DIY Chimney-Free Gas Fireplaces

People who live in homes that don’t have chimneys are missing out on the coziness home fireplaces offer. Traditional fireplaces can be extremely expensive to install. That’s because it can run you thousands of dollars to install a new chimney on your home, to vent out the harmful combusted air. Luckily for homeowners, and even renters, there’s a less expensive way for you to enjoy the warmth of a fireplace in your home. And, if you want to save even more money, you can turn it into a do-it-yourself fireplace installation project.

DIY gas fireplaces are designed to keep your home warm. They are an amazing alternative for homes without chimneys, including townhouses, apartments and condominiums. As they continue to become popular in the DIY market, manufacturers continue to add options for consumers. Here are three types of gas fireplaces that don’t require you installing a costly chimney to vent out dangerous emissions:

Vented Gas Fireplace

Pros of DIY Vented Gas Fireplaces

• The vent can be installed through a wall or through the roof.
• The vent pulls the air into the house from the outside, and back out again.
• They look like the traditional fireplaces that require chimneys to operate.
• They burn the same way traditional fireplaces do:
• Burn at low temperatures.
• The fire is steady.
• The flames are soft and yellow.

Safety Features

• Comes with a ventilation pipe installed that removes all emissions and vents them to the outside.
• The vent acts as a chimney by getting rid of fatal gasses, venting them to the outside of the house.

Direct Vent Fireplace

Pros of Direct Vent Fireplaces

• The vent can be installed horizontally through a sidewall or vertically through the house’s roof.
• The enclosed vent draws air into the house from the outside, then vents the combusted air back outside the home.

• The front glass, which has many tiny holes in it, allows the heat to pass through it and go directly into the room.
• Designed to efficiently eliminate drafts and loss of heat.

Safety Features

• During the combustion process, none of the air from inside the home is used.
• Any and all harmful waste created during the heating process is vented to the outside of the home.
• Uniquely designed to reduce the chances of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Ventless or Vent-Free Fireplace

Pros of Vent Free Fireplaces

• It doesn’t require a vent, flue or chimney to operate properly and safely.
• Can be conveniently installed just about anywhere in your home.
• Doesn’t require you putting a hole in your wall or roof to accommodate a vent.
• Being ventless means there is no vent for the heat to use to escape from the room.
• Can heat the room and operate safely using natural gas or propane.

Safety Features

• Comes with a sensor that will turn the fireplace off if unsafely high emissions levels are detected.
• Operates at very high temperatures, which burns off CO2.

Visit Plumbing with PEX for more DIY heating ideas.