Empire Rushmore Direct Vent Gas Fireplaces

Empire Rushmore Sealed Direct Vent Gas Fireplaces

Empire Rushmore direct vent gas fireplaces are sealed appliances. They take combustion air from outside and send exhaust back outside, so nothing from the fire enters the room. The range spans insert and built-in formats and includes a see-through model.

Why sealed matters

A direct vent fireplace never uses room air. That is what makes it suitable for bedrooms and for tightly built modern houses, and it is why direct vent is available everywhere that vent free appliances are restricted.

It also explains the glass. On a sealed appliance the glass front is what separates the combustion system from the room, so it is structural and cannot be removed. That is a real difference from a vent free fireplace, which is open-fronted with a mesh safety barrier.

Clean-face or traditional

Clean-face drops the visible louvers and trim for an uninterrupted opening. Traditional keeps them. The flame and the output are the same, so this is a decision about how the fireplace looks in a finished wall.

The see-through, and what it asks of the wall

The see-through model opens on two opposite faces and finishes two rooms with one firebox. It needs a wall deep enough to hold it and a workable vent route, which in practice means a wall built for the fireplace rather than an existing partition.

Establish the vent route first

A gas line, a route to an exterior wall or roof, and a framed opening to the manufacturer's dimensions. Of those, the vent route is what most often decides whether an installation is possible, so settle it before choosing a width.

See direct vent gas fireplaces for every brand, gas fireplaces for the whole category, or empire for the full range. Our gas fireplace guide covers types, costs and safety in depth.