Guides

Electric vs gas vs wood fireplaces compared side by side: heat output, what each needs to install, the flame, power outages, upkeep and price ranges, using the specs of models we carry.

How to measure your fireplace for an electric insert, why depth rules out the most fireplaces, the openings our most popular inserts need, and how the Orion V2, Redstone, Amantii TRD, Napoleon Rosedale and Dimplex Optimyst compare on heat, wiring and trim.

All six Napoleon linear gas fireplace families side by side: Ascent Linear, Ascent Linear Premium, Vector, Tall Vector, Luxuria and Tall Bay Luxuria, with every size, price and what each step up buys.

A millivolt fireplace keeps a small pilot flame lit and makes its own power from it, so it runs with the electricity off. An electronic ignition fireplace lights its pilot only when you turn it on, so it burns less gas between fires, but it needs house power and backup batteries. Every figure below comes from the manufacturers' manuals or published government sources.

A see-through fireplace shows one fire in two rooms. A 3-sided model adds glass on an end, as either a peninsula or a bay. In the Empire Tahoe, Empire Vail and Majestic lines, the two shapes share the same firebox and cost the same or less. Every figure below comes from the specifications on our own product pages.

Why the wall above a gas fireplace gets so hot, and how heat management systems from Superior, Majestic, Napoleon and Empire keep it cool, protect your TV and move heat where you want it.

Napoleon's Ascent Linear and Ascent Linear Premium put out the same heat at 42, 46 and 56 inches. The Premium costs $550 to $600 more and arrives with a blower, top lights, a full-function remote and an upgraded safety barrier. Here is what each line includes and which one to buy.

Napoleon ranks them Good, Better, Best. That is true of the heat, but it hides the thing that matters most when you are framing a wall: at 42 inches the Ascent and Ascent X are the same cabinet with the same window. Every figure below comes from the specifications on our own product pages.

Eight outdoor fireplace ideas, from a covered patio or screened porch to a see-through wall, a wood fire with a chimney and electric flames for a deck, each matched to the gas, wood and electric models we carry, with prices and what else you need to order.