Introduction
This is a full, in-depth review of the US Stove Ashley Hearth direct vent gas heater (natural gas version) 25,000 BTU. They're perfect for off grid heating, garages, and cabins since no electricity is required. These heaters also come as a propane option instead of natural gas. This is not a sponsored video.
Installing your own heater? Watch our Ashley Gas Direct Vent natural gas heater installation video of the DVAG11N here: youtu.be/CEBWxtZuXu8
Buy Ashley Hearth DVAG11N: amzn.to/3Q3Heoy
Buy Ashley Hearth Products DVAG30N: amzn.to/3AYLcuc
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Video
All right, so what we have going on today, um we went to uh it's just a backup source of heat, pretty much uh instead of but we have uh where's the central uh gas heating is our primary source of heat, but we just wanted to have secondary Sources and something that didn't require electricity, um gas is the only thing.
That's requires um raw natural gas or you can go propane either one, but this is one that we've already installed, and this is for our primary living space.
So uh they have three sizes, and this is actually made by ashley stove company, which is owned by usdo.
This is not sponsored video or anything like that.
It's just something that a project that we did thought we'd share it and how it turned out for us like.
I said it uses no electricity um.
So that's that's the big advantage that we went for uh and also, unlike the traditional uh freestanding stoves uh for for gas or what have you um or even uh, if you're, if you're doing a wood, stove or whatnot you have to have, you know basically a Chimney pipe of something to um, to vent upward um through your ceiling or or to do a into an exterior chimney, or what have you this doesn't require that the big advantage of the direct vent is it actually just goes straight through your wall, and it actually Uses outside air for combustion air.
The way it is it's a seal chamber, um, there's no exchange of of combustion gas into the house whatsoever, unlike um, say an unvented heater, uh or invented fireplace um, something like that.
This does vent outside and it actually uses outside air, so you're, not even using your inside air for combustion in a case like that everybody air that goes outside have to be drawn in from from outside to replace it, which will be drawn in cold air.
In the winter time, in this case, it doesn't do that it actually has a a basically a a pipe within a pipe.
So it draws in air the cool air from outside for the combustion air from the outside pipe, and it goes through the uh through the bottom.
Through the combustion chamber, you have a fuel rail across on the inside uh for your burner and then the hot air.
Naturally, rises on its own and goes outside through the inside pipe, and it just goes right out of your wall uh, and it was really not too bad to install we're going to show you how today, because we like this one so much we're actually going to Add a smaller unit in our master suite area to be able to have that backup source.
Just looking on some of the online reviews on this, i know there was a big concern from different people where they're questioning whether this had a fan.
No, it doesn't have a fan and that's actually a big advantage in it and that it does not require electricity.
That's that's the big thing about it.
That's what made us want to um to install this.
To begin with is that it doesn't require electricity um.
Does it need a fan? No it? Actually, it does not um.
It naturally circulates on its own because it obviously can't see, but what it's doing is - and you see some vents in the front here, but actually there's vents in the top that the heat is just like.
This is just the jacket that you're seeing um and then the heater obviously is encased inside uh, where the combustion chamber is, and so what it's doing is it's drawing cool air in the bottom and it's heating, the hot, the hot air, naturally rises out the top.
So it's going up across your ceiling, basically dispersing into the room throughout your house uh and, like i say with that that hot air is rising, it's pulling in cooler, air.
The coolest air is on the floor, so it's pulling that in um and it's just naturally circulating in the in the room, um and in fact um.
It was.
It was really surprising to me, like even even the bedrooms uh the doors you know for the for out of this main room um as long as you let the doors open, it actually heats them surprisingly.
Well also, now for a bedroom.
Obviously you know you might want to shut the door at night or what have you um, so you're not going to circulate that way.
That would that would be a problem, but um as long as as long as the doors are open, it does actually circulate into the other rooms.
It was actually surprising to me in fact, that it did that so well and you do notice like if i just walk from from this room and actually right now.
