Glossary

BTUs

British Thermal Unit, the primary heat measurement unit used by the hearth industry to indicate heat output. It is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 lb. of water by 1 degree F. Typically 10,000 BTU can heat approximately 500 square feet. Wood stoves, gas stoves, electric stoves, pellet stoves, oil stoves, gas grills, gas fireplaces, wood burning fireplaces, pellet fireplaces, electric fireplaces, wood burning fireplace inserts, gas fireplace inserts and pellet fireplace inserts are all rated by BTU output.

Black Stove Pipe

Black stove pipe is used as a connector pipe between a wood burning stove or coal burning stove and a chimney system.

Catalytic Combustor

A catalytic combustor is a device used on some wood stoves to increase combustion efficiency of wood stoves by lowering flue gas ignition temperatures of wood stoves.

Chimney

A chimney is a system for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. It is typically vertical to ensure that the hot gases flow smoothly. The space inside the chimney is called the flue. This can be one or more vertical passage ways. These flues may be constructed of terracotta, clay or steel.

Chimney Liner

Most masonry chimneys are built with terra-cotta clay tiles stacked and mortared inside the chimney’s brick structure. These tiles serve as a gas-tight and heat-resistant insulator against the masonry structure. Without a chimney liner, or with cracked and damaged liners, there would be heat transfer or actual seepage through the brick and mortar. A liner is a stainless steel or aluminum tube inserted into a chimney.  The appliance will vent through that stainless steel or aluminum pipe and use the existing chimney structure as an encasement. New chimney liners are gas tight systems and insulated for highest efficiency. This system can solve most drafting and safety issues of chimney fire damaged or older unlined chimney flues.

Chimney Sweep

The primary job of a chimney sweep is to aid in the prevention of fires related to fireplaces, wood stoves, gas, oil and coal heating stoves and fireplaces and the chimneys that serve them. Proper care and attention to service can help protect people from unnecessary fires and carbon monoxide poisonings. A chimney sweep may service a wood stove, gas fireplace, wood burning fireplace, gas stove, wood burning stove, pellet stove and oil stove.

Clearance

Clearance is the distance required by manufacturers and building codes between a wood stove, pellet stove, gas stove, or fireplace to connector pipe or chimney and any combustible materials.

Creosote

Creosote are deposits of condensed wood smoke in the chimney and connector pipe of wood stoves and wood burning fireplaces resulting from incomplete combustion. It can ignite and cause a chimney fire. Creosote can be associated with wood stoves and masonry wood burning fireplaces.

Direct Vent

Direct vent refers to a wood stove, gas stove, pellet stove, gas fireplace, wood burning fireplace or other appliance with a sealed, specifically designed venting system that draws combustion air from outdoors and exhausts its combustion products to the outdoors, eliminating the need for a standard chimney system. A glass panel in direct vent units is critical to keeping the combustion system sealed from the home.

Electric Fireplace

Electric fireplaces are designed to be plug-and-play appliances that look like woodburning fireplaces and gas fireplaces. Simply turn them off and on as needed, and enjoy them when the mood hits. Today’s electric fireplaces display realistic fire technology and are capable of heating a room.

Emissions

Emissions are unburned gases and particles as a result of incomplete combustion resulting from a wood stove, gas stove, pellet stove, gas fireplace, wood burning fireplace, fireplace insert or other heating appliance.

EPA Regulations

EPA regulations are government regulations of wood burning stoves, wood burning fireplaces, wood burning inserts and other wood burning appliances mandating that products sold after July 1, 1992, emit no more than 4.1 grams of particulate matter per hour for catalytic-equipped units and no more than 7.5 grams for non-catalytic-equipped units.

