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GAS FIREPLACE GLOSSARY

AstroCap Flex Venting System
Regency created and patented the AstroCap™ Flex Venting System to work with any Regency Direct Vent Gas Fireplace. The architectually inspired AstroCap system is designed to keep in mind that a fireplace also extends to the outside of the home. The curved surface of the vent cap can be painted to match the exterior of the home, helping to reduce the visibility of the outside vent termination.

Blower
A motor driven fan helps distribute and circulate the warm air from your fireplace further into the room.

Brick Liner
Ceramic panels added to the inside of your gas fireplace or insert to give your fireplace the look of real masonry firebrick.

BTU (British Thermal Unit)
It is a measurement used to describe the heating capacity of the fireplace or stove and is calculated according to how much heating is required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

Burn Rate
Combustion rate, usually expressed in pounds of fuel consumed per hour.

Burner
This is a pan or tubes underneath the ceramic logs in a gas fireplace, stove or insert that contains the gas used in combustion.

B-Vent
A gas-burning hearth appliance that takes in combustion air from the home and vents the products of combustion outside the home through the vent, also called Natural vent or B Vent.

Cast Iron
A material used in all Hampton fireplaces, stoves & inserts. Iron is heated to a liquid form and poured into molds.

Ceramic Fibre Logs
Ceramic fibre compound used to replicate a real fire in a gas or pellet burning appliance. When flame impinges on the logs, it produces a red glow on the logs. Very lightweight and fragile material.

Ceramic Glass
Ceramic glass is tested and certified to withstand very high temperatures. It allows heat to radiate through the no-glare glass which pushes even more heat into your room.

Chase
A structure built around, and enclosing, portions of the chimney on the exterior of the house.

Chimney
A portion of the venting system, through which the flue gases are vented / exhausted to the outdoors.

Clearance
Fire and building codes state that there should be a minimum distance between a fireplace or stove and any combustible objects such as furniture or carpets. These requirements must always be followed.

Co-Axial Direct Vent
A Direct Vent system consisting of a length of sealed, exhaust pipe inside a same length of a larger diameter combustion air pipe (which brings air into the firebox from outside). Basically a pipe within another pipe, the center is the exhaust and the outer pipe is the fresh air.

Co-Linear Direct Vent
A Direct Vent system consisting of two separate pipes of the same diameter. One pipe for exhaust and the other for combustion air (which brings air into the firebox from outside).

Combustible Material
Any material constructed of or surfaced with wood, paper, natural or synthetic fiber cloth, plastic or any other which will ignite and burn, whether flame proofed or not and whether plastered or unplastered (Applies to walls, floors and ceilings in the context of hearth appliance clearances for safety).

Combustion Chamber
The area where the mixing of combustion air and fuel occurs. This area includes the burner, brick panels, firebox, and a sealed door with glass.

Control Board
An integrated circuit board that controls and synchronizes the fuel, combustion air, and convection air delivery to your pellet stove or insert.

Convection Heat
Convection heat is a process of heat transfer where the cool room air picks up heat energy from the fireplace surface causing air currents that transport heat throughout the room. All Regency, Hampton & Excalibur gas fireboxes include an advanced air management system through which the room air circulates naturally by convection into your room.

Direct Spark Ignition
A type of ignition system that ignites the gas directly at the main burner by means of a spark. The sparker also emits an audible sound when sparking, giving you a confirmation of operation and ignition.

Direct Vent
A gas fueled appliance (fireplace, insert or stove) that draws all of its combustion air from outdoors and exhausts it’s combustion products to the outdoors eliminating the need for a standard chimney system. A sealed glass door on a direct vent units is critical to keeping the combustion system sealed from the home, maintaining high efficiency and indoor air quality.

Efficiency
The percentage of heat that goes into the room instead of up the chimney.

Electronic Ignition
This is a system that uses an electric current to ignite the burner.

Emissions
Unburned gases and smoke left after combustion.

Enamel
A permanent baked on heat-resistant, glossy, colored finish used on the outside of a cast iron stove.

Fan
See Blower

Firebox
The airtight inner chamber of a fireplace, stove or insert, where combustion takes place.

Flue
Another word for vent, a passageway for gasses to exhaust through.

Freestanding Stove
A heating appliance (gas, wood or pellet) normally on legs or a pedestal, that is placed away from walls in a dwelling.

Gas Fireplace Insert
A gas appliance designed to be installed within an existing masonry fireplace opening or a metal factory-built firebox. It offers superior efficiency.

Gasket
Gasketing (primarily ceramic rope gasketing) is used on all Regency, Hampton & Excalibur fireplaces, stoves and inserts to ensure a sealed air-tight firebox, producing optimum burn times and efficiencies.

