Fireplace help.

[Okie_Bob]

I want to add a direct vent fireplace to my lake house. Currently, I have the outside completed except for paint and nothing done yet on the inside.
I found a Regency propane direct vent fireplace on the internet that looks like what I have in mind. Problem is the two dealers in my area are both out of business. I emailed the company direct but, they won't sell direct to me but, will sell to my local Ace HW store to resell to me. Problem with that is I am not a contractor so Ace is not supposed to sell direct to me either.
Now, I'm not a professional builder and am sure there is a lot I don't know about building a fireplace but, it is NOT rocket science and their own installation instructions seem pretty simple and straight forward.
Guess my question is, have any of you ever installed a direct vent fireplace? If so, where did you purchase it?
Are there any issues that don't pop out at you from a safety standpoint? Am I being unrealistic believing I could do this myself?
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Okie Bob
Somewhere in East Texas!

[Mark_Chenail]

If you dont have a contractor friend, call one up and offer him a good steak dinner if he will place the order for you.   A little baksheeesh is NOT unheard of in the building trades.   Good luck with it.

mark

[mclausen]

I have installed one gas fireplace and one lp fireplace myself.  I guess I have not had any problems, as I am still alive  .  In Minnesota, it is not a problem to purchase and install your own fireplace.  Check for local codes that may require an inspector to come out and leak test the system.  I did this myself, but most fireplace stores will send a tech out to inspect your work, which if nothing else is good peace of mind.  I would rather spend $100 for someone to check my work than blow up my house and family.

[Amanda_931]

a) what about your gas (propane or natural) gas company?  They sell appliances and install them all the time.  Sometimes the latter is for free.

b) a friend of mine ordered something on that order--maybe their stove--using the name of the local Ace Hardware.  Then went and told them about it.  It worked for him

[John Raabe]

I don't have a lead on an installer but the last house I did with a direct vent fireplace had an unexpected problem. The back of the fireplace opened onto a deck - and we had a window over the fireplace. That hot exterior vent could not be placed high enough to be out of the way of folks on the deck, so we had to build a protective cage around it. Didn't look great and the wall is staining under the vent (this seems to be the case with all these units).

If you can vent out a wall that is out of the traffic this won't be an issue.

[kev_alaska]

bob, we installed an Orbis direct vent propane heater for our little cabin on the riverbank here. Not that complicated. Easier to do than the directions indicated. John is right, keep the exhaust vent to a unused side or area of the house and you are good to go. The instructions will give you the different lengths to cut the exhaust/intake piping....We purchased ours at a plumbing and fireplace retailer...lots of them here in the north.

the wife (smarter than the average bear) bought a Co2 monitor and used it religiously while we used this heater last winter....must have done OK, still here.

kev_alaska
formerly an Ardmoreite....