Natural Gas Fireplace

By Dan McVey, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer — Gas Operations

In a competitive housing market, builders are always looking for ways to make their new homes stand out. A natural gas fireplace can provide that extra spark and grab a potential homebuyer's attention. Gas fireplaces provide the warmth and ambiance associated with traditional wood fireplaces but with the low cost and convenience of natural gas. Both inside and outside the home, a natural gas fireplace adds a touch of elegance and visual appeal.

Design Options

Class B vent units feature operable doors and require a through-the-roof flue to remove the hot combustion gases. Direct-vent fireplaces are much easier and less expensive to install than traditional wood-burning or gas masonry units. The need for a flue is eliminated; pipes can be installed through the wall.

Ventless models, which are prohibited in some states, are adjusted to burn at optimum efficiency, minimizing the level of harmful carbon monoxide and allowing the exhaust to be vented into the home.

Direct-vent fireplaces have efficiency ratings typically ranging from 70 percent to nearly 87 percent, depending on the model. Builders should choose fireplaces with an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating, which use the same test as energy-efficient furnaces.

Natural gas fireplaces are offered in a variety of styles and sizes suitable for nearly any type of home, and include:

• A wide array of designer fronts and doors

• Traditional looks with a clean face design

• Modern linear fireplaces with panoramic views

• Contemporary styles incorporating stainless steel

Hand-molded logs and authentic-looking flames make the experience just like a wood-burning fireplace without the mess and inconvenience. Digital remote controls are available, which appeal to tech-savvy owners.

Gas fireplaces are now safer by requiring a protective barrier for all new glass-front fireplaces. The U.S. Department of Energy recently proposed efficiency standards to eliminate the continuously burning pilot light — thus reducing wasted energy going out the chimney — for all vented or ventless hearth products. Many products already use electronic ignition, eliminating the need for such pilot lights.

Maximize Outdoor Living Space

A natural gas fireplace is the perfect centerpiece of a modern outdoor room. Outdoor fireplaces can range from rustic simplicity to very extravagant. They can be free standing or built-in structures that match the overall look of the space. A natural gas fireplace as part of a welldesigned outdoor room can be that extra touch that makes a home more attractive to homebuyers.

For today's homebuyer, natural gas fireplaces are a costeffective way for builders to make their homes a hot item in the marketplace. Clean-burning natural gas fireplaces can also be a part of a larger effort to target homebuyers interested in reducing their environmental impact.

What is the Cost?

Before buying a gas fireplace, it’s smart to ask that question. In short: natural gas fireplaces are relatively inexpensive to run. Here are the estimated costs of running small, medium and large gas fireplaces per hour using the current cost of natural gas:

• Small 10,000 BTU - $0.15 per hour

• Medium 20,000 BTU - $0.25 per hour

• Large 40,000 BTU - $0.50 per hour

The total cost of running gas fireplaces depends on several factors. These include per day usage, average percentage heating output and gas fireplace efficiency.