Hearth
The surface under and/or in front of your stove or fireplace, often made of brick, or tile.

Hearth Extension
Noncombustible floor protection extension beyond the opening of a fireplace or stove. The term is also sometimes used to denote the floor protector under or around any residential solid fuel-burning appliance.

Heat Exchanger
A device which provides a means for transferring heat between two fluid streams while keeping them physically separated.

Heat Release System
The Heat Release system is ideal for anyone looking to enjoy the ambiance and rich flames from the Regency fireplace with lese heat, by directing the unwanted heat outside the home.

Heat Wave Power Duct Kit
The best way to combat rising fuel costs is to zone heat with a Regency fireplace and a Heat Wave kit. Heat Wave Kits concentrate the heat in the rooms where you do most of your living. You can increase the effectiveness of your fireplace, while cutting down on your heating costs, using a Heat Wave kit.

Liquid Propane (LP)
Sometimes referred to as liquid petroleum gas, propane is colorless, practically odorless and non-toxic. It is a clean burning alternative fuel and is not damaging to soil or water, making it one of the most environmentally friendly fuels around. It is a form of oil that has been refined for use as a fuel. It is a available in cylinders for home use. LP has 2500 BTUs of energy per foot.

Mantel
A decorative shelf over and above the fireplace. They can be made of stone, brick, marble, concrete, wood or rock.

Masonry
This is a term that describes anything constructed of stone, brick or tiles. In respect to fireplaces structures such as the mantel, hearth, surround and chimney are commonly made from these materials.

Masonry Chimney
Chimney constructed on site of masonry and fire clay materials; construction requirements specified by code. Also refers to existing masonry chimneys of various constructions.

Millivolt Valve System
This is an ignition system that uses a small electromagnet in the gas valve and a pilot light. The electromagnet allows gas to flow to the pilot light only, until the switch is flipped. The system utilizes a small generator called a thermocouple that, when heated by the pilot light, provides enough power to hold the valve open while in use. If there is a power outage the fireplace will not go out as no electricity is needed to power a millivolt valve system.

Modulating Control
The ability to automatically control and adjust the fuel input to the gas fireplace, available with the Proflame GTM & GTMF remote controls.

Negative Pressure
Condition in a home where the inside pressure is less than the outside pressure. This is often caused by appliances that draw room air (furnace, kitchen fans) and it can affect the performance of your stove or fireplace.

Piezo Ignitor
A device which delivers an igniting spark by means of pressure on a crystal.

Pilot
A small flame used to ignite the gas at the main burner. May be standing (constantly burning) or intermittent (on demand for heat).

Pilot Ignitor
An apparatus that delivers an igniting spark to light the burner. May be a Piezo lighter or a DC Sparker.

Plinth
A base usually square in shape, used to raise up an insert in the existing fireplace to cover any tall openings. Also known as a hearth riser.

Proflame Remote Control
The Proflame Remote Control is a series of hand-held remote control thermostats approved with select Regency gas fireplaces & inserts. The Proflame GT remote offers an On/ Off thermostat, digital room deperature display and child lock functions. The Proflame GTM remote offers all of the GT features in addition to a 6-stage flame height adjustment, a smart thermostat function that adjusts the flame according to the desired room temperature. The Proflame GTMF remote offers all of the features of the GT & GTM plus a 6-speed fan control setting and an optional auxillary outlet for amber accent lights.

Programmable Wall Thermostat
This deluxe programmable wall-mounted thermostat allows you to set different heat settings throughout the day so that you can maintain a constant comfort level in your home from your Regency gas fireplace.

Radiant Heat
Heat that moves out in waves from a central point and heats objects in its path. The invisible and harmless radiation emitted by a hot object. This radiation is converted into heat when it is absorbed. The closer you get to a source of radiant heat the more heat you will feel.

Radiant Stove
A stove whose heat output is mostly in the form of radiant energy. The exterior of the stove is tremendously hot and room air circulates around the body of the stove giving off heat.

Safety Pilot System
This is a safety system that monitors the gas flow. It ensures that gas cannot leak into the burner unless a pilot light has been lit. A safety pilot system is standard in all Regency, Hampton and Excalibur gas fireplaces.

Safety Shutoff
A device, powered by a thermocouple, designed to shut off the gas supply to the pilot and or main burner if the source of ignition fails to light.

Spill Switch / Safety Shut Off Device
A temperature sensing device used on all gas appliances that will shut down the main burner and pilot if the unit has a blocked flue or if in a downdraft situation.

Steady State Efficiency
Steady state efficiency is the ratio between the heat output and the heat input of a gas fireplace when the fireplace is placed in the middle of a room, radiating heat from all of its surfaces, running continuously under steady conditions.

