Superior VRL3045 45" Linear Vent Free Gas Fireplace
No vent, no chimney, no heat lost up a flue. The Superior VRL3045 is a 45" linear vent-free gas fireplace: 23,000 BTU/hr high / 18,000 low on natural gas, electronic ignition with battery backup, and the Platinum crushed glass media bed and interior floor lighting already in the box. It frames into a 45-7/8" opening with zero clearance to combustibles at the spacers. from $3,899, with a 20-year limited warranty on the body, firebox and barrier.
Choose the VRL3045 if you want a 45" linear flame on a wall with no route for a vent — vent free means the wall stays intact and the room keeps all the heat — and your space meets the vent-free sizing rule of 50 cubic feet of room volume per 1,000 BTU/hr.
It is not right for a bedroom or a bathroom — the manual prohibits vent-free installation in both, everywhere — or as a home's primary heat source, or above 4,500 ft of elevation. For a bedroom-approved fireplace in this same linear format, look at Superior's direct-vent DRL series instead; it vents through the wall or roof and is listed for bedroom installation.
Specifications
Frame a 45-7/8" minimum opening in 2 x 4 or larger construction, adding 1/8" per side. The cabinet is zero clearance — 1/2" to the wrapper and 0" at the spacers, back and sides — with 52" minimum from the unit base to the ceiling and a combustible shelf no lower than 33". Keep furniture and other flammables 36" off the front and 42" off the top; a hearth extension is not required. Listed by PFS TECO to ANSI Z21.11.2 as an unvented room heater, report F21-664, for elevations to 4,500 ft.
How the VRL3045 compares to the VRL3055 — and the VRL6048 Signature
The two VRL3000 Pro sizes share the same platform — electronic ignition with battery backup, floor lighting, Platinum crushed glass and the remote; they differ in width and output. This 45" runs 23,000 BTU/hr high on natural gas at from $3,899, against the 55" VRL3055 at 28,000 BTU/hr high, from $4,399. The 48" VRL6048 Signature (from $5,779) steps up to 35,000 BTU/hr and builds in the variable-speed blower and a porcelain liner as standard.
Features
- Vent free — no vent run, no chimney, no heat lost up a flue; it installs against an interior or exterior wall
- 23,000 BTU/hr high / 18,000 low on natural gas, with six flame levels from the full-function remote
- Battery backup lights it through a power outage — the one heater the manual says may then serve as primary heat
- Platinum crushed glass media and interior floor lighting ship standard
- Oxygen Depletion Sensing (ODS) pilot shuts the fireplace off if the room runs short of fresh air
- Zero-clearance cabinet with a 45-7/8" framed opening and a 33" shelf allowance above
Answers to common questions
Does it really need no vent or chimney at all?
Correct — the VRL3045 is an unvented room heater: it burns clean, vents nothing outside, and loses no heat up a flue. What it does need is room air. The manual sizes the space at 50 cubic feet of volume per 1,000 BTU/hr of gas appliances in it, and an Oxygen Depletion Sensing pilot shuts the fireplace down if fresh air runs short. One honest note from the manual: vent-free heat adds moisture to the air, so an under-ventilated room can grow mildew — if your room is small or tight, tell us the dimensions and we will run the sizing with you.
Will it work if the power goes out?
Yes — every VRL3045 has battery backup built in. With batteries in the remote and in the control-compartment holder, the unit sparks at the pilot and lights with no line power, and the manual notes a power outage is the one time this supplemental heater may serve as your primary heat source. The floor lighting and the optional blower are the exception — they stay off until power returns.
Can it go in a bedroom, or in a manufactured home?
A manufactured home yes, a bedroom no. The manual prohibits installing this vent-free fireplace in a bedroom or bathroom (Massachusetts law repeats the ban and adds its own 527 CMR 30 requirements), and it also rules out RVs, high-traffic spots, and windy or drafty locations. An aftermarket, permanently located manufactured or mobile home is approved where local codes allow, grounded to the chassis. If the fireplace is for a bedroom, Superior's direct-vent DRL linears are the bedroom-listed route.
How big does the room need to be?
Big enough to feed the fire its air — the worksheet is simple: multiply the room's volume (length x width x height, plus any open adjoining rooms) by 20; that is the maximum BTU/hr the space supports. At 23,000 BTU/hr high on natural gas the VRL3045 wants roughly 1,150 cubic feet — about a 12 x 12 room with 8-foot ceilings — before any other gas appliance shares the space. A smaller room is not a dead end: ventilation grills or an opened doorway to the next room count toward the volume.
Can I mount a TV above it?
Only the way the manual draws it — with the optional HeatFlo heat-management kit installed, which ducts the convection heat to a register higher on the wall. With HeatFlo, keep the TV at least 18" above the fireplace opening (flush wall or a recessed pocket no deeper than 3-1/2"), the TV 3" below the HeatFlo vent opening and that opening 6" below the ceiling. The manual publishes no TV dimensions for installations without the kit, and it defers to your TV maker's own temperature limit either way.
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: 23,000 BTU/hr high / 18,000 low on natural gas; 21,000 / 17,000 on propane; Electronic Ignition System (SIT Proflame II) with battery backup; Full-function remote control — on/off and six flame levels; 5 lb bag of Platinum crushed glass media (45" models use 4 lb of it); Black painted firebox interior — the standard liner finish; Interior floor lighting; Screen barrier bezel (must be installed), burner glass panel, media tray, non-combustible board, and factory gas connector with shutoff valve; ANSI Z21.11.2 listed (PFS TECO Report F21-664); 20-year limited warranty on body, firebox, and barrier.
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Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Gas Line - natural gas or propane to match the model, run by a qualified installer; propane systems need a 100 lb minimum supply tank; Electrical - a 120 VAC, 60 Hz supply; the electronic ignition must be connected to main power; Combustion Air - a room that meets the vent-free sizing of 50 cu ft per 1,000 BTU/hr; no vent or chimney is needed.
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Optional: A crushed glass, river rock or driftwood media upgrade over the standard Platinum glass, and a black porcelain liner upgrade over the painted interior; A decorative surround in Black Matte or Stainless, the HeatFlo convection kit, or the single-speed blower (blower and HeatFlo cannot be combined) — the fireplace operates fully without them.
How does the warranty work if something goes wrong?
Superior warrants the VRL3045 — 20 years limited on the body, firebox and barrier, one year on the burner and gas components — 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. Keep your invoice and the model number; we hold the rest on file.
