use a Gel Fuel which is more for presenting a flame or creating ambience than it is about heating a home. A popular Gel Fuel is Sunjel and is purchased in cans that sit under or behind fake logs.

The fireplace takes the air out of the room and allows for heating and is considered safer than a stove. Like any combustion appliance it is regulated by American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The ANSI limits the Btu input of vent-free fireplaces to 40,000 Btu's. Although these fireplaces are considered safe the homeowner should take into consideration that this fireplace is an appliance just like a gas stove and will eventually fail due to wear and tear and possible poor maintenance, this being the case these fireplaces are not meant to heat the entire home or act as the main source of heating.

How much does it cost

The ventless fireplace like many other things has varying costs associated with them. You can expect to conservatively spend $400.00 and upwards to 1,700.00 depending on the type you want to purchase.

If you purchased an electric fireplace you obviously place it the area you desire. However, if you purchased the fireplace which uses natural gas or propane from your home it will require a little more work. You may want to consider hiring a contractor. If you are comfortable doing the work yourself you can run a gas line and build a raised hearth then place the fireplace on top and use a flexible gas line. You also need to check to make sure you do not have any gas leaks. One common method for checking gas leaks is to get a bowl of warm soapy water and use a sponge to cover your connections. If you see bubbles then you need to shut off the gas and redo your connections to alleviate any gas leaks to your ventless fireplace .