Who has not dreamed of having a beautiful fireplace in the living room. It always provides an added atmosphere and even when it is not lit it adds a touch of elegance to the room. In addition to the comfort and heat that it gives, a fireplace is a great home decor addition. But how should you choose one?

First you must decide on the use of the fireplace, what I mean is will it be used as a form of heating for the house or will it be for ambiance. This is important as this decision will determine the type of fireplace you will buy. Of course you also need to know if the room where you plan to install the fireplace is large enough to accommodate one. The proper working of a fireplace depends on its capacity to evacuate gases created by burning fuel, whether you burn wood, gas or other fuels.

For people who live in an apartment and cannot build a fireplace, there are several solutions that do not necessitate a chimney. An electric fireplace, a ventless gas fireplace or an ethanol fireplace can all be installed without structural modifications and provide some of the benefits of standard fireplaces.

The choice of fuel as I have already mentioned is important. Heat comes from two elements of a burning fire: radiant heat from the flames and convection heat from hot air circulation. Air circulation works on the principle that cold air enter the fireplace in the lower area, it warms up in contact with the hot surfaces surrounding the firebox, hot air is then redistributed in the higher part of the fireplace. This will occur regardless of the type of fuel you use. Wood is a better ecological fuel but gas is cleaner. Electricity is expensive and not very efficient, ethanol is still relatively expensive to buy but prices are coming down as usage is increasing. Ethanol fireplaces are more efficient than electric ones.

Once you have decided on the kind of energy you will use it is time to decide if you will have an open front fireplace or a close one. This the kind of fireplace we heard about in the fairly tales of our childhood but today we have all the options we want. An open fireplace is a traditional type with the flames bouncing freely in front of your eyes. It is one of the most esthetic fireplaces you will ever see, but it has some serious disadvantages. First it consumes a lot of wood, then it keeps only about 20% of the heat produced by the fire, the other 80% literally flying out in smoke. You might also remember times when people actually choked with smoke filling up the room when a flue was not working optimally. Finally they have a higher risk of fire spreading out to the room, when sparks or ambers might fly out. This of course can be mitigated by using a fire screen and a larger earth, but the risk is still present. Using a close fireplace is a considerably more efficient than an open hearth type. You can either build such a fireplace or you can use a fireplace insert. A closed fireplace can also be equipped with blowers to help circulate hot air into the room. Because the fireplace or the insert is closed with glass doors you will still be able to see and hear the fire crackling, with a lot of added safety. The fireplace surround can be marble, tiles, or bricks located between the fireplace and the mantel.

When all these options have been decided the rest is a question of esthetics and taste. Wood fireplaces are making a comeback but ethanol fireplaces are a great seller with their modern metal designs. The important when considering a fireplace is to proceed with a safe installation as well as an esthetic one.

A vent free gas fireplace is only one of the many types of gas fireplaces.

Traditional fireplaces require an exhaust for safety because when gas burns, carbon monoxide, an odorless and colorless gas, is produced. This gas is dangerous even lethal and must be evacuated. Then there is a newer version of gas fireplaces that are vent free. Some are equipped with a catalytic converter that works like the one on your car to remove the carbon monoxide from hot air before it leaves the combustion chamber.

What are the advantages of using a vent free gas fireplace?

If you already have a wood burning fireplace you could use a vented gas fireplace since the flue is already installed and that represents a major expense in the installation of a new fireplace in an existing home. You might still consider a ventless gas fireplace because less heat is being lost through the chimney. If however you don't have any fireplaces in the house then there should be no hesitation and you should select a ventless fireplace because not only will installation be less costly, you will have the freedom to put your new fireplace anywhere you want. The technology has improved so much that you can now find vent-free fireplaces as slim as 8 inches, making them suitable for rooms that have very little space available for a regular fireplace.

Ease of use has to be the most important advantage. You can have a fire with the flick of button, perfect for warming up a room when returning from work, or getting the chill out early in the morning. Of course with that you have to think that you will never have to clean ashes, or soot again, nor will you have to carry wood on a cold winter evening.

Ventless fireplaces are very efficient as heaters as they do not lose heat through the chimney. Some tests have shown that a vented fire loses between 70 and 90% of the heat produced through the chimney. Furthermore, you can adjust the level of the flame you want, much more easily than you would with wood.

What are the disadvantages of using a vent free gas fireplace?

Some people have reported an odor when using a ventless fireplace. While I am including this in the disadvantages it must be recognized that if your are very sensitive to odors even the slightest odor is a drawback. However, it is not uncommon for ventless gas fireplaces to give off a slight odors the first few times you use it. As many furnaces do when you first turn them on. The odor is due to paint curing and manufacturing oils burning. After a few uses this odor goes away. If your fireplace was installed properly and all is in working order you should not have to suffer any odors.

For the environment it is cleaner to burn gas and to have CO2 cleaned by a catalytic converter than it is to burn wood. Unfortunately it is not as eco-friendly as a bio-ethanol fireplace.

Safety Concerns

It is important to remember to check your local codes before ordering a vent free gas fireplace, as some communities do not allow them. If that is the case in your community you can still enjoy a ventless fireplace by going to an ethanol fireplace.

For many years now all vent free gas fireplaces sold must be fitted with oxygen depletion sensors (ODS). When the oxygen level in the room drops, the sensor will trigger a gas flow shut off, ensuring an additional layer of safety. Some models have a carbon monoxide detector.

Design and availability

Most places where vent free gas fireplaces are legal will have some distributors, but because they sell on a small scale their offerings are limited. There is a wide choice of designs, some modern, some classic and the best place to ferret out what you really like is to search the internet for inspiration. Most dealers on line or in your town will happily answer any questions you have. After you find the model you want you can contact your local dealer and ask if they can get it for you.

Lenox for example makes some very sleek looking fireplaces, and while they do not sell to individuals they have dealers everywhere. Whether you opt for a contemporary vent free gas fireplace or you choose one with a traditional mantle you will find what you need online.