This is on this is what's heating today and it's about 30 degrees outside and it's very comfortable in here in the whole room.
It's not like it's just warm here and then cooler on the other side of the room.
Now it's actually um an even temperature, so so our house is 2 000 square feet of living space that we're actually eating.
Now, if right now, if you were to go into one of the bedrooms, it might be a couple of degree less.
You might notice a little just a little bit of change when you go into the rooms, because it's not quite circulating fully to that effect.
But now this heater is actually the largest one of the three choices that you have in this.
It is the dv ag 30 n, the n at the end, just means for natural gas um.
So you just have the natural gas option or the propane option.
So as far as these model numbers there's one misleading thing about it that i don't understand why the company did it but um, like i say you, this is the the 30 n we're going to install today up the 11 and uh and they're all dva g.
Whatever that is, but the 11 does stand for 11 000 btu input.
This one, however, was a 30 n.
It does not mean 30 000 btu input.
Strangely, it actually is 25 000 btu input just thought.
I'd make that a note, because a little bit misleading, don't know why the company did it? What about the thermostat? Is it just? Does it just stay on full flame until you turn it off or you know, do you just regulate the the gas up and down um what it does um coming in and i'll show you so you you just have like uh a setting um for you know.
So it actually is turning the flame up some when you, when you turn that up, but it in fact has a built-in thermostat.
So it's it's it's.
It's got a uh, a sensor on the bottom, where the air is coming in the bottom, and it's so it's attacked in the room air temperature before it heats it.
Basically, as it's drawing that room air in and it'll, actually once it reaches that set point which is not on a degree scale, it's just on the one two three four five um uh so like right now, um it's 30 degrees outside i've got it at about A three and it's keeping keeping it really uh comfortable in here, but you can always make that adjustment uh.
However, if it reaches whatever that temperature is that it's satisfied, it actually will turn the burner off.
So we decided, like i said, we're going to put one in the the master suite area of the house for the next one um and that's what we're going to start installing today and we're going to we're going to film all this we're going to walk you Through it, we're going to show you how to do it, it's really not that bad, but the first time i did this one just going by the directions it kind of it tells you how to do it, but then, like most directions, it kind of leaves a Lot of questions that are unanswered, we're gon na we're gon na address that all right, the one we're going to do today is the dbag 11.
This is the smallest one that they do.
This is 11 000 btu input, that's not necessarily the output, but that's the gas you're putting in because some of your heat is going to waste outside.
Obviously um you, never you don't you're not going to get 100 um, but you get you get close to it.
All right to show you the size difference, there's substantial size difference.
This is kind of like daddy.
This is kind of like baby, and then i don't have the 17 one um, the the metal guy, that's probably more like mom right, but we're gon na put baby in today, but the installation is exactly the same all right.
So what else is in the box? Here's the heater itself, obviously, but there's um parts to it.
So in other words, the heater itself has already comes pre-assembled.
That's great! I'M going to show you what else comes in the box.
So here you have a it's kind of like a a bracket thing.
So you you basically you're gon na you're gon na fold this down and it's gon na.
This is what's gon na go inside your wall.
Actually, that is just basically like a heat shield, because your combustion, air and flue gas is going to go through the the center kind of a vest going through your wall.
So this encases and protects kind of that heat.
It uh the the what heat does go outside um uh through your flue gas as going outside um this.
This boxes it in between uh between your wall studs.
This guy is is what the heater is going to mount to and it's going to mount to the wall, so this guy is going to he's going to screw on to the back side of that heater mount.
So that's going to go and this is going to go in the wall.
This is going to go flat against the wall and the heater is going to mount to these two top brackets and those two bottom brackets.
That's what's actually going to hold for the wall and then you're going to screw this into the studs of the wall.
So that's actually just going to be on the back side of the heater there.
Of course you have your mounting hardware kit, uh.