SureFire Ignition System
The means of lighting the pilot or main burner with the use of an electronic spark ignition.

Termination
The point of exit for the flue gases at the very end of the chimney system.

Thermocouple
An electric circuit consisting of two pieces of dissimilar metals joined together at one end (hot junction). When the hot junction is heated, the thermocouple produces DC voltage across the other end. Heat from the pilot will generate 24mv to 30mv. This in turn holds the electomagnetic coil open, allowing gas to enter the valve body and hold a pilot flame. It also acts as a safety device that will shut off the gas supply to the main burner and pilot when no flame (heat) is sensed.

Thermodisk
A thermodisk is a temperature sensing device. When heat is applied to the disk, a bi-metal plate will bend. This allows the electric current to activate the blower motor and ensures continuity.

Thermopile
A number of thermocouples connected in series to produce a higher voltage than a single thermocouple. When heat is applied to the thermopile, an electric current is generated in the range of 450mv to 750mv. When the valve coil reaches the minimum required millivolts, the valve will open and gas will flow to the mainburner and ignite.

Zero Clearance Fireplace
Zero clearance gas fireplaces are used in installations where there is no existing fireplace (new construction or renovation). These are factory-built metal fireplaces using a multi-layer construction (an inner & outer shell) which can safely be placed in direct contact (zero clearance) with combustible floors and walls.

WOOD FIREPLACE GLOSSARY

Air Control / Air Inlet Control
The means by which the amount of air entering the air inlet is regulated.

Air Inlet
The engineered port(s) of entry for combustion air into a controlled combustion, solid fuel burning appliance.

Air Tubes
Stainless steel air tubes inject secondary air into the firebox to create the reburn of the gases. The air tubes provide for a cleaner, more complete combustion.

Airtight Stove
A stove in which a large fire can be suffocated by shutting the air inlets, resulting ultimately in a large mass of unburned fuel remaining in the stove.

Air-To-Fuel-Ratio
The ratio between the air and fuel in a solid fuel appliance. One 1 pound of dry air occupies a volume of 13.315 cubic feet at 70 degrees F. Therefore, 35 pounds of air, the typical amount of air necessary to burn 1 pound of wood in a fireplace, occupies 466 cubic feet.

Airwash
Engineered to keep your glass clean automatically by creating airflow across inside of glass. The stove must burn at maximum for 30 minutes for the airwash to occur.

Ash Drawer
A removable ash drawer for safe and easy clean up. Fits seamlessly into the design of the stove.

Baffles
Heat reflective baffles are designed to reflect heat back into the firebox to enhance the reburn of the gases and to create chamber for secondary combustion. The baffles also improve the temperature distribution and efficiency of the firebox.

Blower
A motor driven fan helps distribute and circulate the warm air from your fireplace further into the room.

Burn Rate
Combustion rate, usually expressed in pounds of fuel consumed per hour.

Cast Iron
A material used in all Hampton fireplaces, stoves & inserts. Iron is heated to a liquid form and poured into molds.

Catalytic
Catalytic wood stoves and fireplace inserts have a catalytic combustor; ceramic honeycombed chambers coated with a metal catalyst, that works to increase the rate of combustion, lower the temperature at which the wood will burn. Catalytic converters need to be replaced after a certain number of hours of operation, and the converters can cost in excess of $150-300 every 2-3 years.

Ceramic Glass
Ceramic glass is tested and certified to withstand very high temperatures. It allows heat to radiate through the no-glare glass which pushes even more heat into your room.

Chase
A structure built around, and enclosing, portions of the chimney on the exterior of the house.

Chimney
A portion of the venting system, through which the flue gases are vented / exhausted to the outdoors.

Clearance
Fire and building codes state that there should be a minimum distance between a fireplace or stove and any combustible objects such as furniture or carpets. These requirements must always be followed.

Combustible Material
Any material constructed of or surfaced with wood, paper, natural or synthetic fiber cloth, plastic or any other which will ignite and burn, whether flame proofed or not and whether plastered or unplastered (Applies to walls, floors and ceilings in the context of hearth appliance clearances for safety).

Combustion Chamber
The area where the mixing of combustion air and fuel occurs. This area includes the burner, brick panels, firebox, and a sealed door with glass.

Convection Heat
Convection heat is a process of heat transfer where the cool room air picks up heat energy from the fireplace surface causing air currents that transport heat throughout the room. All Regency, Hampton & Excalibur gas fireboxes include an advanced air management system through which the room air circulates naturally by convection into your room.

Convector Airmate
The airmate helps direct the convection heat further into your room. Installing the convector airmate also allows you to install your Regency wood stove closer to the walls of your home.

Cord
A measure of firewood, equal to 4 ft. x 4ft. x 8 ft.