Factory Built Fireplaces

A factory built woodburning fireplace or gas fireplace is actually a firebox enclosed within a steel cabinet. A blanket of insulating air keeps the outer wall cool, land spacers surrounding the cabinet allow it to be installed in close proximity to the wood framing (hence the name "zero-clearance fireplace" or "zero clearance wood fireplace" or "zero clearance gas fireplace"). Factory built wood burning fireplaces and gas fireplaces pass rigorous testing standards established by Underwriters Laboratories and the American Gas Association and have an excellent safety record. Factory built wood burning fireplaces and gas fireplaces are surprisingly inexpensive. Factory built wood burning fireplaces and gas fireplaces use a safe, lightweight chimney and do not need any additional footing or other structural support. Because factory built wood burning fireplaces and gas fireplaces have fewer limitations than site-built masonry wood burning fireplaces and gas fireplaces, they can be easily and safely installed in almost any room. Factory built wood burning fireplaces and gas fireplaces are available in a range of sizes, and can be open on one, two ("see-through fireplace" and corner models), three ("peninsula fireplace"), or four sides ("oasis fireplace"). Brick, stone, marble and other facing materials can be combined with your choice of mantels to finish your wood burning fireplaces and gas fireplaces and suit your decor.

Firebacks

Firebacks protect wood burning fireplace masonry and mortar, shielding them from extreme heat from wood fireplaces. Cast iron firebacks store heat from the wood burning fireplace and radiate it into the room after the fire from the wood burning fireplace has died down. Firebacks work just as well in a modern wood burning fireplace or gas fireplace as they do in a traditional wood burning fireplace or gas fireplace.

Firebrick

Firebrick or refractory brick, usually made of fire clay, is designed for use at high temperatures in the lining of furnaces, fireboxes, chimneys, wood burning fireplaces and wood stoves.

Fire Pit

Fire pits bring all the enjoyment of a cozy campfire anywhere you desire. Designed specifically for small fires, firepits offer ambiance and warmth in the comfort of your backyard. Use a fire pit when camping for a quick and easy fire wherever you are. Enjoy the warmth all year long, whether you are at a campsite, the beach, a picnic, or even a winter outing. Just like most gas stoves and gas fireplaces, fire pits are available in LP or natural gas burning models.

Fireplaces

A fireplace remains the most popular choice and adds significantly to the value of any home. Most fireplaces are no longer traditional brick and mortar, but are engineered and pre-built by major manufacturers. These fireplaces are fueled by either gas or wood in most cases. More than seventy-five percent (over a half million each year) of all fireplaces installed each year are factory built and shipped to the construction site. Many of the leading manufacturers of gas fireplaces and wood burning fireplaces also manufacture wood stoves, gas stoves and electric fireplaces. Gas logs and gas stoves can be installed in a masonry fireplace.

Fireplace Andirons

Fireplace andirons are horizontal iron bars upon which logs are laid for burning in an open gas fireplace or wood burning fireplace.

Fireplace Chimney Liner

Wood burning fireplaces and gas fireplaces produce a tremendous amount of heat that can damage your chimney, fireplace and house, or make you sick. Traditional chimney liners are a clay tile insert that stop gases from leaking back into the house and prevent brick and mortar chimneys from overheating and potentially causing a fire. Homes built after 1940 are required to have a chimney liner and to replace chimney liners when they become cracked or broken. These days, most homeowners choose stainless steel piping when replacing their chimney liner. Stainless steel liners are easier to install than clay tiles and can be purchased either in rigid or flexible varieties.

Fireplace Dampers

A fireplace damper is the hardware inside your gas fireplace or wood burning fireplace which controls and regulates the air allowed inside the gas fireplace or wood burning fireplace and chimney. Fireplace dampers reduce heat loss from the chimney by controlling down drafts when a wood burning or gas fireplace is not in use. Fireplace dampers seal out sleet and snow and reduce air conditioning costs.

Fireplace Grates

Fireplace grates are a metal frame used to hold and contain burning fuel in a wood burning fireplace or gas burning fireplace. Grates are used in wood stoves, in traditional masonry fireplaces and in factory built or manufactured fireplaces.

Fireplace Inserts

Fireplace inserts (wood burning fireplace inserts, pellet burning fireplace inserts and gas fireplace inserts) are heating units that retrofit into an existing fireplace (masonry or factory built). They burn wood, gas or wood pellets and offer superior efficiency. Wood burning fireplace inserts, pellet burning fireplace inserts and gas fireplace inserts utilize the existing chimney, though a flue liner or other modification may be necessary. Vent-free gas fireplace inserts require no chimney or flue modification. Most wood burning fireplace inserts, pellet burning fireplace inserts and gas fireplace inserts have blowers to circulate the heat, as do many wood stoves, gas stoves, gas fireplace and wood burning fireplaces. Wood burning fireplace inserts, pellet burning fireplace inserts and gas fireplace inserts are used to change an existing non-efficient wood fireplace into an efficient, heat producing fireplace.

