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ENCLOSING the FIREPLACE
Element4 Gas Fireplaces
European
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THE FRAMING
A safe installation of your Element4 fireplace requires that four things be clearly understood.
1. Most important, these fireplaces are NOT zero-clearance fireplaces. Unlike most others, there is not a metal box around the
Element4 fireplaces. With no metal box there are no louvers to distract your view of the fire. We do, however, want the cooling
advantage of a metal box.
2. This means that your fireplace enclosure must be made to
act
the way a metal fireplace box acts - letting room air in below
and warm air out above. The non-combustible framing cannot interfere with the air flow. The inlets for the room air are part
of the fireplace and cannot be changed or adjusted. The outlet is part of your enclosure design, is provided by you and MUST
be included.
Note: The Convection Air Outlet must be installed in the same room as the fireplace or a room which ALWAYS flows air
into the room in which the fireplace is installed. The flow of convection air must NOT be blocked.
3. Since these are not zero-clearance fireplaces, the clearances and dimensions listed in the
CLEARANCES
section MUST be
maintained. Only the non-combustible wall board, the mounting brackets and the venting may touch the fireplace. As
previously stated, non-combustible framing must be used and may be no closer than 2”/50
mm
.
4. The controls are not mounted on the fireplace, they are to be mounted to your framing and below the burner. The controls
are at the end of a 50”/1270
mm
line set and are to be mounted to the BDLE4 Access Door, included. The controls must be
located for ease of physical access (gas line, maintenance, etc.) as well as wireless signal (remote control) access. See the
LOCATING AND MOUNTING THE CONTROLS
section.
The combination of multiple glass sides and no zero-clearance box makes for a non-typical framing project. As seen in Figures 29-
31, it is easy to build the ‘rough opening’, set the fireplace then attach the wall. For projects with tight clearances, however, it may
be easier to set the fireplace first then frame around it and attach the wall.
In any case, the framing around these fireplaces must NOT be supported by the fireplace and the wall material may NOT be
attached to the fireplace. The framing must be attached to another structure which can bear the entire weight of the enclosing
walls and any attachments to the walls such as TVs, shelves, artwork, etc. The wall material must be attached ONLY to the framing.
COLD CLIMATE INSULATION
For cold climate installations, it is especially important to insulate outside the chase cavity, between studs and under the floor on
which appliance rests, if floor is above ground level. Gas line holes and other openings should be filled with approved firestop.
If the fireplace is being installed on a cement slab in cold climates, a sheet of plywood or a raised platform can be placed
underneath to prevent cold transferring to the fireplace and into the room. It also helps to tape for maximum air tightness and to
caulk firestops.
Figure 29
Figure 30
Figure 31