A fireplace has been an essential substance in our culture. It is not a place where you will be doing the usual stuff or severe kinds of stuff. It is the epicenter of family gathering, a place where you will be enjoying a warm and cozy evening with the loving ones, chatting over a cup of tea, and possibly making some comments on Aunt Sherry’s pink outfit for the upcoming wedding. Here we will show you 101 of Direct Vent Gas Fireplace.
Whatever the case is, a fireplace does attract the members to be together, have friendly social chats and gatherings. But the main concern is how to get one? Before that, what precisely a fireplace stands for?
So, let us come to the fundamental question. What precisely a fireplace is. Thus, a fireplace is a place where we light the fire. It is inside the house. Hold on a sec, don’t get panicked. You will not end up burning the house. So, relax! A fireplace is an excellent solution to warm up the environment in the house.
Now, how do we get one? Simple. Either we will have to build one like the traditional ones using bricks and make a chimney. Or we could get ourselves the modern one. Which is the direct vent gas fireplace? Today we will be featuring the direct vent gas fireplace in our article. We will be going through all the possible aspects, the features, the pros, and cons of the fire. So, I expect all of them to stick with us and enjoy the article.
What is Direct Venting?
Venting is a usual term that refers to make a conjugated way for air or water to pass through a specific path. Venting is pretty standard in exhausts that carry air. A fireplace certainly needs air or to be particular oxygen to light up as well as an exit path for the gas that will come out for the fire.
Direct venting is a new way of venting where the gas fireplace makes the most out of it. Where there is a smaller pipe with a smaller diameter inside a tube that has a considerably larger diameter. The gap between both the pipes is sufficient to pass air.
So, what the primary mechanism is that in the smaller hole, the air which is emitted due to burring is exhausted right out of the fireplace. And as the fire needs oxygen which is in the air, the required air dashes through the giant hole. So, instead of using two vents or two exhaust pipes, we shrunk the mechanism down to a single tube. It proves to be very efficient, and it also saves a lot of unwanted occupation of space while installing it.
So, that was venting. It is very crucial for the right flow of air. In a conventional fireplace, the sky was sucked from the room, which is sometimes very dangerous, and on the other hand, the place needs the right amount of ventilation. But modern-day problems require modern-day solutions. Hence, innovative venting is necessary for the gas fireplace.
Now direct venting is referred to as the much venting in the gas fireplace as the vent is connected directly to the fireplace itself. So, that is a huge plus point for the gas fireplaces as they were more convenient and easy to install.
Fireplaces
So, we just came to know an awful lot of information about the venting in the fireplace. Now we will explore the fireplace itself. The fireplace is rectangular. It is usually the size of the kitchen dishwasher. But many fireplaces come in many sizes as per the consumer needs comes into the play. Nevertheless, the main reason for acquiring a fireplace is to generate heat inside the room. Fireplaces are often seen in most of the houses in the states or in the countries which have cold weather.
Now, there are two kinds of fireplaces. Wood burned fireplaces are the earlier versions. This one is certainly the traditional one.
Chimney Fireplaces
As you have guessed it earlier, this one has a chimney. This chimney is usually made out of brick. It goes straight up the house and pushes the smoke out. In the States, especially in the suburban areas, we still get to see these kinds of chimney fireplaces in old houses and buildings. People gather finely chopped logs. The main mechanism of this fireplace is pretty simple. All they need to do is to suck the air. Mainly it consumes oxygen from the room itself. The smoke hovers out from the chimney. The chimney has a leaver door. It enables you to shut the path down when the fireplace is not in use. Another benefit of the door is to prevent foreign substances, dust, or in some cases animals to enter the house via the chimney hole.
The chimneys used to get dirty quite often as these fireplaces were used. So, people would have to clean it frequently or would have to call the chimney cleaners to do the cleaning for them. On the other hand, the fireplace sucks out the oxygen from the air of the room. As a result, the room faced a shortage of oxygen. This was a huge problem. So, people would have a proper safety measure or an appropriate process of ventilation.
Speaking of safety, these chimney fireplaces were pretty much open. So, the open fire is a public threat to the members of the house. It was a massive threat to the safety of the children of the homes as they are usually unaware of their surroundings. These chimney fireplaces do hold an enormous deal of space in the culture. It was instrumental, indeed. But it also had some flaws. These flaws were needed to be attended as soon as possible.
