# Nice look with less heat?



## hihio (Feb 20, 2016)

I have read a some threads here and appreciate the knowledge you all have. I am hoping you can help me. We are building a new house and are putting a direct vent fireplace in the family room. We live in NY and the house is about 4000 sq ft. We have a high efficiency heater so we don't really need the heat from the fireplace but I love the coziness of a fireplace so I want to be able to use it. 

The family room has 9ft ceilings and is about 17 ft x 19ft but its also open to the kitchen area, about another 20ft. There doesn't seem to be a nice sized fireplace with low heat output from what I am seeing. I don't want to be sweating if I sit in the family room to watch TV with the fireplace on.

 We were about to go ahead with a Mendota FV41 but now I am concerned that it is just too hot. Considering the DXV35, firepalce extraordinaire or other. Any ideas? We like a traditional look, I prefer full view, and we want it somewhat large to be proportional with the room size (but again that seems like a contradiction since I don't want a ton of heat). I know I can turn the flame down on these units, level 1 is basically no flame though so I don't love that. Level 2 seems ok flame wise but it's still pretty warm on the FV41. Thanks for any help.


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## Master sweep walt (Feb 20, 2016)

hihio said:


> I have read a some threads here and appreciate the knowledge you all have. I am hoping you can help me. We are building a new house and are putting a direct vent fireplace in the family room. We live in NY and the house is about 4000 sq ft. We have a high efficiency heater so we don't really need the heat from the fireplace but I love the coziness of a fireplace so I want to be able to use it.
> 
> The family room has 9ft ceilings and is about 17 ft x 19ft but its also open to the kitchen area, about another 20ft. There doesn't seem to be a nice sized fireplace with low heat output from what I am seeing. I don't want to be sweating if I sit in the family room to watch TV with the fireplace on.
> 
> We were about to go ahead with a Mendota FV41 but now I am concerned that it is just too hot. Considering the DXV35, firepalce extraordinaire or other. Any ideas? We like a traditional look, I prefer full view, and we want it somewhat large to be proportional with the room size (but again that seems like a contradiction since I don't want a ton of heat). I know I can turn the flame down on these units, level 1 is basically no flame though so I don't love that. Level 2 seems ok flame wise but it's still pretty warm on the FV41. Thanks for any help.


Go to regency-fire.com direct vent gas fireplaces


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## Tech Guru (Feb 22, 2016)

Ever consider Town & Country?  Another nice looker in a non-heater rated unit...


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## hihio (Feb 22, 2016)

Tech Guru said:


> Ever consider Town & Country?  Another nice looker in a non-heater rated unit...


I looked briefly but they looked very costly, around 7000 I think? Is regency also non-heater rated? Is there a way to find out which are heater rated and which aren't?


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## Tech Guru (Feb 24, 2016)

Best to look at the manuals.  Heater rated appliances are listed to ANSI Z21.88 and decorative units (i.e. non-heater rated) are listed to ANSI Z21.50


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## Denisecnor (Aug 7, 2016)

I hate this fireplace. (see picture)
The proportions seem all wrong.  It's too tall!  I'd like to lower the firebox and the mantel, put stone or brick around it and lower the TV also. 
All suggestions are appreciated.


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## begreen (Aug 7, 2016)

That looks like it might be a prefab, zero-clearance fireplace. If so it may be possible to replace the mantel with a lower one. Look in the door frame for an ID tag that lists the make and model. The manual will have clearance requirements.


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## Denisecnor (Aug 8, 2016)

begreen said:


> That looks like it might be a prefab, zero-clearance fireplace. If so it may be possible to replace the mantel with a lower one. Look in the door frame for an ID tag that lists the make and model. The manual will have clearance requirements.



It does say Zero clearance Floor and Top with a 9in mantel ht above.  Side clearance says 14 inches. It's only 9 inches now. 

So I guess the mantel can be as low as 9in above opening.

Thanks for the info.  It has helped alot.


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