Which type of gas fireplace makes sense for a Florida home? After installing thousands across the state, here's the honest answer — including which type we actively recommend against.

Direct-vent (our default recommendation)

Sealed combustion. A co-axial pipe brings fresh air in and exhaust out through an exterior wall or up the chimney. 100% of combustion air comes from outside, 100% of exhaust goes outside. Best for Florida because it doesn't pull conditioned air out of your home.

B-vent (only if you already have one)

Natural-draft venting up a vertical flue. Cheaper to install in an existing wood chimney, but it pulls indoor air for combustion — fighting your AC. We don't install new B-vent units in Florida anymore.

Ventless (proceed with caution)

No vent at all. Burns clean enough that combustion products go into the room. Legal in Florida, but:

• Adds significant moisture to the room — bad with our humidity
• Can trip CO alarms in tight modern homes
• Has a hard BTU limit (40,000 BTU/hr typical)
• Requires an ODS pilot that's sensitive to dust and altitude

We install ventless units when the customer specifically requests them and a vent isn't physically possible. Otherwise we steer toward direct-vent.