Superior WCT3042 42" Louvered Wood Burning Fireplace — Blower Ready, Gas Log Ready
A big wood-burning fireplace that can push its heat into the room: the Superior WCT3042 is a factory-built, UL 127 listed 42" circulating firebox — louvers above and below the opening feed an air jacket that takes the optional BK variable-speed blower. It frames into a 49-3/4" x 47-1/4" x 23-1/2" wood-stud opening at 3/4" clearance, carries white stacked refractory panels, and is gas log ready. Its 12" collar steps down to IHP 8" snap-lock chimney through the starter section. from $1,639.
Choose the WCT3042 if you want the biggest opening in the WRT/WCT3000 family plus the option of moving the heat — the louvered air jacket and blower are what separate it from the clean-face radiant WRT3042. It suits new construction or a remodel with a straight or offset chimney path to the roof.
It is not right if you cannot run a wood-burning chimney at least 14-1/2 feet up and out through the roof, or if you are buying it to heat the house — it burns seasoned wood for supplemental heat, on your schedule, not a thermostat's. For an outside wall with no roof path, or for heat at the flip of a switch, look at Superior's direct-vent gas fireplaces like the DRT3500 series instead.
Specifications
Frame an opening 49-3/4" wide by 47-1/4" high by 23-1/2" deep, with the header turned on its vertical edge; a corner installation is also diagrammed. Keep combustibles 3/4" off the back and sides; clearances from the fireplace opening and the top louver to anything projecting from the wall are read off Figure 4 on page 6 of the installation manual. Noncombustible floor protection runs 20" in front and 12" beyond each side of the opening, and must not block the bottom louver. The 12" collar takes the SS-8DM starter section down to IHP 8" snap-lock chimney — 14-1/2 feet minimum system height, 50 feet maximum, offsets on the 30E-12DMO-8DMR elbow set. Listed by PFS to UL 127 / CAN/ULC-S610, Report No. F10-078.
How the WCT3042 compares to the other WRT/WCT3000 fireplaces
The WRT/WCT3000 family is one firebox in two sizes and two faces. The WRT3042 at from $1,579 is the clean-face radiant version of this 42" — same framing, no louvers, and no blower option. The WCT3036 at from $1,469 is the same louvered face six inches narrower, framing 41-3/4" wide against this model's 49-3/4", with lighter floor-protection coverage. This model is from $1,639.
Features
- A real wood-burning firebox, factory-built and UL 127 listed, with white stacked refractory panels
- Louvered circulating design with an insulated firebox — add the optional BK variable-speed blower to push warm air into the room
- Gas log ready — approved for vented gas logs or a vent-free log heater with the IHP hood, with gas-line knockouts on both sides
- Frames tight to wood studs: 3/4" clearance at the back and sides, 0" at the floor, with full-length nailing flanges and drywall stops
- Converts its 12" collar to the IHP 8" snap-lock chimney with the starter section the book says ships standard
- Approved for aftermarket mobile and manufactured home installs where codes permit
Answers to common questions
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: White stacked refractory interior panels; Log grate and mesh fire screen; 19" tall chimney starter pipe (steps down to the 8" chimney system); Easy-access damper; Prewired receptacle for the optional blower; Gas-line knockouts on both sides; Full-length nailing flanges and drywall stops; UL 127 / CAN/ULC-S610 listed (PFS); 20-year limited warranty.
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Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Venting - IHP 8" snap-lock double-wall chimney above the starter section (standard 8DM or Hi-Temp 8HT; Canada requires 8HT) with firestop spacers, flashing or chase parts and a listed termination sized to your run; Floor Protection - noncombustible floor protection 20" in front and 12" beyond each side of the opening, with an ember protector under the front edge.
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Optional: The BK variable-speed blower, the BD42 bi-fold glass door, an outside air kit (AK4 sidewall or AK4F floor), refractory stain kits, and a gas line for approved gas logs — the fireplace burns wood fully without them.
What chimney does it use, and how tall does it have to be?
IHP's 8" snap-lock double-wall wood-burning chimney, reached through the SS-8DM starter section on the firebox's 12" collar — standard 8DM, or the stainless Hi-Temp 8HT that Canada requires. The system must run at least 14-1/2 feet from the base of the fireplace to the flue outlet (22 feet with two elbow sets, 50 feet maximum), and offsets at the fireplace use the 30E-12DMO-8DMR elbow set with 6 feet maximum between elbows. The termination sits 3 feet above the roof penetration and 2 feet above anything within 10 feet. Send us your ceiling heights and roofline and we will size the run with you.
How does the blower work, and do I need it?
It is optional either way — the fireplace burns wood fully without one. This is the circulating model: room air moves through the jacket behind the louvers, and the BK variable-speed blower speeds that flow. Connections land on a prewired receptacle behind the side cover plate (your electrician brings the power wiring), the control is a knob on the unit, and only IHP blowers keep the warranty.
Can I put gas logs in it?
Yes — it is approved for a vented gas log set (ANSI Z21.60 or Z21.84) or a vent-free gas log heater (ANSI Z21.11.2). Knockouts on either side take a 1/2" black iron gas line, run by a qualified installer. With a vented log the damper must be removed or locked fully open and the doors kept fully open; a vent-free log requires the IHP hood and the chimney in place.
What has to protect the floor in front of it?
Noncombustible floor protection extending at least 20" in front of the opening and 12" beyond each side — more than the 36" models need — rated k = 0.84 or less at 1" thick, faced in tile, slate, brick, stone or similar, and on this louvered model it must never block the bottom louver. An ember protector goes under the bottom front edge. Over carpet, tile or any combustible other than wood flooring, the fireplace itself also sets on a metal or wood panel covering its full footprint.
Can it go in a mobile or manufactured home?
Yes — it may be installed in an aftermarket, permanently located manufactured home (USA only) or mobile home where local codes do not prohibit it, but never in a sleeping room, and the structure of the floor, wall and ceiling must be maintained. Canada additionally requires the stainless Hi-Temp chimney parts and a cold air climate kit.
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. Keep your invoice and the model number; we hold the rest on file.