Just all your screws and stuff, this is what you're actually gon na see outside the only thing outside your wall is.
Is this part right here um - and this is what's gon na - go inside the wall that connects to the back side of the heater, and this is what i was talking about now they have.
They have styrofoam, like you know in here, ignore that, but this the black one on the inside is going to be what your, what your your combustion deaths, in other words after it's, went through the fire and has dumping that to the outside is going to go Through this guy and then your your your air intake, bringing the air from outside in to the combustion chamber is going to be on the inside the outside one, so it's actually helping to kind of cool some of that heat.
That's going through your wall anyway, because it's pulling in cool fresh air around the outside of that around you know this one being hot, this one being cool the cool is on the outside, so it's actually helping to take some of that waste heat back in to The chamber to give it back to your house in a sense, and it's also helping to not have so much heat in your wall.
They gave you this uh, basically foil, backed insulation that will go around wrap around this just to shield some of that heat as well just for efficiency and for shielding it out of your your wall, um, and then you also have this plate.
If you need for a combustible wall um, it's not necessarily, i think, on this one.
I didn't end up using this because on the outside, we actually have stucco that this goes out, stucco being non-combustible.
I wasn't too worried about it, but you also have this silicone.
Gasket that goes on the outside as well that you can.
You can seal basically back here where this is.
This guy is going to go against your wall on this back left um, and you can put that that silicone ring around it just to make sure that bugs or air leakage or something can't find its way into your wall, and that's it.
That's it for parts.
So the big, the the big thing is, is uh.
We're gon na we're gon na basically cut a hole in our wall um, it's just a matter of lining it up to the right place, cutting it out and take note of where your electrical outlets are and know that most likely there is a electrical wire running From outlet to outlet to outlet across between them through those wall studs.
So if you you might want to raise this up enough to avoid that.
But that's just for your hole that you're cutting, which is going to be towards the upper side of the heater, so make sure you check out the next video in this series.
It's going to be all about the installation so follow me over there.
I'll give you a link here, follow it over and let's go
FAQs
Are direct vent heaters good? ›
Direct vent advantages
A powerful, economical and unobtrusive alternative to a furnace or boiler that is easier to install and maintain. Precision heating, with the ability to vary intensity and fan speed. Simple one-hole venting and no ductwork.
Is it Safe to Use Direct Vent Propane Heaters? The fact is that Direct Vent Propane heaters are incredibly safe, cost-effective to run, and have been shown to meet today's stringent air quality requirements when properly sized and maintained.
How safe are ventless gas heaters? ›CO2 is not toxic. At high concentrations it can cause sleepiness, headache, and contribute to the “stuffy” feeling of closed houses. All unvented gas heaters, even when burning properly, produce large concentrations of carbon dioxide, raising the levels of in the house.
What is a direct vent gas heater? ›Direct vent space heaters are essentially propane-fired combustion boxes that use outdoor air to create heat; any fumes produced by combustion are vented directly outside your home via a small pipe through an exterior wall.
What is a potential problem with direct vent furnaces? ›When a direct-vent system has its air intake and exhaust vents improperly installed on the outside of the home, it can create a problem of "short-circuiting," which allows exhaust gases to flow back into the combustion air intake pipe.
What is better power vent or direct vent? ›Power vents are a more efficient option, as they are designed to utilize heat from the exhaust to heat water for energy savings. Thanks to lower exhaust temperatures they allow for PVC piping, which is a less expensive solution than a standard atmospheric vent metal piping and easier to assemble.
Can I leave a vented gas heater on all night? ›Never: Never leave a gas heater running when you go to bed. Never use an unflued gas heater in a bathroom, bedroom or caravan. Toxic gases may cause serious health problems in these situations.
What is the safest gas heater? ›Indoor gas heaters are very safe when properly maintained and used as instructed. The same is true for LPG – LPG gas heaters are safe, too. Major brands make quality indoor gas heaters so Paloma, Everdure, Calor (UK) and Rinnai gas heaters are normally safe in the home when well maintained.
