ventless vs. vented gas fireplaces

[ruud-man]

Better get it tested ;-)

[jod78]

It works fine. I can take it in the garage and plug it in, start the car up (with the door shut) and the reading goes up immediately and the alarm will go off in a very short amount of time.

[bonafide]

I get so tired of these type of questions, especially the answers that generally are given from the so called experts. First of all put your night hawk detector back on the wall, if you really want to find out how much CO is generated from a specific vent free appliance ask the manufacturer, better yet do like regular professionals and purchase a combustion analyzer. Most manufactures will tell you normal carbon monoxide out put for there appliances is between 10 and 18 PPM. If you use a combustion analyzer you find this number to be accurate.

I have installed thousands of these units in the last seventeen yrs. AS WE ALL KNOW! They have never been designed for primary heating. (4hrs. max in 24 hrs.) I have one in my home for decoration & emergency.

I have seen the nightmares from these heaters, extensive soot damage, yellow ceilings and much more. The things Need to be cleaned at least yearly and services by some one who knows how to take a proper CO reading.

They are great little heaters But if you want a space heater that can be used for primary heat get a GOOD QUALITY Direct Vent unit “case closed”

[sheetmetal67]

Old thread but boy-oh-boy I get tired of hearing this crap as well! Vent Free is great if:

1. Installed in overly "unconfined" space.
2. Absolutely cleaned/serviced regularly.

Note:

1. They are the most efficient heater available (especially with a cross-vent fan).
2. Have access to vent (window) for only minutes, if necessary.
3. Believe manufacturers specs re CO output (even 33K output units seldom exceed 20ppm).
4. Most Vent Free are manufactured by Canadian companies!!

[jgarai]

I was able to get a brand new ventless freestanding stove from Vermont Castings for a great bargain. The problem is that I don't like the idea of gas of
anything to be without venting.
Can I install a cast iron insert boot to the rear of this stove (like the vented
model of the same unit has) and just vent it anyway?
I just can't see anything bad venting the unit.
It would go into a homesaver lined chimney sharing it with a small furnace.
Love to hear what the real pros have to say.
jgarai

[jtp10181]

Well we don't do ventfree stuff around here but to me that just sounds like a bad idea in so many ways.

[SeattlePioneer]

I have no problem with unvented equipment if only everyone uses it READS, UNDERSTANDS and FOLLOWS ALL of the lengthy list of specifications, warnings and cautions that come with such equipment.

The problem is that I've never encountered ANYONE who conformed to those directions.

And yes, I have testified as an expert plaintiff's witness by a new homeowner who rather promptly wound up in the hospital from carbon monoxide poisoning because the brand new unvented gas log set wasn't properly installed. Specifically, the gas logs weren't installed exactly the way specified in the installtion manual, which required me to read the manual for about a half hour before I could understand the written directions and diagram.

[mike3]

I have a problem with them for just those reasons.

[HalfHandy2]

I mentioned this isn a separate post as well... but I attended a session at the ACI Conference on a 3 year study that the University of IL Champaign Urbana did on vent free units. They wanted to test them in homes under actual use conditions and as the owners used them under normal use. It turns out the CO was not the main issue, it was NO2 that was building up in most instances. The bugger about this is the sensor on the unit would not kick out because of it and a CO wall detector would not trip on it, but it sure as heck effected the air quaility.

Here is a link to the powerpoint the researcher displayed at ACI and the full report from the 3 year testing. If I remember correctly they tested 30 homes in IL. https://netfiles.uiuc.edu:443/pwf/shared

[hearthman]

CO detector---Not CO2, which is what you are exhaling.

Another big point of that study was the increase in dewpoint and vapor pressure, both of which would tend to drive water vapor into the interstitial wall spaces.

[firebug1]

I won't sell them but, I won't park the car in the living room and let it run either.

[ventless fire]

Definitely vent free fireplace is better than the best, most importantly ventless fireplace very much effective for environment, specially fireplace is playing a dominant role in winter season.
A ventless gas fireplace is a free standing appliance that supplies heat to home. Yes, they are heaters, but they are also works of art that add beauty, and warmth to my home very smartly.A ventless fireplace can keep warm and cozy also very much effective for winter .
Ventless fireplaces do as much to warm my inner soul as they do to heat your room. They also do not require electricity so they heat my room without adding to your light bill. That is enough to make most people take a second look at the appliances.