What is a Direct Vent Fireplace?

Fireplaces not only offer warmth and comfort to any home during the cold winter months, but also add style and value to the house as well. There are many types and styles to choose from, one being a direct vent fireplace.

Direct vent fireplaces are a modern iteration of the traditional stone or brick fireplaces that are constructed brick by brick or stone by stone in the home or business. Rather, direct vent fireplaces are prefabricated and made of metal - this makes them easy to install, use and maintain. They provide heat through a real flame, but they do not actually burn wood. They look quite realistic and burn much cleaner than most traditional fireplaces. This type of fireplace features a glass panel in the front, allowing for the face to be sealed - making it a closed combustion unit - as well as allowing the heat to pass through - making it an effective heat source.

Using a direct vent fireplace has a number of advantages:

• The fireplace both draws and vents its combustion air from and to the outside. This eliminates any drafts or loss of heat that often happens with other types of fireplaces.


• Though they function slightly differently than traditional fireplaces and are very efficient, they also look very realistic. Fitting your direct vent fireplace with realistic looking artificial logs will increase the realistic look and feel as well.


• Direct vent fireplaces, because there is no real wood and, hence, ash or soot to contend with, burn very cleanly and efficiently. 


• Again, no wood and no ash means much less maintenance. The most regular cleaning you will want to pay attention to is cleaning the glass front panels (regularly) and the actual burner compartment (annually). Using a simple non-ammonia and non-abrasive glass cleaner and water to clean the glass when it is cool to the touch will give you the best results. To clean the burner compartment, use a vacuum to pick up any dust or lint that may have built up and wipe the area down.