Firewood

Firewood, one of nature's most common methods of storing solar energy, is a renewable energy source. It is a relatively clean, efficient, safe energy source having low sulfur content and is generally found throughout the country. Its primary products of combustion are carbon dioxide, water vapor and ash. The ash content is low (only one to two percent by weight) and that which does remain can be used as a worthwhile soil conditioner. Firewood can be used in a wood stove, wood burning fireplace, wood burning fireplace insert, and a cooktop wood stove, among other types of stoves.

Flue

The flue is the passageway in a chimney for conveying gases emitted from a gas fireplace, wood fireplace or pellet fireplace to the outdoors.

Flues make up the inside of the chimney anatomy. There can be multiple flues located in one masonry chimney. These flues are the passageways for the smoke and gases to pass through to the outside atmosphere. It is best to have only one appliance or fireplace venting into a flue. If your home has a furnace and a wood stove your chimney should have two flues to accommodate them.

Freestanding Stove

A freestanding stove is a heating appliance normally on legs or a pedestal. Freestanding wood stoves, gas stoves, pellet stoves, oil stoves or electric stoves give you the ability to incorporate virtually any style into your home décor. Wood stoves, gas stoves, pellet stoves, oil stoves and electric stoves are available in a wide selection of sizes and styles. Wood stoves, gas stoves, pellet stoves, oil stoves and electric stoves are usually made of steel, stone or cast iron, and finishes include porcelain enamel and high temperature paint in an array of colors. Freestanding stoves burn wood, gas, coal, wood pellets, oil or are electric, and many freestanding stoves use a space age ceramic glass to provide fire viewing. Wood stove, gas stoves, pellet stoves, oil stoves and electric stoves are generally used to heat a specific room or zone of the house. Wood stoves, gas stoves, pellet stoves, oil stoves or electric stoves are very efficient and control of the fire, heat output, burn times and installation options are greatly improved. The most common freestanding stove is the wood stove.

Furnace

A household furnace is a major appliance that is permanently installed to provide heat to an interior space through intermediary fluid movement, which may be air, steam, or hot water. The most common fuel source for modern furnaces in the is natural gas other common fuel sources include LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), fuel, oil, coal or wood. In some cases electrical resistance heating is used as the source of heat, especially where the cost of electricity is low. Wood burning furnaces function much like wood stoves.

Gas Direct Vent

One of the most popular types of gas fireplaces are direct vent gas fireplace. Gas direct vent fireplaces burn gas at a relatively high efficiency rate and can generate a great deal of heat. There are many different models of direct vent gas fireplaces on the market. Most models are one-sided, which means the heat comes out from one side only, though there are two-sided, three sided, and even four-sided models of direct vent gas fireplace available. The three and four sided models pump out heat from three and four sides, and these are great for putting in the center of the room and having heat pumped out in different directions.

One good thing about these direct vent fireplaces is that the vents can stretch for up to 30 feet, meaning that the fireplace be placed far away from the wall or position off the roof where the event will actually go to the outside. In terms of heat output, direct vent gas fireplaces are among the most economical heating sources you can use in the home, many of them having a heat efficiency of up to 70% and being able to provide heat that is approaching 45,000 BTU.

Gas Grills

A professional gas grill typically falls in the $1,500 - $5,000 price range. These gas grills are large, stainless steel grills with all the accessories you need to be a master backyard chef. These grills are built to last and to look great. In this price range you will find a lot more natural gas grills and you should plan on spending some money preparing the right place for a grill like this. The gas grill is something that will last for years.

Gas Logs

Gas logs are an open flame appliance with ceramic or ceramic fiber logs placed over a burner to provide dramatic realism of a traditional flame. Manufactured log sets have a burner that uses either natural gas or propane. For people who have an existing fireplace but seldom use it, a set of gas logs may be the best way to have dancing flames at your fingertips. Gas logs provide dramatic realism, from the lifelike ceramic fiber, concrete or refractory logs down to the glowing embers. Gas logs can be installed in a masonry fireplace. The appearance of many gas logs mirror firewood burning in a wood stove. Just like most gas stoves and gas fireplaces, gas logs have a burner that uses either natural gas or propane.

