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Sealed gas see-through fireplace to outdoors

NormanWB | Posted in Energy Efficiency and Durability on

My wife loves a nice fire and wants a fireplace in our new home. One model we are considering is see-through, which would allow us to have the fireplace in the great room and the screened porch. This unit does not have a flue, since it exhausts to the outdoors from the top of the outside glass.

So, that would mean we have a metal connection from the outside to the inside with no thermal break. Although the glass is double paned (one inside and one outside), the 2 ft. separation pretty much negates any R-value.

It’s obviously not a good idea, thermally, but what can I do to insulate around this and air seal it more effectively, if she decides this is what she wants?

It looks like I can put insulation underneath, within a 1/2 of the sides and 9.5″ from the top. I need ideas on what will not melt or deform over time in this space.

Here are the specs: http://downloads.hearthnhome.com/installManuals/2368_970.pdf

Thanks,

Norman
CZ 3A

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Replies

  1. user-2310254 | | #1

    Norman,

    I can't answer your question, but I did find a number of product reviews on Houzz (https://www.houzz.com/browseReviews/heatandglo/heat-glo-fireplaces-designed-to-inspire). From what some owners are saving, this sounds like a problematic product. Plus, I wouldn't want combustion gases venting into the same space where I'm sitting--even if that space is outdoors. Just seems like a not green or healthy design.

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