- Generally, B-Vent will get warm but not too hot- if you’re worried at all, you should get a professional to inspect the flue
- The B-Vent can get hot where it’s close by the furnace, and at the first turn, because the average flue temperature is around 300 degrees- this is why 1-inch clearance from combustibles is recommended (Source)
A fireplace provides homeowners with a great way to save money on their heating bill. This practical home heating system is built with a few different designs. One type is known as B vent, and it is sometimes referred to as natural vent. The following information will answer an important question about how hot does B vent gets.
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What is a B vent?
A B vent is 1 of 3 different design types for a fireplace heating system. When homes are built with fireplaces; they can either have a direct vent, vent free, or a B vent function.
Direct vents take combustion air from outside of a person’s residence and returns it back outside. A vent free design vents exhaust into a room where the fireplace is located. These models perform this function by simply using the air within a room near the fireplace.
Finally, there is the B vent that uses a pipe that must be installed through the chimney that rises to the top of a house. This design exists exhaust through a person’s roof. The units utilize air combustion from the room in the house where the fireplace is located. Ultimately, a B vent is designed to take hot gases away from the home by expelling them through the roof.
So, does a B vent design really get hot?
B vent designs can handle the heat that is produce by a fireplace. However, they can’t take heat that is over 480 F or 249 C. B vents are not made to take excessive heat.
Keep in mind that heated air is buoyant or light. Buoyant air flows upward and is lightweight like gas. As heated air flows from a fireplace it will go out through the roof and out into the atmosphere.
Don’t forget that the B vent is a pipe. This pipe is heated as air moves out of it into the atmosphere. The walls of the chimney is also heated as the hot air passes through it. Extremely hot air will be more buoyant and move a lot faster through the chimney. If the air gets to hot it will compromise the B vent. Apparently, the B vent is not designed to handle extreme temperatures.
Now, here’s thing with B vents. First, they are designed for heating up one room as opposed to whole entire home.
While they’re not the best way to heat a whole entire home efficiently, they can make a central room warm and cozy. These fireplace units are optimal for creating large flames within your fireplace, but their heat output is not too overwhelming. Again, this ties in with their ability to heat a home without going overboard. So, how does B vent get?
Once again, B vents can’t be used with fireplace units that exceed temperatures of 480° F (249° C). The B vent fireplace heating system is the basic type that people used in the olden days to heat their houses. The pipe design is useful for getting rid of heated air while keeping a home warm and cozy at the same time.
The Heat Levels of a Fireplace
Fireplaces are extremely hot contraptions. They can get as hot as 1500 degrees Fahrenheit (2732 C). This 1500-degree temperature is for a wood-burning fireplace. Gas burning fireplaces have about the same heat output. The heated air design from this type of fireplace is sent up through the chimney.
However, the 1000-degree temperature that is generated from the fireplace doesn’t necessarily flow through the chimney. The heat is dispersed through the room where the fireplace is located, and some is taken out through the chimney.
B vent-designed fireplaces are made to expel some of the heated air form the unit but not all. This is why B vent fireplaces are able to operate without an issue.
The Different Sizes and Models of B Vent Fireplaces
B vent fireplaces have different sizes and models. Remember, not all houses are the same size and shape. Some are bigger than others.
This is why B vent models can be customized or have a cookie cutter design that fits a particular dwelling.
Homebuilders and fireplace designers can install different types of B vent styled fireplace units into a home. A model could be 39”, 44”, or 49”. Some model could be made smaller or larger depending on the home where they’re set up. Also, each unit puts out a certain amount heat.
A 65,000 BTU model or 80,000 BTU unit is not uncommon. The fireplaces can burn different fuel sources such as wood, propane, natural gas. Even though these units burn different heat types that doesn’t mean that they are not useful for B vent styled fireplaces.
There are many choices that are optimal for this type of heating unit. Remember, B vent fireplace systems are made to heat up individual rooms.
So, they’re not always going to put out more heat than necessary. The residual heat from these units can elevate the temperature within a whole entire house. Still, their best suited for one main room where they have been installed.
How often do you need to clean your B vent chimney?
Every fireplace owner should clean their chimney’s at least once a year.
They should also have them clean when they have 1/8″ of sooty buildup in the chimney and the flue system. Professional chimney sweeps typically clean the B vent pipes when they service the rest of the unit. Cleaning the B vent is important because too much soot and other material can cause the unit to overheat and not perform at its best.
So, how hot does B vent get? Ultimately, a B-vent within a fireplace unit doesn’t get above 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 204 Celsius.
Many B vent fireplace owners and professional chimney sweeps state the B vent is warm to the touch and doesn’t get exceptionally hot. The B vent is not a mechanism that is designed to overheat.
If a B vent overheats then it is faulty or something else is wrong with the chimney system that has this design. Homeowners with a B vent should make sure that their B vent systems are not overheating, and they are in good working order.
Hi, my name’s Eugene Duke and I love sitting by my fireplace reading a book and sipping on an adult beverage. Do you have a fireplace in your house? I’ll help you figure out the best type and style of fireplace for your home.