Gas Stoves

Gas stoves are designed to burn either natural gas or propane. Gas stoves emit very little pollution, require little maintenance, and can be installed almost anywhere in the home. Today’s gas stoves feature large, dancing yellow flames and glowing red embers that are nearly identical in appearance to a fire in a wood stove. Gas stoves can be vented through an existing chimney, or direct vented through the wall behind the stove. The key features of freestanding gas stoves are ambiance and convenience. With a push of a button, or the turn of the thermostat, the glowing, dancing fire in a gas stove is instantaneously warm and tremendously soothing. Then, just as quickly, the fire can be turned off! Gas stoves are both beautiful and efficient, serving as heaters as well as interior design elements. And, gas stoves today can help people with older central furnaces save money on the cost to heat their home. Yet, the newest feature to gas stoves is how much the fire looks like a wood burning fire in a wood stove. A gas stove can be installed in a masonry fireplace.

Glass Doors

Glass doors are attached to a wood burning fireplace to close off the opening of the hearth from the home to prevent heat from escaping up the chimney and prevent cold air from entering the home when the wood burning fireplace is not being used.

Glowing Embers

Glowing embers are material typically made from rock wool or ceramic wool that can be spread around the firebox of gas fireplaces, gas stoves and gas fireplace inserts to renew the realism of your fireplace.

Hearth

The hearth traditionally refers to the floor of a wood burning fireplace or gas fireplace on which a blaze is built. Today the term hearth is also used to refer to all the devices and equipment used in connection with the fireplace and stove industry.

Heat Shield

A heat shield is a noncombustible protector used around wood stoves, gas stoves, wood fireplaces, gas fireplaces, wood burning fireplace inserts, gas fireplace inserts, wood stove and fireplace smoke pipes or chimneys to protect combustibles from heat sources.

Hopper

A hopper is a container attached to a stove or fireplace in which coal, nuggets, wood pellets or other types of fuel are stored and from which the fuel is fed to the burner.

HPBA

The Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association (HPBA) is an international trade association first established in 1980 to represent and promote the interests of the hearth products industry in North America. In 2002, the Hearth Products Association (HPA) merged with the Barbecue Industry Association (BIA) to form HPBA. The association includes manufacturers, retailers, distributors, manufacturers' representatives, service and installation firms, and other companies and individuals - all having business interests in and related to the hearth, patio, and barbecue products industries. HPBA's members manufacture, import, distribute, sell, service, and represent products that include (i) factory built wood burning fireplaces, gas fireplaces, gas logs, inserts, and accessories; (ii) wood stoves, pellet stoves, coal stoves, gas stoves and electric stoves; (iii) barbecues, grills, smokers and accessories; and (iv) patio furniture and accessories.

Island Fireplace

An island fireplace is a fireplace that has four sides of glass for viewing from any angle.

Kindling

Kindling is thin, dry wood used to start fires in wood stoves, wood burning fireplaces or wood burning fireplace inserts.

Mantle

A fireplace mantle is an ornamental facing surrounding the fireplace or simply a shelf above a fireplace. Fireplace mantles are typically used with gas fireplaces and wood burning fireplaces.

Marble

A marble surround adds a touch of class to your fireplace and is available in numerous colors and designs. Marble can be used with gas fireplaces and wood burning fireplaces, among other applications.

Metal Liner

A metal liner is used primarily with wood burning fireplace inserts and wood stoves and placed inside an existing wood fireplace chimney (usually masonry) to reduce the diameter of the flue for more rapid exit of smoke and combustion gases. It is also used when an existing chimney is not lined or deteriorating.

Natural Draft (B-vent) Stove or Fireplace

Natural draft or B-vent refers to a gas burning stove or fireplace that takes in combustion air from the home and vents byproducts of combustion outside the home.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is a clean burning fossil fuel transported to homes via an extensive pipeline network. Natural gas is supplied to homes, where it is used for such purposes as cooking in ranges and ovens or heating in gas stoves and gas fireplaces. Compressed natural gas is also used rural homes without connections to a pipeline network via portable grills.

