If you have lots of questions, you’re not alone. It’s smart to do your research and get advice from the pros. Skip Smith, area manager and fireplace expert for Alpine Fireplaces, offers some important considerations so you get the right gas fireplace for your home.

Are you adding a new gas fireplace or converting an existing masonry wood-burning fireplace?
Many people choose gas fireplaces for the convenience. You can heat your home and enjoy beautiful ambiance by simply touching a remote control or wall switch. Whether you’re starting new, or want to replace an old fireplace from the 70s or 80s, there are plenty of affordable options.
Already have a wood-burning fireplace? Consider transforming it with a cleaner and more efficient gas fireplace insert that fits directly into the existing opening. As part of the installation, two liners are installed inside the chimney; one expels the fire’s combustion exhaust and byproducts outside the home, the other draws in outside air for combustion. This guarantees no room air is used for combustion which stops heat loss and protects the indoor air quality of your home. You get the benefits of gas without having to replace the entire fireplace.

What style fireplace fits your home?
The sky is the limit when it comes to fireplace design. Whether you prefer the traditional stone fireplace designs or you favor sleek modern styles, there’s bound to be something to complement your home’s interior design.
The look of the fire itself comes with many style options. Traditionalists prefer realistic manufactured logs with burning embers. However, if your design style leans toward contemporary, you might like options in a more linear or widescreen look. There is an option to fit most every taste. A good place to start would be to look through Alpine Fireplaces website. There are hundreds of pictures and ideas.

What are your heating efficiency requirements?
Did you know a gas fireplace or fireplace insert can help reduce your heating costs? Similar to the premise of a hybrid car, you can turn down your home’s thermostat and zone heat the rooms you use most with an efficient gas fireplace. This cuts down on the amount of fuel consumed by your furnace and can help to reduce home heating bills by 20 to 40 percent, according to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association.

Do you want a vented or vent-free gas fireplace?
Depending on the manufacturer and model, gas fireplaces can be vented or unvented. Direct vented gas fireplaces have sealed combustion systems that protect indoor air quality by drawing outside air for the fire and expelling 100 percent of combustion exhaust and by-products outside the home, resulting in a safe, beautiful fire. In contrast, unvented (a.k.a. vent-free or vent-less) fireplaces lack sealed combustion or venting systems, drawing indoor air and oxygen for the fire, while expelling exhaust and byproducts, like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and moisture, into the home. While unvented units are legal in many areas of the country, some hearth manufacturers, remodelers and hearth retailers will not sell them due to safety and moisture/condensation issues.

What is your budget?
“For the most part, when people enter the store, they assume it will be expensive to purchase and install a gas fireplace or fireplace insert. Most people are pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive it can be,”
Skip says the average price of a gas fireplace including installation is $4,400. For those interested in a gas fireplace insert, the cost can be as little as $2,900 installed.

What is the return on investment?
These days, homeowners want to make sure the money they put into their home adds value. There is good news: Homebuyers consider fireplaces one of the top three desired home features, according to Remodeling Magazine. Also, according to the Residential Cost Handbook, a gas fireplace can add an average of $5,900 to the value of a home. Therefore when it comes time to sell, homes with gas fireplaces have an advantage.
As we head into the cold winter months, it is natural to want to warm up by a fire. Given the potential of increased efficiencies, zone heating to reduce utility bills and hours of ambiance and enjoyment, installing a gas fireplace has a multitude of benefits.

Besides increased efficiency, newer models offer many more options, including remote-controlled flames that can go from glowing embers to roaring blaze. Particularly popular with bedroom units, timers are available to ignite or extinguish the fire, so users can wake up to a cozy room or put out the fire after they’ve nodded off to sleep.

Besides realistic woodlike logs, gas fireplaces or inserts can come with glass beads, stones or ceramic pieces for a totally different look.

• Before shopping for an insert, measure your room and current fireplace. Ask yourself: What do you want from your fireplace: Warmth, an attractive focal point for a room, or both?

Models with more BTUs (British Thermal Units) offer more heat. Also look at louvers – the slanted grill that’s above or below the firebox that helps circulate warm air into the room. Louverless models typically look cleaner and more streamlined, but offer little heat circulation.

Lennox Hearth Products offers a detailed shopping guide with online glossary at www.lennoxhearthproducts.com.

• Including installation, a new gas insert can cost $2,500 to $4,500. There’s a big selection around $3,000.

Incentives, tax credits or rebate programs can help with those costs. Contact your local natural gas provider or fireplace insert seller for more details.

