​​​​​Natural Gas Fireplaces

Relax in the comfort of your home with a natural gas fireplace or freestanding stove. A natural gas fireplace is clean, convenient, cost-effective, easy-to-use and better for our environment.

Benefits of Natural Gas Fireplaces​

With so many benefits, natural gas fireplaces have become one of the most desired features in a home. Natural gas fireplaces are:

  • ​Convenient. Natural gas fireplaces feature instant on/off operation with the flip of a switch or the touch of a remote control. No cold drafts or smoky back-drafts, no chopping and no hauling wood or waiting for hot coals to cool before going to bed.
  • Clean. Natural gas fireplaces provide a beautiful fire use after use with no soot, no ashes and no messy clean-up.
  • Beautiful. Natural gas fireplaces enhance the appearance and marketability of any home. They add a focal point to almost any room.
  • Economical. Using a natural gas fireplace can cost as little as 25 percent of the cost of burning wood. Plus you can save energy by using your gas fireplace to warm the room you're in and turning down your thermostat.
  • Safe. With a natural gas fireplace, there's no need to worry about creosote buildup in your chimney or chimney fires. There are no sparks to burn your carpet, either.
  • Environmentally friendly. Natural gas fireplaces reduce by up to 99 percent the amount of pollutants and particles emitted into the air by wood burning units.

Particulate Emissions In a Typical Evening Use​

​​​Particulate Emissions (grams) in Four hours of operation​Particulate Emissions (grams) Per Hour in Operation
​Wood-burning fireplace​200.00​50.00
​EPA certified wood stove​52.50​7.50
​EPA certified pellet heater​7.00​​1.00
​Gas fireplace (20,000 BTU/hr)0​.50​0.07

Emission Rates for Residential Fireplaces In units of pounds per million BTU

Emission Rates

Direct-Vent Sealed-Combustion Fireplaces

​In addition to being a cozy, effective and economical heat source for your home, direct-vent fireplaces offer many other practical benefits. Shown below are some additional reasons why direct-vent fireplaces are a great choice.

  • ​​It conserves natural gas because it uses outside air for combustion instead of conditioned inside air.
  • It is a safer heat source because products of combustion are directly exhausted outside the home.
  • The entire operation is independent of the household air, so there are no drafts.
  • Since these units are vented directly outside through a hole in an exterior wall, there is no need to construct a chimney or run a freestanding flue above the roofline.
  • There are versatile fireplace sizes, styles and venting options available.
  • It can be installed just about anywhere, including bedrooms and bathrooms.
  • It offers a clear, unobstructed view.
  • When factoring in the cost of constructing a traditional fireplace, natural gas fireplaces are a more affordable alternative.

Converting Your Wood-Burning Fireplace to Natural Gas​​

It's easy to convert a wood-burning fireplace to clean, convenient natural gas with a fireplace insert. Fireplace inserts are very popular, offering the same benefits as a newly installed natural gas fireplace. Your professional hearth dealer can offer you a wide variety of styles to choose from.

Free-Standing Stove​​

Get the design you want and save on future energy bills while your family enjoys the warming comfort of a natural gas stove. With choices ranging from traditional to contemporary styles, there is bound to be a stove that's just right for your home.​

Save Energy and Money with Electric Ignition

By installing a natural gas fireplace with electronic ignition, you will not only enjoy the warmth during the winter season, but also save energy and money during the summer months because a pilot light is not on.

CenterPoint Energy offers a $75 rebate when you install a direct-vent natural gas fireplace, insert or free-standing stove with electronic ignition.​

Shopping for Efficiency​

Get the design you want in a natural gas fireplace, and immediate and future savings on energy bills. Reducing your energy consumption also helps lower your carbon footprint on the environment.

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Shown below are recommended options for a higher efficiency fireplace:

  • ​Choosing a ceramic glass front, instead of a standard glass front, will transfer heat to the home more efficiently.
  • Adding a built-in variable speed circulating fan increases heating effectiveness by circulating heat to a larger area.
  • Adding a thermostat improves energy efficiency because it allows you to set and control temperature.
  • Consider installing an insulated outer casing if the fireplace is to be located on an outside wall.
  • Preheated combustion air
  • Cool-room return-air convection inlet
  • Heated-air convection outlet
  • Convection heat-exchange chamber/secondary heat exchanger

Reduce Your Impact on the Environment​

Less pollution. Because of growing concerns for the environment, restrictions have been placed on wood-burning fireplaces and stoves in some U.S. communities.

Natural gas fireplaces can reduce up to 99 percent of the amount of pollutants and particles emitted into the air compared to wood.

Better heating efficiency​​

A traditional wood fire is actually pulling warm air out of the room and up the chimney. Your home is losing more heat than the open hearth wood fire creates. A professionally installed fireplace insert will prevent heated household air from going up the chimney and provide the warmth and ambiance your family will enjoy. By choosing an insert with an electronic ignition system instead of a standing pilot light, you will save even more.

Codes and Standards​

​Gas-fired hearth products sold and used in the United States are covered by a variety of certification standards, building codes and local requirements.

Look for the Blue Star certification (as shown) on any gas appliance you might buy. This is your assurance that it complies with industry codes and standards.
Some states prohibit the sale or use of unvented fuel-burning heaters. Check the codes in your area before purchasing a gas fireplace.

Minnesota prohibits the sale or use of unvented fuel-burning heaters.