Draft Control
A simple and easy to use rod that controls the heat output and size of the fire in your wood appliance.

Efficiency
The percentage of heat that goes into the room instead of up the chimney.

Emissions
Unburned gases and smoke left after combustion.

Enamel
A permanent baked on heat-resistant, glossy, colored finish used on the outside of a cast iron stove.

Energy Efficiency
The percentage of the total energy content of the fuel consumed that becomes useful heat in the house.

EPA Phase I And II
Environmental Protection Agency particulate emissions standards for solid-fuel stoves, designed to reduce pollution. Implemented in 1988 (phase I) and 1990 (Phase II).

EPA Regulations
Environmental Protection Agency. Government regulations of wood and pellet burning appliances mandating that products sold after July 1, 1992, emit no more than 4.1 grams of particulate matter per hour for catalytic equipped units and no more than 7.5 grams for non-catalytic equipped units.

Factory Built Fireplace
A factory-built fireplace is actually a firebox enclosed within a steel cabinet.

Fan
See Blower

Firebox
The airtight inner chamber of a fireplace, stove or insert, where combustion takes place.

Floor Protection
Noncombustible material, of a specified size, thickness, material and conductivity placed under a solid fuel appliance; required to extend beyond the four sides of the appliance. Serves to protect combustible floor surfaces and framing. Please refer to your Regency owner’s manual for specific floor protection requirements.

Fly Ash
Ash that goes up the chimney, as opposed to ash that remains in the fuel-burning appliance.

Freestanding Stove
A heating appliance (gas, wood or pellet) normally on legs or a pedestal, that is placed away from walls in a dwelling.

Gasket
Gasketing (primarily ceramic rope gasketing) is used on all Regency, Hampton & Excalibur fireplaces, stoves and inserts to ensure a sealed air-tight firebox, producing optimum burn times and efficiencies.

Hearth
The surface under and/or in front of your stove or fireplace, often made of brick, or tile.

Hearth Extension
Noncombustible floor protection extension beyond the opening of a fireplace or stove. The term is also sometimes used to denote the floor protector under or around any residential solid fuel-burning appliance.

Heat Shield
Refers to a non-combustible protector used around appliances, or smoke-pipe, to reduce clearances. They work by absorbing or reflecting the heat from the fire.

Insert
A wood, gas or pellet burning unit designed to fit into an existing masonary opening or factory built fireplace.

Mantel
A decorative shelf over and above the fireplace. They can be made of stone, brick, marble, concrete, wood or rock.

Masonry Chimney
Chimney constructed on site of masonry and fire clay materials; construction requirements specified by code. Also refers to existing masonry chimneys of various constructions.

Negative Pressure
Condition in a home where the inside pressure is less than the outside pressure. This is often caused by appliances that draw room air (furnace, kitchen fans) and it can affect the performance of your stove or fireplace.

Non-Catalytic Technology
Regency uses non-catalytic technology which means that the airflow in the firebox is directed in such a way that smoke is reburned. This creates greater efficiency, a spectacular fire and results in cleaner emissions. By combining non-catalytic technology with durable construction, Regency builds wood fireplaces that are guaranteed to last.

Outside Air Kit
An outside air kit provides oxygen (combustion air) to your fireplace or stove from outside your home rather than from inside your home. The installation of an outside air kit is recommended for tightly constructed or well-insulated homes.

Plinth
A base usually square in shape, used to raise up an insert in the existing fireplace to cover any tall openings. Also known as a hearth riser.

Primary Air
Primary air is the air used for the fire start up and to control the air flow to produce the optimal heat output and fire size for the stove. It is controlled by the home owner using a draft control rod.

Primary Combustion
Primary combustion takes place within the heavily insulated firebox that holds the wood. This is the process where the gases from the wood are released and are burned.

Radiant Heat
Heat that moves out in waves from a central point and heats objects in its path. The invisible and harmless radiation emitted by a hot object. This radiation is converted into heat when it is absorbed. The closer you get to a source of radiant heat the more heat you will feel.

Radiant Stove
A stove whose heat output is mostly in the form of radiant energy. The exterior of the stove is tremendously hot and room air circulates around the body of the stove giving off heat.

Seasoned Wood
Refers to fuel wood that has been allowed to dry before burning. Seasoning generally takes 6 to 12 months. Wood burns much easier when its moisture content has been reduced. Freshly cut wood contains over 20 percent water. Burning dry wood also releases fewer by-products during combustion than freshly cut wood.

Secondary Air
Combustion air directed downstream of the primary combustion zone (but still in the appliance) to support the combustion of remaining combustible gases; does not directly influence the rate of primary combustion.

Side Shields
The side shields of the Regency wood stoves insulates the stove to prevent heat loss and allows for convective air to be warmed against the side of the firebox.