by Quinton Mullins
Vented gas fireplaces are gas fireplaces that use vents to expel the fumes resulting from burning natural gas. This is essential to keeping your home fume free. Exposure to large amounts of natural gas fumes can cause dizziness, and damage to a persons body, not to mention a fire hazard. This is why many people install vents and keep their homes gas free.
The contemporary fireplace has always been wood burning and vented through a chimney at the top. Many people want a fireplace but cannot modify their home to the extent needed to install a chimney. This is where a ventilation system comes in. This is typically installed in the fire pit and depending on the size and type of the fireplace, may have a fan. Or it may just be a hole to the outside world for ventilation.
A new father quickly learns that his child invariably comes to the bathroom at precisely the times when he’s in there, as if he needed company. The only way for this father to be certain of bathroom privacy is to shave at the gas station.
—Bill Cosby (20th century)
The typical places you will find vented gas fireplaces are in homes that have access to gas. After all there’s no sense in having a gas fireplace if you have no gas to use in it. Natural gas is a very clean safe alternative to wood burning, and it also does not require you to chop down threes. In addition it produces little to no smoke; the only thing given off is fumes. Fumes are not harmful if managed properly via good ventilation.
Of course if you do not want a gas fireplace you can go for woodburning fireplaces. Or you can go for the electric one that is nothing but displays. This won’t heat your home but it does give the look of a fireplace. Regardless of whether you want to go contemporary or not the choice is up to you. Just make sure to get the right accessories for each type.
Fireplace accessories tend to include pokers for wood, and metal grates in the front to keep things, and people from getting into the pit. It’s a good idea to keep children away from fireplaces anyway. They need to be taught that it’s not a play area and can be very dangerous. This goes for all fireplaces, gas, and wood burning.
Vented gas fireplaces aren’t as expensive as they used to be either. With more people heading towards natural gas the prices has come down. Plus material costs have gone down making building them easier. The quality of contractors however is not guaranteed and they should be hired with care. Not every contractor is trustworthy.
Of course you know this already, or at least I hope you do. In any case the choice of fireplace is up to you. If you want one outside you can do that to. Nothing like an outdoor fireplace for some summer cookouts.
With the prices dropping, and more people switching to natural gas, vented gas fireplaces are becoming more common place. They can fit into areas that cannot accommodate a chimney, and they are very easy to maintain. All that’s involved in the ventilation system is an exhaust port that might have a fan. I say might because not all gas fireplaces need them; the type of ventilation needed is relevant to the size of the fireplace.