The VRT3136 from Superior
A 36" vent-free firebox with a 24"-tall clean-faced opening — no chimney, no vent run. The Superior VRT3136 is the enclosure half of a vent-free fireplace: listed to ANSI Z21.91, it hosts any ANSI Z21.11.2-listed vent-free gas log heater up to 40,000 BTU/hr input, sold separately. The cabinet is heat-circulating, the factory hood and mesh screens ship in the carton, and the interior comes as White Stacked refractory or Back Bay Brown ceramic fiber. from $949.
Choose the VRT3136 if you want a built-in fireplace opening where a chimney or vent run is impossible — it frames into a 42-1/4" x 40-1/4" rough opening, parallel or corner, sits directly on an ordinary combustible floor, and burns the log set you pick separately.
It is not right for a bathroom, or for a bedroom unless the log set you pair with it stays at 10,000 BTU/hr input or less — and Massachusetts bars vent-free heaters from bedrooms and bathrooms entirely. It burns room air, so a tightly sealed space that cannot spare combustion air is also the wrong home for it. For those rooms, a sealed direct-vent fireplace such as Superior's DRT3000 series is the one to look at instead.
Specifications
Frame a rough opening 42-1/4" wide by 40-1/4" high, 20-1/2" deep to the back wall of the chase including finishing materials, parallel or in a corner. The cabinet is 36" wide, 37-1/4" high and 20" deep; the interior measures 35" across the front, 17-3/8" deep and 24" high — the figures Superior publishes for sizing a compatible log set, and the price book pairs this size with most 24" sets. Ceiling, side and mantel clearances to combustible material are all set by the manual charts — see Figure 2a on page 6 and Figure 4 on page 7 of the installation manual, with the hood installed.
How the VRT3136 compares to the other VRT3100 sizes
The three VRT3100 sizes share the same 24"-tall opening, hood, screens, liner choices and accessory list; they differ in width and in the log set they take. This 36" suits most 24" sets at from $949, the 32" takes most 18" sets at from $859, and the 42" takes most 30" sets at from $1,049. The rough opening grows with the size — width steps from 38-1/4" to 42-1/4" to 48-1/4".
Features
- 36" firebox with a 24"-tall clean-faced opening and a heat-circulating cabinet
- Vent-free — no chimney and no vent run; the room supplies its combustion air
- Hosts any ANSI Z21.11.2-listed vent-free log heater up to 40,000 BTU/hr input, sold separately
- Factory heat-deflection hood and mesh fire screens ship in the carton
- Two factory interiors — White Stacked refractory or Back Bay Brown ceramic fiber
- Blower-ready — FBK-100 or FBK-200 kits install beneath the firebox
Answers to common questions
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: 36" x 24" clean-faced firebox opening; Interior liner panels and floor — White Stacked refractory or Back Bay Brown ceramic fiber; Mesh fire screens, fitted to the opening; Heat-deflection hood (must be installed); ANSI Z21.91-listed firebox enclosure; 20-year limited warranty on body, firebox, and barrier.
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Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Vent Free Burner/Log Set - accepts most 24" vent-free burners and log sets; any ANSI Z21.11.2-listed set up to 40,000 BTU/hr input — the firebox is the enclosure and burns nothing on its own; Gas Line - 1/2" to 1-1/2" ID approved line run by a qualified installer, connected before the wall is closed.
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Optional: The arched screen door, a blower kit with its junction box/receptacle kit, the outside air kit and a wall switch — the firebox operates fully without any of them.
Does it need a chimney or a vent?
No — this firebox is vent-free and nothing about it vents outside. It uses air from the room it is installed in, so the room must supply adequate combustion and ventilation air; the manual's worksheet classifies your space, and the optional outside air kit ducts combustion air in from outside where a room runs tight.
Where can it go — and where can't it?
Any ordinary living space that can spare combustion air — framed into a wall or a corner, directly on a combustible floor. It cannot go in a bathroom; it can go in a bedroom only with a log set of 10,000 BTU/hr input or less; it cannot go in an RV; and Massachusetts bars vent-free heaters from bedrooms and bathrooms entirely and requires a licensed gas fitter and a working smoke detector in the area. Over carpet or vinyl it sits on a metal or wood panel covering its full footprint.
How close can a mantel or trim sit above it?
A combustible mantel follows the manual's projection chart with the hood installed, and how high it must sit depends on how far it projects — see Figure 4 on page 7 of the installation manual. Side clearances to combustible material and the ceiling minimum are charted too — see Figure 2a on page 6 of the installation manual. The factory hood must stay in place, because the listed clearances assume it. Send us your mantel depth. We're here to help!
Does it use electricity?
No — the firebox itself has no electrical components and runs no wiring in its standard form. Electricity enters only if you add a blower kit: rough in a 3-wire 120 VAC, 60 Hz supply before the walls are closed, and add the junction box/receptacle kit, which is not packed with the firebox.
How does the warranty work if something goes wrong?
Superior warrants the firebox, 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; optional blowers carry one year. Keep your invoice and the model number; we hold the rest on file.
