Monessen Artisan 42" Vent-Free Linear Gas Fireplace — 24,500 or 34,000 BTU
No chimney and no vent run — the Monessen Artisan 42 is an unvented linear gas fireplace that frames into any wall a gas line can reach, at 99.9% efficiency. It is sold in two heat tiers: the RB models at 24,500 BTU/hr on natural gas and the BU models at 34,000 (24,000 and 33,000 on propane), each as a dedicated natural-gas or propane unit. IntelliFire Touch 2.0 ignition with a battery backup, four bags of Diamond crushed glass media and the air-deflection glass ship in the carton behind a 42" x 17" opening; the framed rough opening is 46-5/8" wide by 39-3/4" high by 13-1/8" deep. from $2,969.
Choose the Artisan 42 if you want the linear Artisan look in the narrowest width, or if you want the lower 24,500 BTU/hr tier for a smaller or better-insulated room — the RB models are the only Artisan tier under 34,000 BTU/hr, and their mantel and TV clearances are the smaller set in the manual. It is the value entry to the series: the remote, LED hearth lighting and reflective black glass panels that ship standard on the 48 are add-on kits here, so you pay for them only if you want them.
It is not right for a bedroom or a bathroom — both are barred — or as the primary heat source for a home; it is listed as supplemental room heat. A vent-free heater also needs room: at least 50 cubic feet of space per 1,000 BTU/hr of gas appliances in it, so a small, tightly sealed room is the wrong place, and very tight construction should add mechanical ventilation because unvented appliances put moisture into the air. If you want the remote, the multicolour LED hearth lighting and the reflective black glass interior included rather than added, the Artisan 48 ships with all three.
Specifications
Frame a rough opening 46-5/8" wide by 39-3/4" high by 13-1/8" deep — 13-3/4" deep if you finish with Install Option 2, the recessed method the trim kit and faces use — or 47-7/8" along each wall for a corner installation. Keep 6" from the inside of the appliance to a combustible side wall and 36" from the opening to the ceiling; the back may sit against a combustible wall and the unit sits directly on a wood floor, never on carpet, vinyl or tile. Combustible mantel clearance depends on how deep the mantel is — see Figure 3.8 on page 16 of the installation manual (Figure 3.9 for the RB models). You can also send us your mantel depth. We're here to help! The 7-1/4" non-combustible board ships with the fireplace and must stay above the opening. Gas enters through the left side or the bottom to a factory 1/2" shutoff; natural gas runs 5.0"-10.0" w.c. inlet and propane 11.0"-13.0" w.c. with an external regulator. Ratings apply to 2,000 ft; above that the input drops 4% per 1,000 ft.
How the Artisan 42 compares to the other Artisan sizes
Every Artisan shares the 17" opening height, the IntelliFire Touch 2.0 ignition and the vent-free listing; they differ in width, output and what ships standard. This 42 frames 46-5/8" wide at 24,500 or 34,000 BTU/hr and starts at from $2,969; the 48 frames 52-5/8" wide at 39,000 BTU/hr and ships with the RC450 remote, LED hearth lighting and reflective black glass panels for from $4,019; the 48 see-through opens the same 48" x 17" view to two rooms, or to a room and a patio, at from $4,359; the 60 frames 64-5/8" wide at 40,000 BTU/hr, from $5,149, and the 72 frames 76-5/8" wide at the same 40,000 BTU/hr. On the 42 the remote, lighting and glass panels are add-on kits; on every other size they are in the carton.
Features
- Two heat tiers in one 42-inch firebox — RB models at 24,500 BTU/hr and BU models at 34,000 BTU/hr on natural gas (24,000 and 33,000 on propane)
- Vent-free and 99.9% efficient — no chimney and no vent run; it frames into a wall or a corner anywhere a gas line reaches
- IntelliFire Touch 2.0 ignition with a factory-installed battery backup that keeps the fire running through a power outage
- Four bags of Diamond crushed glass media, the air-deflection glass and the 7-1/4-inch non-combustible board ship in the carton
- The vent-free fire screen ships on the appliance — no separate front is needed to operate it; the trim kit and contemporary faces are purely a finish choice
- Approved for manufactured homes, and for any room with at least 50 cubic feet of volume per 1,000 BTU/hr
Answers to common questions
Does it need a chimney, a vent, or an outside air kit?
No — every model on this page installs the same way. The Artisan 42 is an unvented room heater: it burns room air, needs no flue or outside vent, and as a zero-clearance unit it frames against or into any wall a gas line reaches. What it does need is the room itself — at least 50 cubic feet of volume per 1,000 BTU/hr of gas appliances in the space — plus a 1/2" gas line and an unswitched 120 V circuit to its junction box.
