Whats the difference between a traditional fireplace with a firebox and chimney and a direct vent fireplace? Which is better for energy efficiency? A traditional fireplace brings memories of warmth and comfort. They draw air through the house into the firebox, burns wood fuel, and the smoke is exhausted through the chimney. This process works great in drafty old homes where the fireplace could get enough fresh air through the cracks and gaps in the walls, windows and doors. However, as we have become more conscious of energy consumption and the deleterious effects of air leakage throughout our building assemblies, we have begun to build our homes tighter and tighter. A well built house that meets today's codes will not be able to draw enough air through the tight air envelope to burn correctly. The result is a poor performing fireplace that draws air down the chimney and fills the house with smoke and soot.
Is there a solution? Yes! A direct vent or sealed combustion fireplace brings its combustion air from the outside through a coaxial pipe, burns the fuel in a sealed chamber (natural gas or propane usually, although there are some European stoves that burn pellets and wood) and then exhausts the smoke back through the inside of the coaxial pipe to the outside. This process completely seals the combustion process from the air inside the house, alowing the fire to heat the space, but not have any contamination from smoke and carbon monoxide.
The biggest draw back to these fireplaces in the US is the fake log look (especially in the cheaper models) and the protective screen across the screen to protect kids from burning their hands. Come on, if your kid doesn't know fire is hot, may be getting burned from a fake fireplace will do them some good. But I digress...
What do you think? Do you like this type of fireplace or would you rather open a window of have makeup air system for a real fireplace?
Fireplace Shown -
0 Comments