Direct Vent Fireplaces in Washington. D.C.

Out of the all gas technologies, this is the most desired in cases when there is no existing fireplace in place. Whether it is a new house, new addition or simply a room renovation, DV Gas Fireplace is a great embellishment to any space.

DV Gas fireplaces feature a fixed piece of glass on the front, i.e. they function as glass doors and also as high efficiency secondary furnaces that are vented to the outside (through the wall or through the roof). DV fireplaces are 70–85% efficient and they have optional blowers to aid the hot air circulation in the room.

Lots of times the fireplaces themselves will need electricity to start (if they feature electronic ignition), but they will still operate when there is power outage. The only thing that wouldn't work without electricity is the blower. Gas fireplaces product are desirable because some of them are absolutely beautiful, they are vented to the outside wall while still being very efficient, but they also act as glass doors meaning that they are functional even when not being burned. The glass front eliminates cold air from coming into the room from the outside and it also prevents heated air or air conditioning escaping through the vent. All DV fireplaces vent via a co-axial flex pipe (pipe within a pipe). The outer pipe brings fresh air to fuel the fire while the inner one takes the exhaust to the outside of the house.

These fireplaces can be either louvered (with vents on the top and the bottom) or clean face (almost no metal exposed). Louvered fireplaces have a more industrial look and are more “old-fashioned”. Clean face fireplaces can be finished almost to the edge of the viewing area leaving only a narrow strip of metal holding the glass exposed. Often manufacturers will offer a pre-made decorative surround, but most of them will be optional, so the fireplace can be finished with any non-combustible material of choice (tile, slate, granite, marble, metal, simple painted wall, etc.).

Notes on Venting of Direct Vent Fireplaces

Direct venting options are available for gas fireplaces, inserts, and stoves. Direct-vent products are sealed combustion appliances that do not interact with the air in your home except to efficiently provide abundant heat.

A two-pipe venting system carries the appliances burnt combustion gases to the outside for combustion purposes. The venting system is attached to the unit on one end and a termination cap on the other end, thus providing a sealed direct link between the unit and the outside environment.

In the case of a direct-vent fireplace, the venting system can terminate either vertically and/or horizontally between the unit and the termination cap. In the case of a direct vent gas insert, the venting system must run vertically through an existing chimney flue and be capped at the top of the flue.