Actual installation takes about a day including running a gas line to the fireplace.

Among the best-selling brands in The Utah, Idaho and Nevada markets are Alpine, Kozy Heat and Valor.

Other major fireplace, stove and insert brands include Lennox Hearth Products, Vermont Castings and Monessen.

• Gas logs give the look of a full fire for a lot less – $300 to $900. These logs are a popular option for otherwise unused fireplaces.

Alpine is proud to be the recipient of the 2011 Best of Utah Valley Award for the Best Fireplace Store in the Valley. With our two locations, in Lehi and Orem, we pride ourselves on being able to service all of Utah County. From these showrooms, we also service many customers from Carbon and Wasatch Counties.

As an award that is chosen by the customer, we are especially proud that we are recognized for the wide variety of products and services we offer, the high quality of people we employ, and the high level of customer satisfaction we achieve.

Winning the award once is accomplishment enough, but this makes the 4th year in a row that Alpine has received the top award in our category. Our customers must believe we are doing something right.

Alpine is committed to continue our high level of service and performance. Started in Utah Valley in 1977, we are proud to be almost 35 years in the business and still going strong. We know that we have to earn the respect and appreciation of our customers every day and are committed to improving and doing even better in the future.

Alpine’s Motto, “So Nice to Come Home To…” was chosen with care, because we believe that our products will make your life more enjoyable, more fulfilling, and even “Nicer to Come Home To…”.

Alpine Gas Fireplaces has been producing and selling “Positive Pressure” fireplaces since early 1977. By producing high quality products that work for the customer, Alpine has become an industry leader in the technology and manufacturing of positive pressure fireplace systems. Alpine’s own research and development team is continually finding and developing new products and ideas that insure that our customers get the best that is available.

Alpine’s commitment to quality and service, along with its unique and patented products have caused Alpine to experience rapid and substantial growth over the past several years. The personnel we employ in sales, production, installation, and service at Alpine all go through an extensive certification process to insure that our customers positively get the best. Alpine believes in giving the customer a little more than they expect. We know that when a customer purchases a fireplace they buy more than just the product – they buy the integrity of the company, its people, and the services they provide. Alpine feels that its products and its people are the very best in the industry. We hope that Alpine can add you to the many thousands of our very happy and satisfied customers.

Why People Buy Alpine Gas Fireplaces

Outside Air, “Positive Pressure Heating”—click here for a detailed description about positive pressure.

Combustion Air From Outside—Aids in efficiency and pressurizing the home.

Beauty—Choose from a variety of styles, including arches, colors and designs, even complete brass faces.

Versatility—Several sizes to fit applications in existing fireplaces and new construction.

Large, Seamless Glass View Area—Gives the most unobstructed view of the fire.

Realistic, Soothing Flame—Creates the atmosphere and look of a wood fire, without the mess and hassle of a wood fire.

Clean—No wood to split, store or haul. No ashes or creosote.

Environmentally Clean—No particulate emission, smoke, or foul smell associated with solid fuel fireplaces. Can be burned with no restrictions.

Emergency Preparedness—Natural Gas models can be converted to propane for heating (optional).

Patented Design

Alpine Warranty—20 year limited warranty on firebox and heat exchanger.

Quality Construction—The fireplace, burner, and safety system are built to the high standards for which Alpine is famous.

Powerful and Quiet Blower—495 CFM Blower increases the amount of heated air into the home. Quiet, because the blower is not attached directly to the fireplace, eliminating vibration noise.

Efficient and Economical to Operate—80% plus efficiency contributes useable heat into the home while burning, and operates for just pennies a day.

Safety Tested—Tested to the highest industry standards for safety by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

Safety Valve with Pilot Light—Shuts fireplace down if it malfunctions while burning. Also will not allow the fireplace to overheat.

Natural Gas or Propane—All models available to function on either type of fuel.

More Efficient Heat Gathering and Distribution

This type of fireplace system is used to push heat more evenly throughout a home as well as replace any air lost in the combustion process. One of the unique features of this fireplace is that it uses outside air for both heating and combustion.

The blower system on these fireplaces forces fresh outside air through an efficient heat exchanger located around the fireplace and on into the home. By heating this outside air and forcing it gently into the home several benefits are realized. Heat produced by the fireplace is distributed more evenly, temperatures are more uniform, and the increased air pressure in the home reduces drafts coming in through the leaks and cracks of the home. The Positive Pressure fireplace system is considered by many to be the most efficient heat gathering and distribution system available today.