How many hours can you run a direct vent gas fireplace? ›In short, you really shouldn't let a gas fireplace on for too long—specifically more than three hours at a time.
Do you need to open a window when using a gas heater? ›Ventilation in the room you are heating is very important. Check that the room you are heating has air vents and that these are not blocked. If you do not have air vents you should keep a door or a window open to allow the movement of air in and out of the room.
What is the smell from a ventless gas heater? ›
In a gas ventless fireplace, oxygen is provided by the air in your home. If that air contains impurities, those impurities are drawn in with the oxygen and can produce odors which are amplified by the flame.
How do I know if my gas heater is leaking carbon monoxide? ›- Heavy condensation on the windows (found in the room with your furnace)
- Yellow or brown soot-like stains found around your furnace.
- A yellow pilot light (instead of a blue flame)
- Stuffy indoor air.
- The smell of gas/burning.
- The pilot light constantly blows out.
The two main types of gas fireplaces available today are Direct Vent and Ventless. Direct Vent fireplaces require a venting system while Ventless fireplaces are just that - completely vent-free.
Can you sleep in a room with a ventless propane heater? ›If you are using a vent-free propane space heater, using it while sleeping puts you in danger of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Because carbon monoxide is odorless, you can take in a dangerous and even lethal amount of it when you're asleep before the CO detector near your bedroom goes off.
How efficient are direct fired gas heaters? ›Direct Fired Benefits
Efficiency – As nearly 100% of the fuel is being converted to heat, fuel consumption and operating costs are reduced. These heaters are 100% combustion efficient with an overall thermal efficiency of 92% (8% heat loss due to water formation during combustion).
Compact: direct-vent wall furnaces can be added to an existing heating system, or be used as a scaled-down system if ducting is not an option. Because they are compact, they can deliver warm air to hard-to-heat areas in your home.
How far can you vent a direct vent furnace? ›43 feet is the max venting run either vertical or horizontal. If you have any further questions or need further assistance, please feel free to reach out to one of our experienced customer service representative and they would be happy to assist you.
Are high efficiency furnaces direct vent? ›Because high-efficiency furnaces use sidewall vents, they're more susceptible to airflow blockages. The area around the sidewall vents should be clear of all airflow blockages for a minimum two feet in all directions. When air intake is blocked or hindered, fuel combustion suffers, and the furnace locks out.
Which type of venting is considered the best? ›In most cases, we recommend soffit vents for intake and a ridge vent for exhaust. For homes that cannot have a ridge vent, box vents are generally the second best option for exhaust. And for homes that cannot have soffit ventilation, you will find that fascia vents to be your second best bet.
What type of venting system is most efficient? ›Natural ventilation can generally provide a high ventilation rate more economically, due to the use of natural forces and large openings. Natural ventilation can be more energy efficient, particularly if heating is not required.
What type of vent is required for a high efficiency furnace? ›
To avoid this problem, high efficiency furnace venting requires the use of PVC pipes instead of metal pipes to remove the acidic condensate from your home. These PVC pipes are connected to the furnace and expelled outside. This high efficiency venting system must be installed when you install the new furnace.
Can you run a vented gas fireplace overnight? ›Caution if Using Your Gas Fireplace at Night
Although gas log fireplace inserts and direct-vent gas log fireplaces can run continuously, please note this safety guideline: DO NOT leave a gas fireplace on overnight. Among the potential dangers is the release of carbon monoxide fumes during combustion.
The safest type of space heaters are oil-filled radiator heaters. They heat the oil (sealed heat exchanger) and the oil heats the air. That's much safer than other types of space heaters that heat the air directly (ceramic, infrared, forced-air heaters).
Is a vent free gas heater OK to install in a bedroom? ›The National Fuel Gas Code (NFPA 54) permits wall mounted installation of vent-free gas heaters of 10,000 Btu's or less in bedrooms and 6,000 Btu's or less in bathrooms.
