Luxury gas fireplaces do more than just look fabulous, they also have the benefits of being safer and giving you more design freedom. Unlike traditional wood-burning fireplaces that could allow combustion gases to enter indoor spaces, direct vent gas fireplaces have a sealed combustion system that expels exhaust outside. The combustion air is also drawn directly from the outdoors, and a sealed glass front isolates the entire direct vent fireplace system from the interior spaces.
Ortal’s direct vent gas fireplaces offer an optional power vent system that extends the advantages of this type of system. You can put a direct vent gas fireplace in places that a traditional fireplace can’t go, but with a power vent, you have even more design possibilities.
Benefits of a Direct Vent Gas Fireplace
Direct vent gas fireplaces offer many benefits compared to traditional wood-burning or gas fireplaces.
Design flexibility
When a fireplace requires a chimney, it limits placement options and often forces you to design around one feature of the space. Direct vent gas fireplaces allow for more creativity because they can be installed on almost any wall or vented through the roof. Add a power vent and you can even install a fireplace in an apartment or condo.
Efficiency
Fireplaces that use indoor air for combustion expel the exhaust gases through a flue to the outdoors. Unfortunately, conditioned air also escapes at the same time, which can impact the efficiency of the building. A direct vent gas fireplace doesn’t allow any conditioned air to escape, and it can even reduce furnace use as it heats the surrounding space.
Air quality
Because all of the combustion happens behind sealed glass and in a contained system, none of the gases are allowed to enter the indoors, maintaining good air quality.
Safety
Combustion gases have the potential to not only affect air quality, but they can also present a safety risk to occupants. The absence of a chimney and the sealed combustion chamber also eliminate the risk of backdrafting, making direct vent gas fireplaces a safer choice.
Ortal’s Power Vent Technology
Although direct vent gas fireplaces are more versatile than traditional gas fireplaces, they still have some limitations with respect to placement because of the maximum venting range. Ortal’s Power Vent System helps overcome these limitations with fans that increase the venting range by 50 feet, which means you get even more design flexibility.
Power vents force air through the system, which means that more bends are allowed and fireplaces can be installed in even more places. With power vent technology, you can design luxury gas fireplaces in apartments or condos, second-floor rooms, and other areas where traditional wood-burning fireplaces can’t go.
Some of the technical advantages of Ortal’s Power Vent System include:
- No required minimum vertical distance off the top of the firebox before elbowing
- Smaller diameter vent pipe (5 inches)
- Longer allowable vent runs
- No restrictions on vertical to horizontal run ratio
- Allows up to 6 elbows (540 degrees)
- Downhill venting allowed up to 6 feet
- No additional power required
Types of Power Vent Systems
Ortal offers two types of Power Vent Systems: inline and end-of-line horizontal. The system that makes the most sense depends on the vent location with respect to the chimney path. The inline system allows for both horizontal and vertical termination, while the end-of-line horizontal system can accommodate only horizontal termination. Some other important distinctions include:
|
Feature |
Inline |
End-of-line Horizontal |
|
Vent runs |
Up to 90 feet |
Up to 65 feet |
|
Power vent |
Incorporated into the run as one of the 90-degree offsets |
Acts as the horizontal termination cap and sits flush to the outside wall |
|
Power vent fan installation |
At least 9 feet of vent pipe and up to 45 feet away from the fireplace |
A minimum of 9 feet of vent pipe away from the fireplace |
|
Access panel at the power vent |
Required |
Not applicable |
Power vents are an optional component of Ortal fireplaces. Although our direct vent fireplaces don’t need a power vent, adding one gives you more design freedom. Occupants also benefit from better heat distribution, which leads to greater comfort and potentially less use of their heating systems.
Direct venting and Power Vent Systems are just two features to consider when designing a space with a luxury gas fireplace. Download our Project Planning Checklist for a comprehensive overview of all of the other design considerations.
