How much heat from an Alterna VF in a vented application?

Question: How much heat output is typical from an Alterna VF burner in a vented application? We're looking for a decorative gas fire that we can run--with flames on--for a few hours a night without heating up the room too much. The lower output, the better.

Answer: Thank you for your interest in our Alterna VF products. Your request is counter to most that we receive about our products, as most people desire the most heat possible. II will address the various issues below.

In a vent-free application, you have no heat loss up the chimney, so with a 40,000 BTU/hour input, you have approximately the same for the BTU output.

When used in a vented application, the amount of heat output into the room depends on the efficiency of the fireplace, which can vary from fireplace to fireplace. With the damper wide open, fireplaces are typically plus 20% to minus 20% efficient. Other factors such as the weather tightness of the room/house in which the fireplace is located contribute or detract from the heating efficiency.

Unfortunately, we haven't designed "cold" flame yet for purely decorative purposes. The flame in the Alterna VF is real and is hot (please don't touch it!). You do have the ability to turn down the fire to lower flame levels should the room heat up too much at a higher flame.