A fireplace is such a cozy and inviting centerpiece in your home, and there are many types of fireplaces for you to choose from. There electric stoves, pellet stoves, wood fireplaces and stoves, and gas fireplaces. Gas fireplaces offer the same warmth and feel as a traditional wood fireplace. However, gas fireplaces do not require complex cleaning and maintenance. As result, gas fireplaces are being embraced en masse as an alternative to traditional wood fireplaces.

This may lead you to wonder, what exactly is a gas fireplace, and how does a gas fireplace work?

What Is A Gas Fireplace?

While a gas fireplace provides the same warmth and comfort as a traditional wood fireplace, a gas fireplace does not burn wood. Instead, a gas fireplace burns natural gas.

Gas fireplaces are known to be more efficient and convenient than wood-burning fireplaces. You don’t have to load a gas fireplace with logs and try to light it. You can just push a button and turn on the fireplace. It also doesn’t require as much cleaning or maintenance as a traditional fireplace. Gas fireplaces have been a growing staple in the Inland Pacific Northwest.

What Kinds Of Gas Fireplaces Are There?

There are three different types of gas fireplaces that you’ll find in homes. These types include:

Vented Gas Fireplaces

Vented gas fireplaces sometimes have the appearance of a traditional fireplace that burns wood. Vented gas fireplaces allow the homeowner to use special burning elements, such as ceramic logs that look like real wood logs and glass beads or crystals that the fire can glow off of. Vented gas fireplaces pull air from the outside, combust, and then push the emissions outside. This keeps the dangerous fumes or toxic carbon monoxide from entering the home.

Many people love vented gas fireplaces for their beautiful design and because they push dangerous fumes out of the home.

Direct Vent Gas Fireplaces

Direct vent gas fireplaces look quite a bit different from vented gas fireplaces. Direct vent gas fireplaces pull air from outside and heat it with natural gas. Instead of replicating the look of a traditional fireplace, they don’t have a chimney and sit behind glass. Since the hot air can’t go up the flue, direct vent gas fireplaces pump the warm air directly into the home, and the emissions outside. This is a very efficient option because the warm air doesn’t escape out the chimney.

Ventless Gas Fireplaces

Ventless gas fireplaces are exactly how they sound. They don’t have a vent. Ventless gas fireplaces take the internal air and use natural gas to combust it. Then, they push all the emissions into the home. Most of the modern models have built-in carbon monoxide detectors and automatic shut off valves to turn off the ventless gas fireplace when the room’s oxygen levels drop too low. Even with these precautions, ventless gas fireplaces have been known to reduce the quality of the air inside the home.

Ventless gas fireplaces are sometimes called inserts. They’re easy to install and are very inexpensive. In the United States, ventless gas fireplaces are banned in certain states. Other states sometimes require certain amounts of square footage to operate a ventless gas fireplace and ban them from bathrooms and bedrooms.

How Can I Get A Gas Fireplace

We recommend exploring your budget or a gas fireplace and which type of gas fireplace you would like in your home. Think about where you would like your gas fireplace in your home. Then, reach out to a local heating company or fireplace company for a quote.

Servicing Gas Fireplaces

These popular alternatives to wood-burning fireplaces have unique service needs to ensure they run safely and efficiently. Do you live in North Idaho and need your gas fireplace serviced? J.A. Bertsch Heating & Cooling offers residential gas fireplace services throughout Kootenai County and North Idaho. Our licensed technicians cover all of North Idaho and our neighboring cities. Experience superior, award-winning service 24/7 by qualified technicians by calling 1-800-Furnace.