Best high end DV traditional fireplace

wayner · Apr 27, 2016

Trying to decide on a large louverless traditional DV NG full view fireplace. Heat is secondary to realism and features (California). I'm not seriously concerned about the price as I'm doing it once and living with it for the rest of my life, although I don't want to pay more for no reason. Here's my matrix:

Town and Country TC42D-
Pros- Beautiful, large viewing area of 42 X 36, many options available for logs and liners, 6 flame settings, Proflame Remote. No blowers to listen to, 12 ga aluminized steel eliminates cooldown pops.
Cons- Most expensive by over 30%, BTU range is narrow- from high 61,000 down to only 44,000. I'm afraid I won't have it on much. No blowers to move heat.

Mendota FV46-
Pros- Better price than T&C, options for liner and logs acceptable, 6 flame settings and from a high of 45,500 down to only 13,600, dual blowers allow for either on full, half or off.
Cons-Haven't found dealer with it on display, so unsure of appearance vs T&C, smaller viewing area of 31 x 37, Not sure if logs are as realistic as T&C, emphasis appears to be on heat, which is secondary interest, unsure of steel gauge.

KHLDV600- Clearview Signature Command- I've found several brands online using the same spec- Vermont Castings, Majestic, Covington, Marquee etc. Confusing, but:
Pros- Large viewing area 42 x 36, settings have wide variability for BTU output, options for liner and logs acceptable (prefer brick and ceramic logs), reasonable price for high end fireplace.
Cons- who really makes this thing? Only three flame settings, two local dealers advise Mendota is a higher end fireplace.

I've already ruled out Superior, Napoleon, Valor, Astria, Empire and Heat n Glow, although I'd be open to them if they compared to what I've narrowed down to and my requirements.

Input please? Thanks!

DAKSY · Apr 29, 2016

Good afternoon from New York & welcome to Hearth.com!
You will get a multitude of different answers to the questions you posed in this forum.
Each of us have opinions & like & dislikes of certain brands for various reasons.
I have no experience with any the brands/models listed in your Matrix,
because they aren't too popular in this area. I have had close & personal
experience with VC, Jotul, Heat & Glo, Heatilator & Regency in sales, service &
installation & have found that they are or were quality products based on the state
of the industry when they were sold & installed.
Most also have little idiosyncrasies that bug me, but I deal with them.
You appear to have done your due diligence in researching the available units &
that's usually what you will hear from others in Hearth.com.
Generally, I suggest potential buyers do EXACTLY what you've done & then
make an informed choice based on the knowledge you have gained.
Bottom line is: which one does your WIFE want?

danimal1968 · May 16, 2016

wayner said:
Trying to decide on a large louverless traditional DV NG full view fireplace. Heat is secondary to realism and features (California). I'm not seriously concerned about the price as I'm doing it once and living with it for the rest of my life, although I don't want to pay more for no reason. Here's my matrix:

Town and Country TC42D-
Pros- Beautiful, large viewing area of 42 X 36, many options available for logs and liners, 6 flame settings, Proflame Remote. No blowers to listen to, 12 ga aluminized steel eliminates cooldown pops.
Cons- Most expensive by over 30%, BTU range is narrow- from high 61,000 down to only 44,000. I'm afraid I won't have it on much. No blowers to move heat.

Mendota FV46-
Pros- Better price than T&C, options for liner and logs acceptable, 6 flame settings and from a high of 45,500 down to only 13,600, dual blowers allow for either on full, half or off.
Cons-Haven't found dealer with it on display, so unsure of appearance vs T&C, smaller viewing area of 31 x 37, Not sure if logs are as realistic as T&C, emphasis appears to be on heat, which is secondary interest, unsure of steel gauge.

KHLDV600- Clearview Signature Command- I've found several brands online using the same spec- Vermont Castings, Majestic, Covington, Marquee etc. Confusing, but:
Pros- Large viewing area 42 x 36, settings have wide variability for BTU output, options for liner and logs acceptable (prefer brick and ceramic logs), reasonable price for high end fireplace.
Cons- who really makes this thing? Only three flame settings, two local dealers advise Mendota is a higher end fireplace.

I've already ruled out Superior, Napoleon, Valor, Astria, Empire and Heat n Glow, although I'd be open to them if they compared to what I've narrowed down to and my requirements.

Input please? Thanks!

The thing about Town & Country is that you have to look past the BTU input ratings. T&C units are inefficient by design. They use an oversized exhaust pipe to direct most of the heat outside your home. As a result, you get a great looking fire but are heating the outdoors not your home. If you look up the P4 efficiency ratings (https://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/pml-lmp/index.cfm?action=app.search-recherche&appliance=FIREPLACE_G) you will see that while the Mendota fireplaces are rated in the 70-77 percent range, whereas none of the T&C fireplaces are over 40 percent.

Heat output equals the BTU input rating times the efficiency rating. So on full bore that T&C will produce 61,000 BTUs times .3719 = 22,685 BTUs output.

On the other hand at full bore the Mendota will produce 46,700 BTUs times .7232 = 33,773.44 output.

The Mendota is a true heater. In your location it may give you more than you need. But you can turn it way down. The T&C will look great, but it will burn a lot of fuel. Granted, prices are low right now but NG is a commodity and there is no guarantee about prices 5 years from now.

wayner · May 20, 2016

Looping back. I've made some adjustments to my original requirements and made a decision. A 42" model would be too dominant for our 350sf living/dining room and 1200sf floor. After learning that Town and Country sends most of its heat through the vent (intentionally- they compete with woodburning fireplaces more than with efficient gas units), we decided we didn't want to waste 2/3 of the gas for a look, albeit beautiful. And this house isn't a high end house, so an $8k fireplace would be overkill.

It seems the predominance of opinions around the web favor Mendota's flame, efficiency and construction/design, although all the models I researched seem to be fine. The Mendota FV46 is also too big for our room, or rather, it's likely too hot to use much in this moderate climate. I cut a piece of cardboard to the frame size of the FV41 and it looks like it will be a good fit. It has enough turndown variability to encourage more use. And surprisingly, the logs in the FV41 are more realistic- the FV46 has two logs that look like jellyrolls. My wife said absolutely not to Mendota until I showed her the logset for the FV41.

Another good thing about selecting Mendota is that half the fireplace stores in the area are dealers, so I can choose a store by price, reviews, and general attitude/vibe when I walk in.

Jcavhs · May 20, 2016

Personally I'd say you are making a good choice with the FV41. I live in an 1100 sq ft condo and my living room/dining room area is about 350 sq ft. I just had the FV41 Modern installed last week. It's a great fit for the space and it provides good heat (I've been running it on high to burn off residue from the manufacturing process) but not overwhelming for the space.

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Best high end DV traditional fireplace

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