Lots of people do not know that there are several types of fireplaces, and most of the people don’t know what type they really have. It is a crucial piece of knowledge you’ll need when purchasing for fire merchandise, or when making an attempt to schedule service. Beneath we are going to categorize every kind of fireside and present you the way to determine which one is in your house.
So, there are two primary classes of fireplaces, strong gas and fuel. Stable fuels are issues similar to wooden, coal, pellets, and manufactured items similar to Duraflame logs. Gasoline fireplaces within the U.S. run on both propane (LPG) or pure fuel (NG). Now earlier than I overlook you even have gel fueled and electrical fireplaces; however odds are, in case you have certainly one of these you already know it.
Fireplaces and the like might be separated into 8 distinct classes:
- Masonry wooden or fuel burning
- Prefab/zero clearance/air cooled wooden or fuel burning
- Direct vent fuel
- B-vent/pure vent fuel
- Ventfree/ventless fuel
- Electrical
- Gel/alcohol fueled
- Inserts/Stoves wooden, fuel, electrical, or pellet burning.
Masonry Hearth
Masonry fireplaces are web site constructed fireplaces composed fully of brick, stone, and the like. These are the best to determine as a result of the brick begins in your flooring and continues with out interruption all the way in which to the highest of the chimney. The second easiest method inform is to easily search for previous the damper. For those who see masonry as an alternative of steel pipe; then you’ve a masonry fire. A protected and operational masonry fire can be utilized to burn wood, vented fuel logs, vent free fuel logs, or an insert.
Prefab/Zero Clearance/ Air Cooled Hearth
Simply to start out; these are all the identical factor. Relying on the producer or a part of the nation you might be in; these are simply other ways to discuss with the identical factor. For our functions right here we’re going to name the prefab fireplaces.
Prefab fireplaces are additionally pretty simple to determine. Most notably they use a steel pipe for the flue/chimney. Just by wanting up the chimney previous the damper (they may all the time have a damper) you will note a spherical steel pipe between 8-12” in diameter. Additionally, you will see this pipe in your attic generally. These fireplaces can be recognized by wanting on the firebox itself. Inside a prefab fire you’ll have a ceramic flooring panel, and 1-3 ceramic partitions that normally have some kind of brick sample stamped into them.
If your property is older than 1990 you might have two steel facet partitions, and the again might seem like 2-4 giant brick wanting items. These panels are known as refractory panels and when inspected intently might be simply discerned from brick. Prefab fireplaces can even use a fuel log lighter to start out wooden fires. These fireplaces can burn wooden, fuel, or inserts. One huge notable distinction between these and masonry fire is most prefab fireplaces should not authorised to be used with vent free logs with the damper closed.
Direct Vent Gasoline Hearth
Direct vent fireplaces are at present the preferred type of gas fireplace. They’re extremely environment friendly, and are normally rated as heaters. Direct vent fireplaces are usually operated by wall change or distant. These home equipment will all the time have a strong and sealed glass panel over the entrance of the hearth that doesn’t open. This panel prevents room air from getting used within the combustion and exhaust course of; which in flip, makes the house and fireside extra environment friendly. These fireplaces use a double wall or co-axial chimney.
The interior pipe sends exhaust to the outside, and the outer pipe is used to offer combustion air to the firebox. Direct vent fireplaces will all the time have a pilot gentle. This pilot gentle could also be automated and lightweight itself when the hearth is turned on, or it could be a “standing” pilot which needs to be manually lit. One of the simplest ways to find out whether or not or not it’s a direct vent fire is by the glass panel. Nevertheless, some may even have an exterior (outdoors the house) exhaust vent that seems on the wall behind or close to the hearth. These fireplaces can’t be altered. The burner, logs, inside, and glass panel can’t be modified.
B-Vent/Pure Vent Gasoline Hearth
These fireplaces fall into what professionals discuss with as builder grade fireplaces. These are the most affordable and customarily least fascinating fireplaces. B-vent fireplaces use a single wall kind chimney, and so they use room air for combustion, and exhaust room air up the chimney. They’ll normally have a glass door package or glass panel on the entrance. The doorways are normally operable, and if it has the mounted glass panel it is going to have a spot on the high, backside, or each. These fireplaces can normally solely be differentiated from a direct vent by a house proprietor by the shortage of a hard and fast, gasket bearing glass panel.
The logs and flame in these items are normally fairly small and unattractive. B-vent fireplaces are ornamental in nature and should not for warmth. Any such fire will all the time have a pilot gentle. This pilot gentle could also be turned on routinely when the unit is turned on, or a “standing” pilot that needs to be manually lit. The logs, burner, inside, and glass panels/doorways can’t be modified or altered generally.
Vent-free/ Ventless Gasoline Hearth
The primary main distinction to be made on this class is that vent-free are for indoor use, and ventless is for outside use solely. This is a crucial clarification that should made prior to buying certainly one of these items.
Vent-free fireplaces are simple to determine as they haven’t any flue or chimney. These might be constructed of steel or masonry, however they may by no means have a chimney. Vent-free home equipment are for warmth, a number of it. These are hottest in rural areas the place energy outages might be frequent and lengthy lasting. Vent-free home equipment have a really static showing flame, and don’t look nearly as good as their vented counterparts.
There are extra trendy variations of vent-free and ventless fireplaces that don’t attempt to emulate a wooden hearth via the usage of logs, however have extra up to date media similar to hearth glass or stones. Vent-free home equipment can’t be put in in air tight houses, or in cell and manufactured houses. It is usually essential to notice that anybody with respiration difficulties shouldn’t be round vent-free home equipment when in use.
Electrical Hearth
That is a simple class. Electrical fireplaces should not have an actual hearth. It’s a simulated hearth utilizing numerous types of lighting. These fireplaces can be utilized nearly anyplace, and don’t require a chimney.
Gel / Alcohol Fueled Fireplaces
Once more, that is a simple class. These fireplaces use a petroleum or alcohol primarily based gel that’s poured right into a pan or cartridge after which lit. Any such fire doesn’t use a chimney, however it could have a clearance to combustibles that needs to be adhered to. Gel fueled fireplaces don’t all the time have logs, however slightly an ornamental bowl, media, or design round which the hearth burns. These fireplaces run for 1-4 hours on a single load of gas. An essential observe right here is they are often very costly to burn on a constant and common foundation.
Stoves and Inserts (wooden, fuel, pellet, electrical)
On this part we aren’t going into an excessive amount of element on the specifics. Our purpose right here is to easily determine the equipment.
Stoves are free standing home equipment that sit out in a room or might be constructed into an alcove.
These home equipment are designed for the aim of heating small to giant areas. They’re constructed to burn just one kind of gas. They are often wooden ,fuel ,pellet, or electrical. They’ll have some type of a chimney until it’s electrical or vent-free.
Inserts are mainly the identical factor as stoves, however they’re made to suit inside an present fire. These will use a liner that runs up the present flue until its electrical or vent-free.
For those who nonetheless need assistance figuring out your particular fire you may electronic mail just a few footage of it to us at info@elegantfireside.com or name us at (972) 846-4678. You may go to our social media for extra particulars. We additionally service all of those home equipment must you ever want it!