B Vent Fireplace Vs Direct Vent

Vented fireplaces are further divided into two subcategories natural vent and direct vent.

B vent fireplace vs direct vent.

If you desire a realistic looking flame a b vent may be a good choice for you. Because the design of a b vent system is simple it is typically less expensive to install than a direct vent fireplace system. A direct vent has a sealed glass front and pulls all of its fresh air from outside the home. They take air to burn from the inside of the home.

This makes b vents an optimum choice for small rooms since the energy output of a direct vent fireplace can overwhelm a small space. Direct vent appliances are typically higher in efficiency than b vent appliances and put out a lot of heat even with a low flame setting. The position and look of the logs in the fireplace cannot be altered or incomplete combustion will occur. Even the vent pipes are almost the same.

Direct vent appliances are typically higher in efficiency than b vent appliances and put out a lot of heat even with a low flame setting but still do not produce as much heat as their vent free counterparts. Direct vent systems use indoor air for combustion. Direct fireplaces have a sealed glass front and typically a smaller flame than a b vent fireplace or a vent free fireplace. The b vent pipes used in natural vent fireplaces are however smaller than the a class chimneys used in traditional wood stoves.

Natural vent or b vent gas fireplaces and stoves use the air that is already contained inside of a room for combustion. Direct vents can be vented vertically or horizontally through an exterior wall. Direct vent is much more efficient you re pulling fresh air from outside of the house. Gas vent fireplaces exhaust their fumes through the roof via a pipe.

Well visually some people prefer b vent units because their open they have access to a lot of oxygen and you can generally get a nice big visual flame but you can also get a nice flame on a direct vent. A b vent must be vented vertically and uses fresh air from inside the home to provide oxygen to the fire.