Napoleon Fireplace

Napoleon Fireplace is one of the leading brands of fireplaces and wood stoves in North America and is the leading brand of fireplaces and stoves in Canada with approximately 40% market share. The Napoleon Fireplace brand is manufactured and marketed exclusively by Wolf Steel, Ltd., North America’s largest privately owned manufacturer of wood fireplaces, gas fireplaces, free standing wood stoves, free standing gas stoves, free standing pellet stoves, wood inserts, gas inserts, pellet inserts, waterfalls, quality gas and charcoal grills, barbecue accessories and patio heaters.

NFI

The National Fireplace Institute®, an independent, non-profit certification agency, conducts nationwide testing of hearth systems planners and technicians. Only those who pass a rigorous examination covering important topics like safety and placement, venting requirements, and installation guidelines receive NFI Professional Certification. Established in 2002, NFI certifies planners and installers in three hearth product categories based upon fuel type: NFI Gas Specialist, NFI Wood burning Specialist and NFI Pellet Specialist. NFI also recognizes individuals who have successfully gained all three NFI Certifications as Master Hearth Professionals. These individuals have reached the highest level of certification in the hearth industry. While NFI Certification in itself is not a license or a guarantee of competence, it is an excellent indication of professional commitment and training. Working with a NFI Certified Specialist can help ensure that your fireplace or hearth appliance and venting system are planned and installed with proper attention to safety and performance.

Patio Heater

Patio heaters allow you to extend outdoor activities when the season is cooler. Many patio heaters generate infrared radiant heat rays which heat objects rather than the surrounding air, keeping you cozy and warm. Infrared heat provides efficient, clean burning performance and uses less fuel while providing ultimate comfort.

Pellets

Pellets are made of 100% compressed wood sawdust with no additives. Pellets are a renewable fuel source made from sawdust or wood chips otherwise destined for landfills. Pellets are used in pellet burning stoves, pellet burning inserts and pellet burning grills, among other products.

Peninsula Fireplace

A peninsula fireplace is a gas fireplace or a wood burning fireplace that has three sides of glass.

Propane

Propane is used as a fuel in cooking on grills, barbecues and portable stoves, and as a heating fuel in many furnaces, stoves, gas stoves, wood stoves, fireplaces, fire pits and water heaters. When commonly sold as a fuel, it is known as liquefied petroleum gas (LP) and can be a mixture of propane with smaller amounts of propylene, butane, and butylene that is available in cylinders for home use. The odorant ethanethiol is also added so that people can easily smell the gas in case of a leak.

Remote Control

Remote controls are wireless controls that use radio frequency to activate a gas fireplace, gas stove, stove, fireplace, gas fireplace, fireplace insert, gas inserts and gas logs. The most common use for remote controls is with the gas fireplace, gas logs, gas stove and gas fireplace insert. Remote controls can operate when the power goes out, can be programmed to turn off at your convenience, and can function as a thermostat. Most remote controls in the industry come pre-programmed with security codes for operating your gas fireplace, gas stove, gas insert, and decorative gas logs. Thanks to radio frequency and microprocessor technology, most remote control manufacturers in the industry offer fireplace remotes that are completely battery powered and, therefore, keep operating even when there is a power outage. The leading remote control brands will operate any brand of gas fireplace, gas stove, gas insert or gas logs.

Seasoned Firewood

Seasoned firewood refers to cordwood that has been allowed to dry before burning in a wood stove or wood burning fireplace. Seasoning generally takes six to 12 months. Wood burns much more efficiently in wood stoves and wood burning fireplaces when its moisture content has been reduced. Seasoned firewood can be used in a wood stove, fireplace, stove, grill, wood burning stove and wood stove.

Siting

Siting refers to the process of choosing the location of your fireplace or wood stove in your home. It is important to take into account the layout of your house and your lifestyle – if your house is an open plan type, then it will be easier to heat your home with a wood stove or fireplace simply by locating the wood stove or fireplace in a central area on the main floor of your home.

Thermostat

A thermostat is a device for regulating the temperature of a system so that the system's temperature is maintained near a desired temperature that has been designated. The thermostat does this by controlling the flow of heat energy into or out of the system. Thermostats can be used with gas stoves, gas fireplaces and gas fireplace inserts.

