Quote:
Originally Posted by Toymeister
(Post 2144462)
Since the OP asked about natural gas heaters I'll continue answering that question. There are permanently (wall) mounted un-vented heaters rated for residential heat. They have built in safety devices which keep you from dieing of obnoxious fumes.
At other homes I've owned them and installed them. If that is what you want I can tell you more. Spoiler alert I would not install one here, in the lanai or anywhere else. They have a place and purpose and but it is not here.
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Toymeister is mostly correct. The manufactured fireplace industry has spent years trying to educate the public that gas fireplaces, whether natural gas or propane are safe and do not require venting to the exterior of the house. There are still a few mis-guided jurisdictions which ban ventless gas fireplaces, California being the largest. However, California is mis-guided about most everything.
Ventless gas fireplaces are 100% efficient, which means that all the gas is combusted and the only residuals are water vapor of 1-2 cups of water per hour of operation, and, perhaps, a slight odor. The correct way to think of a ventless gas fireplace is that it is no different from using a gas stove and turning on all the burners. The result is identical--heat, water vapor, and, perhaps, a slight odor. I expect that Toymeister's advice to not use an unvented fireplace in Florida is because of the water vapor. If you are concerned about CO2, all unvented fireplaces are required to have a built-in detector. If you're still concerned about the safety of an unvented fireplace, just open a window a small amount. As the OP wants to put the fireplace/pit in a screened lanai, there is no need to be concerned about CO2, water vapor, or odor.
A fire pit will operate the same. The only concern I would have with a fire pit is to be certain that some part of the burner is not obstructed, which might prevent the complete combustion of the gas. For example, don't pile decorative glass pebbles or "embers" directly on the burner. Instead place them on a mesh grate an inch or so above the burner.
We did a wall-to-wall remodel a few years ago and included the installation of a built-in ventless fireplace. If I knew how to do so, I'd add a photo to this post. We could not be happier with the fireplace. After the first hour of operation to burn off any oil or coating on the metal surfaces, there is no odor. For the first hour, we opened all the window in the room. The only problem is that we selected the size of the fireplace to fit the space on the wall, which we then covered from floor to ceiling with stone veneer. This means we bought a fireplace that puts out too much heat for our living room. We can raise the temperature throughout all of our living room, connected dining room, and kitchen by 5 degrees by operating the fireplace for only10 minutes. I hope to resolve this by changing the gas jet to a smaller size.
The fireplace is wonderful. On a cold winter morning, we turn on the fireplace by one click of the remote control, turn on the ceiling fan, and within minutes the room is comfortable. In the remodel, we enclosed our lanai and removed the sliding door from the living room. By using the ceiling fans in both the living room and the lanai, the lanai is also comfortable. It's the same on a cold winter night.
