#Charmglow ventless gas fireplace professional#
With professional installation, they cost $2,000 to $6,000. Gas- or propane-connected ventless fireplaces usually include a factory-finished enclosure and/or mantle. Expect to pay $100 to $200 for an hour of an electrician’s time and the monitor. All units require at least annual cleaning of the log set and other exposed components, while gas and propane products should also have their oxygen and carbon monoxide monitors checked and adjusted annually for optimum performance.Īlthough suppliers may tout the integrity of factory-installed carbon monoxide monitors, installing a hard-wired, independent carbon monoxide monitor in the room in which the fireplace is located is a smart second tier of safety. Ventless fireplaces that are connected to a gas or propane line require professional installation by a gas or plumbing contractor, and shouldn't have a heating capacity that exceeds the appropriate room size recommended by the manufacturer.ĭespite their relative ease of installation, and regardless of fuel source, ventless fireplaces aren't a turn-them-on-and-forget option. Those with automatic ignition or that use gel fuel can supply a low level of room heat for short spans of time and during power outages, when electricity isn’t available. In fact, ventless fireplaces generally are just for aesthetics and supplemental space heating. Ventless fireplaces that use gel canisters or electricity, meanwhile, are above that fray, as they don't emit anything other than a low amount of heat. Environmental Protection Agency.Ĭritics, however, claim that such monitors are unreliable and imprecise, allowing oxygen and carbon monoxide levels to fluctuate out of range before the units shut down, resulting in potential health hazards. These safety devices automatically shut off the fireplace if the carbon monoxide level in the room rises above 25 parts per million, and/or the oxygen level falls below 18% - levels for indoor air quality suggested (but not standardized or regulated) by the U.S. Essentially, these products must meet the general requirements for all combustible heating appliances established in the 2002 version of the National Fire Protection Association’s standards that require ventless fireplaces to have factory-installed carbon monoxide monitors and oxygen detection safety devices (ODS). Proponents suggest that any emissions are negligible, and well within indoor-air quality guidelines as set by various regulatory agencies. The risk to your health is a long-standing and ongoing debate. Ventless fireplaces fueled by gas or propane rely on indoor air for combustion, and they exhaust a low level of their combustion gases into the room in which they're located. Electric units need only a 120-volt outlet nearby, and a dedicated circuit isn't necessary. Gel-fueled units are even more versatile, as they're completely self-contained (not tethered to a supply line) and light with a match. The latest models also feature automatic ignition, a function that eliminates the need for an outside electrical circuit to spark the pilot light - a handy feature should the electricity ever go out. Those fueled by natural gas or propane can be positioned anywhere that a supply line can be installed - usually against a wall or inside an existing masonry fireplace.
#Charmglow ventless gas fireplace install#
Ventless fireplaces are typically freestanding units that don't require a flue or chimney to exhaust combustion air to the outdoors, making them relatively easy to install in any room. Here’s what you need to know about ventless options. In fact, Massachusetts and California, as well as Canada and other countries, have outlawed gas and propane ventless fireplaces. But the debate about their safety does continue. Modern ventless fireplace models are strictly regulated by federal agencies and standards groups for safe operation in your home. Although less expensive and easier to install than a traditional fireplace, the gas and propane options do have some risks since there's no chimney to expel their gases to the outside. They're powered by natural gas, propane, alcohol-based gels, or electricity. Ventless fireplaces, which don't include a flue or chimney, have been sold in the U.S.