Gas Fireplaces
Now, the other kind is undoubtedly the modern one, of course. It is the gas fireplace. As you have guessed it earlier this time, this fireplace runs in gas. That means there is hardly any smoke. Carbon emission is much lesser than the wood ones. The main factors are that these fireplaces have gas stoves. The interior resembles the previous versions as they are furnished with wood-like engravings and art pieces. This finishing gives an oldie vibe to the chimney. The fireplace has hardly any smoke. So, the cleaning process is little required, as well.
Now, the main factors can be distinguished in certain elements. The direct vent gas fireplace has some critical factors like venting, fireplace, heat distributor, and a controlling unit. We have already talked a lot about the venting, so we will not be discussing it anymore. The fireplace is the most essential section now. The fireplace is rectangular, just like the old ones. But the main change is that this has the gas stove. The fireplace is well covered with a glass window. Because this one does not use the air in the room. The vent combusts air to the fireplace dome. The oxygen in the fresh combusted air helps the flames to light up.
The smoke is hardly seen, but some products are needed to be drained out from the dome of the fireplace. Thanks to the innovative direct venting, the emitted gas is carried away with the help of the inner hose pipe.
So, the fireplace stays clean and visible even it is well covered with the glass window. The other benefit is that it is very safe and secures. So, there are very minimal chances of causing an accident.
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The Controls of the Direct Vent Gas Fireplace
The controls are either electrical or remote-controlled. Some of the modern ones come with a remote control dial which is capable of adjusting the heat of the fireplace as per the requirements of the consumers. It is an excellent addition to the tally. Giving such access to the heat controlling does meet up to the expectations. But in the old ones, you could not maintain this type of consistency in the heating process. Plus the primary binding was that changing the woods or cleaning the ashes. The consumer had to clean the fireplace regularly. But thanks to technology, the modern-day direct vent gas fireplace burns in the gas which does not require any cleaning. And you can quickly turn it off when the need is over.
The Heat distribution Process of the Direct vent Gas Fireplace
Now, the heat distribution is an essential factor. As we know, heat does not transform uniformly. So, it is vital to ensure proper heat distribution. In the old fireplaces which were running in woods, were not that good in heat transmission and distribution. But in the modern ones, the heat is forwarded in the room with minimal wastage. On the other hand, there are heat distribution fans in some models which pass the temperature in the air of the room.
It is very efficient and excellent at the same time. You can also adjust the speed of the distribution fans using the controls, both wired and wirelessly.
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Appearance and Designs
Human admires art in almost every possible aspects. We love to see beautiful creations and cheer for them. This is fundamental human nature. Thus we tend to beatify almost every single thing around us. So, why should the fireplace be an exception? Certainly not! The old ones were very artistic as it held an essential place in the living room. Many of us have seen many artistic illustrations on such fireplaces. Some included marbling arts and patterns; some came with lids or iron shields. Or even some went in a rocky aspect.
Nonetheless, these fireplaces were the star of the living room in the past era. But at some point today, people are losing that same deal of interest in the aspects. It might be the case of people who have more things to consider than a simple fireplace. No matter the situation is, people are still up for awesome and artistic designs.
On the other hand, the modern ones also try to redeem the legacy by basically imitating the former ones. The flames look like they are burning the logs for real. This is very eye-pleasing.
The glass window, on the other hand, often comes with artistic lids and gates as well. So, the modern ones are often seen trying to imitate the veterans. The old one came with excellent designs, after all. The sizes of the fireplaces do also play a massive part in the overall appearance and features.
Putting Out the Flames!
Fireplaces are an excellent and peaceful place to sit along with your family members. Or you could have a chat with the love of your life. Perhaps coffee and a good book will set the mood for sure. I have a lot of lovely memories with our fireplace in the big hall room. We used to sit beside the flames on Sundays, especially when it was snowing outside. Those were the best of times. I have often spent nights listening to Granny and her stories near the fireplace. These are the golden days of my childhood. Nowadays, kids do miss these small but priceless pleasures. Today, technology has demoralised family values. This is very alarming. We should act fast if we want our kids to run on the right path.
So, that was all for today folks. I do have to mention one thing, and that is if you intend to install a fireplace in your house, please do consult or call upon qualified technicians for the job as you are already aware of the safety measures.
I hope you guys have enjoyed the article so far. Thanks for staying by. Do share your golden memories beside your fireplaces. Write those down to us. Cheers!