Where can it go, and how close can a mantel, shelf or TV sit?
Any room except a bedroom or bathroom, out of drafts and traffic, with 36" from the opening to the ceiling and 6" from the inside of the appliance to a combustible side wall; the back can touch a combustible wall and it sits directly on a wood floor. Combustible mantel clearance depends on how deep the mantel is — see Figure 3.8 on page 16 of the installation manual (Figure 3.9 on the same page for the RB models). For a television, Monessen publishes good-faith TV guidelines — see Figure 3.12 on page 18 (Figure 3.13 on page 19 for the RB models) — and defers to the TV maker's own temperature limits, so measure the actual TV temperature at installation. You can also send us your mantel depth. We're here to help!
What is the difference between the 24,500 and 34,000 BTU models?
Both tiers are the same 42" firebox with the same ignition, framing and carton — the RB models are rated 24,500 BTU/hr maximum (17,500 minimum) on natural gas and the BU models 34,000 (23,500 minimum); on propane the figures are 24,000 and 33,000. The lower tier suits a smaller or better-insulated room — remember the 50 cubic feet per 1,000 BTU/hr room-size rule — and carries the smaller mantel and TV clearance set in the manual. Either tier is a dedicated natural-gas or propane unit; there is no field conversion.
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: 24,500 or 34,000 BTU/hr natural-gas input by model (24,000 or 33,000 on propane), variable flame; IntelliFire Touch 2.0 intermittent pilot ignition with ODS and a factory-installed battery backup pack; Fire screen (frame and screen assembly) — the vent-free safety barrier; Four bags of Diamond crushed glass media — the burning display that ships standard — and the air-deflection glass; 7-1/4" non-combustible board and anchoring screws; Factory-connected 1/2" T-handle gas shutoff valve and flexible connector; UL listing to ANSI Z21.11.2 for unvented room heaters, manufactured-home approved; HHT limited warranty — 20 years on the firebox, 10 years on burner and refractory, 5 years on the vent-free burner and logs.
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Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Gas Line - a 1/2" NPT supply to the built-in shutoff, natural gas or propane to match the model, run and purged by a qualified installer (propane also needs an external regulator holding 13" w.c. or less); Electrical - an unswitched 120 V circuit to the factory junction box, wired by a licensed electrician (GFCI-protected where codes require).
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Optional: Finish kits (satin black trim kit or a contemporary satin black or veined copper face), the IFT2-AVFL42LED light-and-remote kit, the RC450 remote or RC150U wireless wall switch, the Black Magic Glass panel kit, the stone kit, the driftwood log set and alternative fireglass colours — the fireplace operates fully without any of them.
How do I turn it on and adjust the flame without a remote?
Every 42 runs from its control module: with the selector in ON the burner lights and runs continuously at the high setting (with a 9-hour safety shutoff), and a low-voltage wall switch can be wired to it. Flame height adjustment needs a remote — add the IFT2-RC450 touchscreen remote (it comes with the LED kit, or on its own), the IFT-RC150U wireless wall switch for on/off, or the IFT-WFM Wi-Fi module to run it from the IntelliFire app.
What happens in a power outage?
It keeps burning on any model. The IntelliFire Touch 2.0 ignition has a factory-installed battery pack in the control cavity — load four AA batteries (not included) and the system switches from household power to battery automatically. Remote-dependent functions and any lights are lost on batteries, and the manual reserves battery operation for outages rather than everyday use.
Can I change the glass colour, add stones or logs?
Yes, within Monessen's approved list on any model. Four bags of Diamond fireglass ship standard; Bronze, Onyx and Sapphire are the other approved crushed glass colours, and you should not add more media than the bags supplied because too much starves the burner of air. The STONEKIT tumbled-look stones sit on the glass outside the burner, and the CDLS driftwood log set mounts on pins over it — but stones and logs are never installed together, and only Hearth & Home Technologies-approved accessories may be used in a vent-free firebox.
Does buying from The Torch Guys affect my Monessen warranty?
No. HHT's warranty covers Monessen products bought through an authorized dealer, and The Torch Guys is one — we register the appliance and, if you ever need to claim, we deal with the manufacturer on your behalf. The firebox and heat exchanger carry 20 years on parts and 3 on labour, the burner, logs and refractory 10 years, the vent-free burner and logs 5 years, and electrical components 2 years. Keep your invoice and the model number; we hold the rest on file.
