What is a direct-vent fireplace?
All gas fireplaces need a constant supply of fresh air in order to operate. Direct Vent fireplaces have a sealed, glass-fronted combustion chamber that keeps the byproducts of combustion out of the living space. Air is drawn into the firebox from outside the home using a special co-axial flue pipe system. This ‘pipe within a pipe’ also exhausts the flue products outside the home. Direct vent fireplaces offer good efficiency because they don’t steal heated air from the living space.
Direct vents are high efficiency, sealed gas fireplace systems. Fresh air is pulled from the exterior of the house via the flue and burned within the confines of the combustion chamber. By products of combustion are isolated from the home as they exit to the outside. These fireplaces can be vented horizontally (to an outside wall) or vertically (at the roof) and will minimize heat loss through the chimney–yielding an average 70% efficiency through dry convection and radiant heat. A sealed Lexington Forge direct vent fireplace systems will not spill or back draft byproducts of combustion into the living space and are approved for bedrooms or baths.
A. Direct vent is a term used to describe a specifically designed fireplace that performs differently from the traditionally vented fireplace which use a chimney. This type of fireplace has a completely sealed combustion chamber which allows it to vent directly out a side wall of the home. One of the benefits of this type of design is that it must draw air necessary for combustion from the outside since the sealed combustion chamber does not allow air to be drawn in from around the fireplace. The co-axial vent system has the exhaust pipe within the air intake pipe which protects any surrounding combustible material from the high temperature of the flue gases as well as preheating the outside air prior to it being introduced to the combustion process. Q.
A Direct Vent Fireplace is a gas log fireplace (propane or natural gas) that has a flue at the top or back of the fireplace that vents directly out side. Fresh air is brought in through a pipe surrounding the exhaust flue so that no air is required from inside the home to sustain the fire. Unlike Vent-less Fireplaces, all the combustion gases are vented outside. The Direct Vent Fireplace has a glass plate that seals off the firebox from the room. Below and above the firebox are vents that allow cool air to enter at the bottom and exit as hot air at the top. The Quiet Fireplace Fan gently improves the flow of air around the firebox and launches warm air out into the room and prevents heating the mantle. For owners of older Direct Vent Fireplaces please read this.
All gas fireplaces need a constant supply of fresh air in order to operate. Direct Vent fireplaces have a sealed, glass-fronted combustion chamber that keeps the byproducts of combustion out of the living space. Air co-axial flue pipe system. This ‘pipe within a pipe’ also exhausts the flue products outside the home.