Vented Gas Logs

Vented gas logs can take the place of wood in a traditional hearth and chimney and have a spectacular flame pattern when burning in masonry wood fireplaces and zero clearance wood fireplaces. You can choose gas logs that burn propane or gas logs that burn natural gas. There are different configuration options for the vent that are required to remove the gases that the logs produce during burning. Gas logs are used in a masonry fireplace, gas stove and gas fireplace insert.

Vent Free Gas Logs

Vent-free gas logs offer high efficiency but may not be permitted in some areas (check with your local building official or hearth specialty retailer before installing any unit). Vent free gas logs may be used in masonry wood fireplaces and zero clearance wood fireplaces

Waterfalls

Napoleon Fireplace is the hearth industry’s only leading manufacturer of gas fireplaces, wood stoves and other hearth products that also manufactures waterfalls. The Napoleon Fireplace waterfall humidifies the air, which is a great benefit especially during dry spells of the season, creating energy savings. The waterfall installs easily into an existing wall or a free standing cabinet allowing for flexible decor solutions. The waterfalls look beautiful when installed above a masonry wood fireplace, zero clearance wood fireplace, gas fireplace or gas fireplace insert.

Wolf Steel

Founded in 1976 in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, Wolf Steel Ltd. is the largest privately owned manufacturer of hearth products in North America. Wolf Steel manufactures an extensive line of hearth and barbeque products under the Napoleon Fireplace and Napoleon Fireplace Gourmet Grills brand names, including wood stoves, gas stoves, oil stoves, pellet stoves, wood burning fireplaces, gas fireplaces, wood fireplace inserts, gas fireplace inserts, waterfalls and barbeque grills. Since the first wood stove rolled off the production line in 1979, Wolf Steel’s commitment was to be distinctive and successful in everything they do. The original stove featured a solid cast iron two-door design and was produced in a one thousand square foot manufacturing facility. By 1981, the name "Napoleon Fireplace" was born and, with it, the first single glass door -- a first in the industry -- using Pyroceram high temperature ceramic glass and a cast iron frame. This was the first of many milestones for Wolf Steel and over the next few years, the demand for Napoleon Fireplace’s wood stoves grew beyond Ontario's borders to the rest of Canada and the United States. Napoleon Fireplace (an ISO 9001 - 2000 registered company) operates with 500,000+ square feet of manufacturing space, over 400 employees and is North America’s largest privately owned manufacturer of wood fireplaces, gas fireplaces, free standing wood stoves, free standing gas stoves, free standing pellet stoves, wood fireplace inserts, gas fireplace inserts, pellet fireplace inserts, waterfalls, quality gas and charcoal grills, barbecue accessories and patio heaters.

Wood Stoves

Today’s wood stoves or wood burning stoves feature improved safety and efficiency. Wood stoves produce almost no smoke, minimal ash, and require less firewood.Wood stoves can be sized to heat a family room, a small cottage, or a full-sized home. The best choices are appliances labeled by the Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada (ULC) or another testing and certification body for safety. Wood stoves should also be certified to be low-emission according to EPA standards. While older uncertified wood stoves and fireplaces release 40 to 60 grams of smoke per hour; new EPA-certified wood stoves produce only 2 to 5 grams of smoke per hour. EPA certified wood stoves burn more cleanly and efficiently, save you money, reduce the risk of fire, and improve air quality inside and outside your home.

Unvented or Vent Free Stoves or Fireplaces

A vent-free gas stove or gas fireplace is a stove or fireplace that draws combustion air from inside the home. The gas stove or gas fireplace is designed to burn so efficiently that it eliminates the need for venting.

Zero Clearance Wood or Gas Fireplaces

A zero clearance wood fireplace or gas fireplace is a factory built fireplace that is constructed so that it can be placed safely with close clearances to combustible materials, such as wood framing, wood finishing material and sheetrock.

Zone Heating

Zone heating is a term used to describe the use of a hearth appliance (gas fireplace, wood burning fireplace, gas stove, wood stove, pellet stove, gas fireplace insert, wood burning fireplace insert and pellet burning fireplace insert) to heat a frequently occupied room, allowing for the thermostat of the furnace to be turned down to decrease fuel bills. Zone heating can provide energy savings of 20-40 percent, according to the American Council for Energy Efficient Economy.