Do all gas heaters produce carbon monoxide? ›What is the issue? Any gas heater has the potential to leak carbon monoxide into the indoor living area. This includes old and new heaters, central heating units, space heaters, wall furnaces and decorative appliances such as decorative log fires.
What type of gas heater is best? ›For the best of all worlds, consider a radiant convector home heater. They provide radiant heat to the area directly in front of the unit while distributing heat around the space using fan driven convection. The advantage of these types of gas heaters is that you get spot heating as well as space heating.
What type of heaters cause carbon monoxide? ›Gas and kerosene heaters can cause buildup of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide in your home. Carbon monoxide fumes can cause sickness or even death.
Why are direct vent gas fireplaces so expensive? ›Typically, direct vent gas fireplaces are more expensive than the vent-free type. Direct vent systems rely on outside air for combustion. They vent to the roof or side of the house in order to function. This can make them more appealing for homeowners who are sensitive to the smell of ventless gas fireplaces.
Is it OK to leave pilot light on gas fireplace overnight? ›It's not safe to leave it on. Why Isn't It Safe? The biggest reason is that gas fireplaces can release deadly carbon monoxide gas, which is odourless and can go unnoticed until a person dies from carbon monoxide poisoning. It is best to not leave your fireplace on for more than three hours at a time.
Do direct vent gas fireplaces need to be cleaned? ›Yes, your gas fireplace needs to be cleaned regularly.
Regular cleaning will help keep your fireplace performing efficiently and safely for years to come.
Is gas heater better than electric? ›
Electric furnaces heat air to a lower temperature, so they typically operate more frequently than gas furnaces. Electric furnaces are more thermally efficient, but in most climates, gas furnaces are more efficient overall.
How do I know if my gas heater is safe? ›- have it serviced at least once every two years, by a qualified gasfitter.
- check for safety advice – some heaters need fresh air flow to operate safely.
It is illegal to sell, supply or install new or second-hand open-flued gas space heaters that do not meet new and improved safety requirements.
Is it normal to smell gas from a ventless fireplace? ›Ventless logs do in fact produce an unmistakable odor, some more so than others depending on the quality of the brand. There is no way of preventing this, it is simply the nature of burning gas in your home without exhausting the fumes up a chimney.
Why does my direct vent gas fireplace smell like burning plastic? ›Like other devices made in a factory, gas fireplaces often have lubricants, paints, and other manufacturing processes that leave debris in the passageway, which will produce a stink sometimes described as burning plastic. When starting your new system, try opening a window to allow fresh air to come into the home.
Are fumes from gas fireplace harmful? ›An improperly maintained or ventilated gas fireplace can create incomplete combustion, producing carbon monoxide, and causing this toxic gas to linger—putting those inside at risk. Several indications of carbon monoxide poisoning—whether from gas fireplaces or other sources—include, but are not limited to: Nausea.
What are two warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning? ›The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.
Will my carbon monoxide detector detect a gas leak? ›Ultimately, no, a carbon monoxide detector cannot detect a natural gas leak. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic gas created when fuel is burned in the presence of low levels of oxygen. Carbon monoxide is very different from methane and cannot be detected with the same sensor.
How long does it take to get carbon monoxide poisoning from a furnace? ›Quickly Causes Poisoning
Carbon monoxide can take as little as five minutes to make you sick, depending on how saturated the air is.
Quick Answer: Most states except for California and New Mexico allow installation of vent free gas logs. Califoria does not allow any ventless gas logs or heaters inside the home. New Mexico allows vent free appliances to run off of Liquid Propane but not natural gas.
What are the pros and cons of a direct vent gas fireplace? ›
To sum it up, a direct vent gas fireplace is safe, heat efficient, and can be installed almost anywhere in the home. However, it can also be expensive to heat and may not have the same comfort as a real fire. Whether or not these cons are deal killers is up to you.
