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Rating Plates
From each of the below 3 super-categories, choose one sub-category to develop the title of the appliance for which you are looking. For example:
Vented vs Vent-Free vs. Non-Gas
Considering or researching any gas appliances, you will have to choose "Vented" or "Vent-Free." These mean various things depending on the type of appliance.
The following is true generally: "Vented" gas appliances will vent their exhaust outside while "Vent-Free" will vent into your room.
Gas, Wood, Pellet, or Electric Fuel
- Gas Logs: gas logs will have metal plates attached to them by a small chain, cable, or wire. See the below link for videos.
- Gas Fireplaces and Inserts: the rating plate information can usually be found under the gas valve of the fireplace or insert. See the below link for videos.
From each of the below 3 super-categories, choose one sub-category to develop the title of the appliance for which you are looking. For example:
- 1.Vent-Free 2.Gas 3.Stove
- 1.(non-gas) 2.Wood 3.Fireplace
- 1.(non-gas) 2.Pellet 3.Fireplace
- 1.Vented 2.Gas 3.Logs
Vented vs Vent-Free vs. Non-Gas
Considering or researching any gas appliances, you will have to choose "Vented" or "Vent-Free." These mean various things depending on the type of appliance.
The following is true generally: "Vented" gas appliances will vent their exhaust outside while "Vent-Free" will vent into your room.
- Gas Logs: you can reach in and touch the logs and your fireplace has a visible flue. You must have a working chimney to use gas logs.
- Vented: Vented gas logs look more realistic, but they use more fuel and require your damper to be locked wide open resulting in a potential loss of heat in their room.
- Vent-Free: Vent-free gas logs do not look as realistic, but your flue will be locked open about one quarter inch (very little) so almost all of the heat and exhaust will come back in to your room. Vent-free logs are clean-burning so that water vapor and CO2 are the only things leaving the fireplace. With vent-free gas logs you will notice much more heat than you will with vented gas logs.
- Gas Inserts: these are totally sealed systems. Your chimney does not need to be able to handle burning wood.
- Vented: you cannot reach in and touch the logs. The exhaust is vented outside.
- Vent-Free: you can reach in and touch the logs but you cannot see your flue. The exhaust is vented into the room.
- Non-Gas: please start below at fuel types after gas. All non-gas-burning appliances are vented.
Gas, Wood, Pellet, or Electric Fuel
- Gas
- "Gas" implies either propane or natural gas. Almost all appliances which use gas have the option to be either propane or natural gas, but they must be ordered as such (propane or natural).
- Natural gas appliances have a very blue flame until everything heats up, at which point the gas burns more yellow. Propane burns yellow immediately.
- Gas is the most efficient fuel.
- Wood
- Wood-burning appliances can be the cheapest, in the long run, if you have a free supply of good wood to burn.
- Wood-burning appliances require the most work in terms of maintenance and cleaning
- All of our wood appliances re-burn the products of the burn (gases and impurities released by the wood while burning) while the doors are shut, making them very efficient compared to typical wood-burning fireplaces.
- Wood appliances can include fans to help move the hot air around a room.
- Pellet
- Wood pellets are small pellets made up of compressed saw dust. This is a fairly cheap fuel depending on the availability of pellets (i.s. considering shortages and surpluses). They can range from $5 - $7 per 40lb bag and so $250 - $350 per ton (50 bags).
- Electric
- Electric appliances typically do not provide as much heat as a solid or gas fueled appliance but are the easiest to maintain and fix.
- Electric appliances are typically the cheapest and least "involved" appliance what we sell.
- Fireplaces: If you have no existing fireplace or want to replace a fireplace (from scratch)
- Inserts: If you have an existing wood fireplace, with or without an insert or gas logs, and have questions about a new appliance to put inside of it, or a replacement for en existing insert appliance
- Stoves are free-standing appliances which can go almost anywhere in a home. No existing fireplace or chimney is required.
- Gas Logs require either a vent-free firebox or an existing wood-burning fireplace, which can safely burn wood, in which they can sit. The are simple gas-burning appliances which can provide heat, but are generally used for decoration and a small amount of supplemental heat