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Home Contact Us Interesting Links Disclaimer		FireplaceGuide.com » Direct Vent Fireplaces Direct Vent Fireplaces Offer Safety and Value When you invest in a direct vent fireplace you are investing in more than just heat for your home. Although that may be the very reason why you're buying it, there are so many more fringe benefits with a direct vent fireplace. Besides its wonderful capacity to heat your home it is also an asset when you decide to have friends over for an evening's gathering. Your fireplace will become the focal point of the conversation. Who would not like to snuggle up on a couch with a good book while the flames flicker and dance or if you're a romantic, then this is the ideal way for you and your loved one to spend an evening in front of your fireplace with a glass of wine. You will find a fireplace serves more than one purpose. Today's direct vent fireplaces are so visually pleasing and efficient that you won't have a problem adding to the heat in your home. They can heat a good portion of your home or maybe all of it depending on the size. The reason for this is that some of these fireplaces can put out up to 20,000 BTUs of heat per hour. That is a tremendous amount of heat no matter what size of home you have. You will soon be complaining that it puts out too much heat but if you find your home is costly to heat otherwise, then a direct fireplace may pleasantly surprise you. Installing a direct vent fireplace is not the major job you may think it is. Of course, you will have to get professional help when it comes to getting the gas line hooked up. Before you begin, make sure you understand the instructions for installation and follow them carefully. It is important that the clearance around your fireplace is sufficient, especially around the exhaust pipe. If the manufacturer specifies one-inch clearance, then make sure it is one inch and even more is good, but less is not. Do not change the installation limitations. The experts know what they're talking about and include the instructions for a purpose. Here is one place you have to pay attention to detail. Professional installation is relatively inexpensive and well worth the modest cost. Many direct vent fireplaces require you to use stove cement and gaskets where you place the vent pipe. Install this first. You don't want this bumped or moved as you're installing the rest of the fireplace. Make sure you have the minimum space between the vent pipe or any wood or paper materials that may be there. Don't forget to install metal fire stops where the vent pipe passes through floors. These are usually placed on both sides of the ceilings or walls where the pipe is going. These fire stops have curved heat shields that will protect the material they pass through. Make sure you check out behind and around your fireplace before you install it. There may be some foreign objects that could have gotten in behind and this can cause a few problems after installation, such as an odor from plastic or wood. It can also prove to be very dangerous as your direct vent fireplace burns; there is a possibility of it causing a fire in your home. Always follow the specific instructions provided by the manufacturer. Back to top
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