What is a direct vent natural gas heater? ›A direct vent heater is a heating system composed of a two-part system: air intake and an exhaust system. They use outside air pulled through vents into the home to heat the area and the exhaust fumes head out through the system exhaust piece.
How long will a 20lb propane tank last on a ventless heater? ›A 20-pound propane cylinder holds approximately 430,000 BTUs of liquid propane. Each gallon of propane contains 91,502 BTUs of potential heat and each pound contains approximately 21,548 BTUs. That means one 20-pound propane tank could heat that 1,000 square foot garage for more than 10 hours.
Are direct vent propane heaters safe? ›Enhanced Safety
A direct vent propane heater will not impact the indoor air quality of your home due to its nature.
Vent-free gas heaters do not vent exhaust outside, so they are all rated 99.9% efficient. This makes vent-free gas heaters the most efficient type of gas heaters.
Are newer gas heaters more efficient? ›Gas heat is getting cleaner and more efficient, so newer gas-fired furnaces have a smaller affect on overall air quality than older gas furnaces and oil furnaces.
Is it cheaper to use gas heat or a space heater? ›The Energy Department estimates that the cost to heat an entire home with electric space heaters cost 43% more than a gas furnace. Using a space heater in your bedroom only while you sleep is a practical way to use a space heater and won't make much of a dent in your electricity bill.
What is the most efficient heater style? ›Sealed combustion heaters are much safer to operate than other types of space heaters, and operate more efficiently because they do not draw in the heated air from the room and exhaust it to the outdoors. They are also less likely to backdraft and adversely affect indoor air quality.
How efficient is a direct fired heater? ›Direct Fired Benefits
Efficiency – As nearly 100% of the fuel is being converted to heat, fuel consumption and operating costs are reduced. These heaters are 100% combustion efficient with an overall thermal efficiency of 92% (8% heat loss due to water formation during combustion).
Generally speaking, you can get a good ten to fifteen years of use before you need to replace your gas fireplace.
Do direct vent fireplaces give off heat? ›
Direct vent gas fireplaces and inserts come in a broad range of sizes, efficiently producing heat almost anywhere in the home.
What type of heater is cheapest to run? ›Conclusion. So, after looking at the different types of electric heaters available, due to its lower power-output, halogen heaters are the cheapest electric heaters to run.
What heater uses the least electricity? ›Electric infrared heater
Similar to how the sun warms us when we're outdoors, radiant heat warms people and objects in a room, not the air in between. Since none of the warmth is wasted on heating empty space, an electric infrared heater is one of the most energy-efficient models.
Advantages of direct-fired heating
One of the standout advantages of a direct-fired heater is that, because the air exhausted makes direct contact with the open flame, the vast majority of its fuel is converted into valuable heat energy. This makes these units an almost 100% efficient option.
According to experts at the Energy Saving Trust, the idea it's cheaper to leave the heating on low all day is a myth. They're clear that having the heating on only when you need it is, in the long run, the best way to save energy, and therefore money.
Is it cheaper to heat the whole house or use a space heater? ›Space heaters cost about 20 cents per hour to operate, give or take, which is a whole lot cheaper than central heat for a home of almost any size. Bigger homes and those in colder climates cost even more to heat, and the net savings you'll see using a space heater is even greater.
Can I leave a direct vent gas fireplace on all night? ›Although gas log fireplace inserts and direct-vent gas log fireplaces can run continuously, please note this safety guideline: DO NOT leave a gas fireplace on overnight. Among the potential dangers is the release of carbon monoxide fumes during combustion.
Will a direct vent fireplace heat a room? ›A direct vent fireplace can best be described as a vented gas fireplace with a sealed glass firebox. Because of its venting and setup, it is super efficient for heating. Coaxial pipes draw air from the outdoors for combustion instead of sucking air, and heat, out of the room you're sitting in.