Superior VRE4342 42" Outdoor Vent-Free Gas Fireplace
A 42" outdoor vent-free gas fireplace that arrives as a complete fireplace — charred oak ceramic fiber log set, stainless grate and burner, battery-operated electronic ignition and the refractory panels all standard. The Superior VRE4342 is open-faced and vent-free, so there is no chimney and no vent run to build; it frames into an outdoor wall, a corner or a screened porch that meets the manual's minimums, and its firebox opening stands 28" tall behind stainless screens. Natural gas runs 50,000 BTU/hr down to 39,500 on a variable flame; dedicated propane models run 46,000 to 37,000. from $5,129.
Choose the VRE4342 if you want the whole outdoor fireplace in one order — burner, logs, panels and ignition included — with a tall open face and real heat you can turn up or down at the flame control. It runs entirely on batteries, so it needs a gas line and nothing else.
It is not right for any indoor room. This is an outdoor-only appliance — its combustion chamber is open to the outside air, and the manual bars enclosed spaces outright. For an indoor room, Superior's VRT vent-free fireboxes and the VCM3026 vent-free fireplace are the ones to look at; if you would rather pick your own log set for an outdoor firebox, the VRE4500 paneled fireboxes are that route.
Specifications
Frame a rough opening 48-3/4" wide by 46-1/2" high — 47-1/4" if you add the drain pan — and 20-1/2" deep to the back wall of the chase including finishing materials, parallel or in a corner; the fireplace body itself is 43" wide by 47-3/4" high. Keep 1/2" of airspace at the sides and back, an adjacent wall 6" away on one side only, and the ceiling 72" clear; siting clearances include 12" to an operable window and 2" above grade or a deck. The builder provides drainage under the firebox — a catch pan or the optional drain pan. Listed by PFS to ANSI Z21.97 / CSA 2.41, report F14-020, at elevations to 4,500 feet.
How the VRE4342 compares to the VRE4336
The two VRE4300 sizes share the same equipment — log set, burner, battery ignition, panel choices and BTU ratings; they differ only in width. This 42" frames 48-3/4" wide at from $5,129, against the 36" at 42-3/4" wide, from $4,999. Framing height and depth are identical, so the choice is the wall you have.
Features
- A complete outdoor fireplace out of the crate — charred oak log set, stainless grate and burner, battery ignition and refractory panels all standard
- Vent-free and open-faced: no chimney and no vent run to build
- 50,000 BTU/hr high / 39,500 low on natural gas, dialed between high and low at the variable flame control
- A 28" tall firebox opening framed in stainless steel, with stainless screens
- Battery-operated electronic ignition on a weather-sealed wall switch — no electrical hookup at all
- Approved for screened porches and lanais that meet the manual's minimums
Answers to common questions
Does it need a chimney, a vent, or electricity?
No to all three — every model on this page installs the same way. The VRE4342 is an open-faced outdoor vent-free fireplace: combustion air comes in through the face and exhaust leaves the same way, so there is no flue at all. Ignition is electronic but runs on two D-cell batteries (bring your own — the manual notes they are not provided), switched from a weather-sealed wall switch, so no electrical hookup is needed either. The only connection is a 1/2" gas line, run by a qualified installer.
Where can I put it — does a covered patio or screened porch count?
Any location that qualifies as outdoors under ANSI Z21.97 — walls on all sides with no roof, a roof with no more than two side walls, or a roof with three side walls where at least 30% of the perimeter stays permanently open. Screened porches and lanais are approved too when they meet the minimums: 96 sq ft of porch, a 7'8" ceiling, at least two screened walls open to outside ventilation and 64 sq ft of screen. It can never go indoors. Send us a photo of the spot and we will check it with you.
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: 50,000-39,500 BTU/hr manually modulated input on natural gas (46,000-37,000 on propane); Battery-operated electronic ignition with wall-switch electrical kit; Charred oak ceramic fiber log set with stainless grate and burner; Refractory interior panels — White Stacked or White Herringbone; Two bags of decorative volcanic stone and stainless fire screens; Factory flexible gas connector with 1/2" shutoff valve; ANSI Z21.97 outdoor-listed (PFS Report F14-020); 20-year limited warranty on body, firebox, and barrier.
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Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Gas Line - a 1/2" line run to the unit by a qualified installer; natural gas or propane to match the model you order; Batteries - two D-cells for the ignition battery pack; the manual notes they are not provided; Drainage - a field-built catch pan under the firebox, or the optional drain pan.
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Optional: The brushed stainless bi-fold doors, the weather cover (it cannot be fitted with the doors in place), the hood kit, the drain pan and refractory stain kits — the fireplace operates fully without them.
What about rain and weather?
It is built for it — the construction is stainless steel, from the facing to the grate and screens — but standing water is the thing to plan for: the manual requires the enclosure to allow drainage, recommends a sealed catch pan under the fireplace or the optional drain pan, and treats the enclosure around the sides and back as an exterior wall. The stainless weather cover is the optional off-season protection for the firebox interior (it comes off before the bi-fold doors go on — the two cannot be fitted together).
Natural gas or propane — can I change my mind later?
Either fuel, on either panel choice — the page sells dedicated natural-gas and propane models at the same price, and certified conversion kits exist for both directions (catalog H4916 natural gas to propane, catalog H4915 propane to natural gas), installed by a qualified service agency. Order the fuel you have; the kit is the safety net if your fuel ever changes.
How close can finish materials and walls sit?
Only non-combustible material — stone, tile, brick, marble — may overlap the top and sides of the front facing, and the band above the face up to the top spacers must be non-combustible; combustible material may sit flush with the face front and may overlap the face bottom by the amount the manual allows — see Figure 3 on page 5 and Figure 21 on page 14 of the installation manual. Keep 1/2" of airspace at the sides and back, an adjacent wall at least 6" away on one side only, and the ceiling 72" clear.
How does the warranty work if something goes wrong?
Superior warrants the fireplace, and The Torch Guys handles it for you — we register the appliance and, if you ever need to claim, we deal with the manufacturer on your behalf rather than handing you a phone number. The body, firebox and barrier carry a 20-year limited warranty. Keep your invoice and the model number; we hold the rest on file.
