Sure they are - that is because there is no vent so all the combustion is going direct into your house. We vent gas furnaces and gas water heaters for safety so we don't breath the combustion byproduct, why on earth would it be any safer to breath just because it is coming from a fireplace (or for that matter a cooktop, but those have FAR less volume and usually have an exhaust hood over them). SMH.We sell vent free units probably 10 to 1 versus vented units. Yes, Google says they’ll kill you and cause all kinds of problems, but if you use them correctly you shouldy have any issues. Natural gas units will have a slight gas smell versus propane due to the sulfur in the gas, but most people don’t notice it.
They are 99.9% efficient. Yes, water vapor is a byproduct of combustion and you’ll get an about a pint an hour. If you use them as a supplemental heat source, you should never have problems. When people have issues, it’s usually because they burn them non-stop after they figure out how much heat they put out.
Worst case, we tell people if the power is out and you’re burning it 24/7 to stay warm, crack a nearby window about a 1/4” for fresh air.
If you’re worried about the vent free, you’ll want to install a direct vent insert. It uses an aluminum flex vent and your existing chimney is merely used as a chase for the pipes.
Regardless of appliance type, you’ll want a CO and combustible gas detector.
Statistics: Posted by Saving$ — Wed Oct 23, 2024 11:25 pm — Replies 15 — Views 574