How the Alpine Positive Pressure Gas Fireplace Works

An Alpine Gas Fireplace brings in fresh outside air, circulates it around five sides of the firebox to gather maximum heat, and then gently pushes this heated air into the home at hearth level. A small portion of the air enters the firebox itself for combustion, leaving through the chimney with the other exhaust gases; the rest builds up a positive air pressure throughout the home. The warm air flows through the home and to the outside, through the same openings and leaks that otherwise cause drafts. You can usually direct more heat to a given area by opening a window slightly in the desired area, and letting the Alpine’s positive pressure fireplace push more soothing, warm heat in that direction. An Alpine Gas Fireplace is the fireplace you’ll really cherish and use regularly.

Blower – An electric, motor driven fan used to circulate air at an increased pace and velocity through the fireplace system, increasing the area that the heat generated by the fireplace is distributed to.

BTU – British Thermal Unit. The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. A quantity of energy.

BTUH - BTU’s per hour. The basic unit for measuring the rate of heat transfer.

Condensation- The liquid byproduct (water) of gas combustion, usually most visible at fireplace start up.

Convection Heating- The natural movement of air as it heats up and expands. This creates a natural flow of air as the warmer air moves upward and is replaced by cooler air.

Direct Vent- A vent or chimney system used for gas-fired appliances, which is designed so that all of the air used in the combustion process is drawn directly from outside the home. As the combustion air is drawn in and utilized in combustion, the combusted gases continue through the direct vent system and are expelled outside the home.

Efficiency- Measurement of the BTU’s produced by the burner vs. the BTU’s that escape up the chimney system. The higher the efficiency, the fewer the BTU’s that escape up the chimney.

Fan- (See Blower)

Freestanding Stove – Stand alone appliance that can virtually be installed anywhere in a home and does not require masonry or a mantel.

Heating Capacity – The rate at which the fireplace appliance can add heat to your home. This is not to be confused with the appliance being able to distribute the heat throughout the area. The distribution is accomplished by the fan or delivery system such as radiant heat, convection, re-circulating, and positive pressure.

Insert- Product usually associated with installing a new appliance into an existing masonry fireplace opening or metal firebox.

Positive pressure- This type of fireplace system is used to push heat more evenly throughout a home as well as replace any air lost in the combustion process. Click here for a more detailed description.

Radiant Heat- The heat that radiates of a hot object into the air around it.

Re-Circulating

- Fan aided air movement that takes air from the room the fireplace is in, forces it through a heat exchanger and back into the room.

Remote Control- Remote control device that will operate the fireplace system. Several different models are available offering from simple on/off controls to full thermostat capabilities.

Rheostat- Electrical controller that allows you to vary the speed and output of the fan or blower system.

Standing Pilot- A small flame that burns on two dissimilar metals that generates a low voltage electrical current that allows the gas valve to operate. Extremely safe and is useable under all conditions because it generates it’s own power.

Steady Sate Efficiency- The ratio of the heat or BTU output vs. the heat or BTU input under steady conditions.

Thermostat - Automatically operates the fireplace or stove based on the desired temperature set by the owner.

Vent Free- Gas appliances that do not vent to the outside of the home. This puts all burned exhaust gases and condensation directly into the home. Alpine does not sell vent-free appliances because of concerns about safety and reduced air quality in the home. Click here to see an article from Popular Science about vent-free fireplaces.

Venting- The chimney system or method of expelling burned gases form the home.

No, we offer many home heating and outdoor cooking products. Though we specialize in fireplaces, we also have many options for your outdoor room such as firepits, barbeques and even CUSTOM FIRE FEATURES! Alpine has recently designed and constructed the largest outdoor fire feature in Utah at the St. Regis Hotel in Deer Valley. This feature utilizes over 150′ of underground burners and 7 control systems carefully woven into a spectacular mountain top fire experience. We have also designed and constructed hundreds of other custom fire features, for both indoors and outdoor use. Bring us your idea, we can certainly turn it into reality!

YES! Alpine products proudly carry the longest warranty in the fireplace industry! Our Utah-Built products have an impresive 20 year warranty on the construction of the fireplace. Our Partner Companies also offer great warranties so that you may purchase from Alpine with confidence, knowing that Alpine will be here to stand behind you in the years to come.

Alpine has 35 years of fireplace installation experience. We have well trained and qualified Installation Teams that will provide a safe and beautiful installation of your new fireplace.

Alpine has a trained and qualified staff of Installation teams to make sure that all of our products are safely installed. All of our products also come with installation manuals for those that would like to do the installation themselves.