What You Need To Know About Direct Vent Gas Stoves

For most people, one of the best things about having a real fire in the home is to see the flames dancing as the fire burns. Theres no denying the aesthetic qualities of real flames, and yet a real fire does have its problems and the main one is that they tend to be inefficient, or simply put, not very good at heating the room since much of the heat can go up the chimney. But technology has come to the rescue and now you can have the beauty of real flames with heating efficiency in the guise of a direct vent stove-or direct vent fireplace as they are sometimes called. Due to the fact that they dont need a chimney, they dont use air from inside the home and an almost unreal heating efficiency, the direct vent stove has come of age and is constantly rising in popularity. This article will look at the major issues of a direct vent stove and the considerations needed before purchasing one.

The fact that a direct vent stove has no need of a chimney is a major plus. There used to be a time when to have real fire meant a huge amount of construction work to build a chimney to take away the fumes. But all that a direct vent stove requires is a small vent in the outer wall and the stove is good to go. This makes installation pretty easy and quick, not to mention inexpensive. Some people choose to install the vent themselves, while others may opt for a contractor to do the work. Whichever route you choose, the ease of installation is a great advantage that should be borne in mind.

Ease of Installation

Allied to the simplicity of adding a vent to the wall of the house is that fact that a direct vent stove does not use any air from actually inside the room. The stove itself, or the place where the combustion takes place, should be sealed, and so the air need for the fire to burn properly is taken from outside. Any fumes generated from the burning of material are released outside through the vent, which means there is no chance of fumes entering the home itself.

This use of air from outside and the fact that the stove is sealed makes for a very efficient source of heat. In a traditional fireplace, much of the heat is lost via the chimney, but with a direct vent stove most of the heat is actually transmitted to the room and with the added benefit of there being no drafts. Some models can operate at almost a 90% efficiency rate, and give a huge amount of heat into the room. This means the size of the stove should be chosen according to the size of the room.

A good guide in terms of the size of stove which should be chosen is as follows:

  • A small stove should give out about 16,000 Btu and be able to warm a room of about 700 sq ft.
  • A medium stove should give out about 30,000 Btu and be able to warm a room of about 1400 sq ft.
  • A large direct vent stove should give out about 40,000 Btu and be able to heat a room of about 2,000 sq ft.

    As can be seen, there are a huge number of advantages to installing a direct vent stove. Whether you choose to install a stove simply as a secondary heat source, or install one as the main source of heat in the home, the great benefits of having a direct vent stove will make your house a cozy place to be on those winter nights. Its expected that the popularity of the direct vent stove will continue to rise as more people become aware of the efficiency of these modern-day real fires.