The WRT3920-B from Superior
An EPA-certified wood-burning fireplace that heats like a stove — 12,000-53,300 BTU/hr on a variable air combustion control, 60% EPA estimated efficiency, and a 1.7 g/hr certification test emission value on cordwood. The Superior WRT3920 is a closed-combustion, clean-faced firebox: 2.0 cubic feet behind a steel door with ceramic glass, a 175 CFM blower and the required outside air kit both in the box, and slow burns that stretch a load of wood 6-8 hours. It frames to zero clearance into a 36" x 37-3/4" opening on a 6" chimney. from $5,249.
Choose the WRT3920 if you want real wood heat, not just a fire to look at — a sealed EPA-certified firebox that Superior rates to heat up to 1,500 square feet, reloads every 3-4 hours at a medium burn, and holds a fire overnight on the slow setting.
It is not right if what you want is an open hearth — this fireplace operates only with its door fully closed, so there is no open crackling fire; Superior's open WRT3500 wood fireplaces are the ones to look at for that. It is also the wrong box for gas logs: it was never tested with a gas log set or an insert, and installing one voids the certification and the warranty.
Specifications
Frame a rough opening 36" wide by 37-3/4" high and 22-1/2" deep for flush framing, parallel or in a corner, with 2" x 3" or heavier lumber — the enclosure runs at 0" to the standoffs, the chimney keeps 2", and the space above the fireplace stays empty of combustibles to 6' 8". Keep a side wall 24" from the firebox opening. The chimney is 6" — IHP Snap-Pak in the US, 12 feet minimum not counting the fireplace, 15 feet with offsets — and the floor in front takes non-combustible protection sized per Figures 8 and 9 on page 9 of the installation manual. Any mantel must be non-combustible, at the minimum height given in the manual's Clearance to Combustibles list on page 9. Listed to UL 127 and ULC-S610, Report No. 14-181.
How the WRT3920 compares to Superior's open wood fireplaces
The open WRT3538 (from $2,989) and WRT3543 (from $3,209) give you the traditional open hearth — bigger flame view, screens instead of a door, supplemental warmth only, and no published heat rating. This WRT3920, at from $5,249, trades the open front for a sealed EPA-certified firebox: 12,000-53,300 BTU/hr you can actually run all day, a blower in the box, and 6-8 hour burns. Pick by what the fireplace is for — the show, or the heat.
Features
- EPA-certified wood heater — 1.7 g/hr certification test emission value per the 2020 NSPS (cordwood), 60% EPA estimated efficiency
- 12,000-53,300 BTU/hr on the variable air combustion control, with slow burns stretching a load 6-8 hours
- 2.0 cubic foot insulated firebox takes logs up to 18" behind a steel door with ceramic glass and a 20" x 13-1/4" view of the fire
- 175 CFM heat-activated blower and variable speed control come standard
- Insulated outside air kit is in the box — its installation is required
- Zero-clearance enclosure on a 6" chimney — Snap-Pak in the US, listed Canadian systems, or a lined masonry chimney
Answers to common questions
How much area will it heat, and how long does a load burn?
Superior rates it to heat up to 1,500 square feet — an approximation that moves with insulation, climate and wood. Output spans 12,000-53,300 BTU/hr on the air combustion control: a medium burn delivers roughly 20,000 BTU/hr with reloads every 3-4 hours, and the slow setting stretches a load 6-8 hours — enough to hold a fire overnight. It is still sold as a supplemental heater, so keep another heat source in the house.
What chimney does it need?
A 6" wood-burning chimney. In the US that is the IHP Snap-Pak system — lengths, elbows, firestops, flashing and cap; in Canada, Security Chimneys Secure Temp ASHT+ or S2100+, or DuraVent DuraTech Canada or Premium. It can also tie into a new or existing masonry chimney with a 2100°F-rated stainless liner. Plan at least 12 feet of chimney above the fireplace, 15 feet if the run has offsets, and no more than four elbows at up to 30°. Send us your ceiling heights and roof pitch and we will size the run with you.
Does it need electricity?
Yes — the standard 175 CFM heat-activated blower runs on 120 V, and the electrical connection must be made to the fireplace's junction box by a qualified electrician BEFORE the fireplace is installed and enclosed. The supplied variable speed control wires in line so you can trim the airflow. The fire itself burns fine in an outage; only the blower stops.
Can I burn it with the door open, or put gas logs in it?
No to both. This is a closed-combustion fireplace: it operates only with the door fully closed — an open or partly open door can draw flame and smoke into the room. And it was never tested with a gas log set or a fireplace insert; installing either voids the certification and the warranty. Burn dry, seasoned natural wood only, ideally at 15-20% moisture.
What goes under and around it?
It sits directly on a combustible floor with the supplied safety metal strip under its front edge. In front, the floor needs non-combustible protection sized per Figures 8 and 9 on page 9 of the installation manual — thickness, depth, width and how far it runs past each side of the opening — sealed to the fireplace with non-combustible grout. Facing above the fireplace must be non-combustible where it overlaps the face, any mantel must be non-combustible at the minimum height given in the manual's Clearance to Combustibles list on page 9, and a side wall stays 24" from the opening. Send us your dimensions and we will read the drawings with you.
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: 20" x 13-1/4" glass viewing area; Stacked textured refractory interior panels with integrated ash lip; Cast iron log retainers (andirons); Steel door with ceramic glass, and safety metal strip; 175 CFM blower with variable speed control (rheostat); Insulated outside air kit — 4" intake pipe, sleeve, vent and hardware; EPA certified; UL 127 / ULC-S610 listed; 20-year limited warranty.
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Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Venting - 6" IHP Snap-Pak chimney with firestop spacers, flashing and cap in the US (listed Security Chimneys or DuraVent systems in Canada), 12 feet minimum height; Electrical - a 120 V connection to the blower's junction box, wired by a qualified electrician before the fireplace is enclosed; Floor Protection - non-combustible floor protection in front of the fireplace, sized per Figures 8 and 9 on page 9 of the installation manual, plus non-combustible facing on the wall above.
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Optional: The black Perimeter Trim Kit or Cast Surround Kit for the finished face, and the Central Forced Air Kit that ducts up to 25% more heat to as many as three other rooms — the fireplace heats fully without any of them.
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 ceramic glass carry a 20-year limited warranty; the blower and electrical components carry one year. Keep your invoice and the model number; we hold the rest on file.
