Monessen Symphony 32" Vent-Free Gas Fireplace — Log Set, Burner and Mesh Screen Included
No chimney and no vent run — the Monessen Symphony 32 is a 32-inch vent-free gas fireplace system rated 28,000 BTU/hr on natural gas or 27,000 on propane, with a millivolt or electronic ignition by model. It frames into a 32-1/2" wide by 30-1/4" high by 13-3/8" deep rough opening behind a 28-3/4" x 19-1/2" viewing area, and it ships complete: the seven-log refractory log set, burner, cast-iron grate, mesh screen and canopy are all in the carton, with the interior panel kits above the cart as the only upgrade to decide. from $1,859.
Choose the Symphony if you want a compact traditional log fire that is complete out of the box — a smaller room, a slimmer 14-1/2" deep wall or a corner where a deeper firebox will not go — and you would rather not assemble a burner, log set and front from parts ordered separately. Take the millivolt control if you want a fire that needs no wiring and keeps working through any outage; take the electronic control if you want push-button lighting from a wall switch or remote with a cold-climate pilot setting. Add an interior panel kit above the cart if the standard firebox interior is too plain for the room, and a face, trim kit or blower below it.
It is not right for a bedroom or a bathroom, or as the primary heat source for a home; it is listed as a supplemental zone heater. A vent-free heater also needs room air: at least 50 cubic feet of space per 1,000 BTU/hr of gas appliances in it, so a small or unusually tight room is the wrong place, and it puts moisture into the air, so very tight construction should add mechanical ventilation. It cannot be run with glass doors closed, and it is a traditional log fire only — the contemporary glass-media version in the manual is not sold here. If you need a wider opening or more heat, Monessen's Aria 32 is 37" wide overall, with a 32" x 21-3/4" viewing opening, at 37,000 BTU/hr.
Specifications
Frame a rough opening 32-1/2" wide by 30-1/4" high by 13-3/8" deep, or 41" along each wall with a 58" diagonal for a corner; the headers may rest on the firebox and the unit nails to the studs through its flanges and anchors to the floor with two supplied screws. Keep 9" from the inside of the appliance to a combustible side wall and 42" from the top of the opening to the ceiling; the back may touch a combustible wall and the unit sits directly on a wood floor, never on carpet, vinyl or tile without a full-size base. Combustible mantel clearance depends on how far the mantel projects — see Figure 7 on page 10 of the installation manual (Figure 8 for mantel legs); the Barrington BWC300, BWC400 and BWC500 cabinet mantels are built to comply. You can also send us your mantel depth. We're here to help! Gas enters through the side access door to a factory 1/2" shutoff and 18" flex line; natural gas runs 3.5" w.c. at the manifold from a 5.0" minimum inlet, and propane 10.0" w.c. from an 11.0"-13.0" inlet behind an external regulator. Ratings apply to 2,000 ft; above that the input drops 4% per 1,000 ft.
How the Symphony 32 compares to the Aria 32
Both are Monessen vent-free fireplace systems with the same millivolt-or-electronic ignition choice; they differ in size, output and what is in the carton. The Symphony is the compact one — 32" wide, 30" high and 14-1/2" deep behind a 28-3/4" x 19-1/2" opening at 28,000 BTU/hr on natural gas — and it ships with its seven-log set included, from $1,859. The Aria 32 is 37" wide, 34-1/2" high and 18-5/8" deep behind a 32" x 21-3/4" opening at 37,000 BTU/hr, and you choose and add its 24-inch log set separately, from from $2,019.
Features
- Vent-free at 28,000 BTU/hr on natural gas or 27,000 on propane — zero clearance at the back, no chimney and no vent run, into a 32-1/2" x 30-1/4" x 13-3/8" rough opening on a flat wall or a corner
- The seven-log refractory log set, burner, cast-iron grate and rock wool ship in the carton — nothing else to buy to complete it
- Millivolt models run with no electricity at all; the EcoLogic IPI electronic models add automatic lighting, a cold-climate standing-pilot switch and roughly 48 hours of battery back-up
- Framed mesh screen and canopy ship with it — no separate front or barrier to buy — and the ODS pilot shuts the gas off if room oxygen drops
- Dress it your way: optional firebrick, black porcelain or Black Magic glass interior panels above the cart, and a 160 CFM thermostatic blower, a Decorative or Transitional face and a black trim kit below it
- Listed to ANSI Z21.11.2 and CSA design certified; approved for manufactured homes where local codes allow
Answers to common questions
Does it need a chimney, a vent or an outside-air kit?
No — no model on this page needs a chimney or a vent run. The Symphony 32 is an unvented room heater: it burns room air and installs as a zero-clearance unit 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, counting adjoining rooms open to it through doorless openings — plus a 1/2" gas line to the factory shutoff.
Where can it go, and how close can a mantel or shelf sit?
Any room except a bedroom or bathroom, out of drafts and traffic, with 9" from the inside of the appliance to a combustible side wall and 42" from the top of the opening to the ceiling; the back can touch a combustible wall and it sits directly on a wood floor (never on carpet, vinyl or tile without a full-size metal or wooden base, and vinyl needs 14" of floor protection in front). Combustible mantel clearance depends on how far the mantel projects — see Figure 7 on page 10 of the installation manual, and Figure 8 on the same page for mantel legs; the supplied canopy must be installed. Monessen's Barrington BWC300, BWC400 and BWC500 cabinet mantels are built to comply. You can also send us your mantel depth. We're here to help!
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: 28,000 BTU/hr natural-gas or 27,000 BTU/hr propane input by model, with variable flame height; Millivolt piezo standing pilot or EcoLogic IPI electronic ignition, by model; Seven-piece refractory cement log set, burner, cast-iron grate and rock wool; Standard firebox interior — the interior panel kits above the cart are optional upgrades; ODS safety pilot that shuts the gas off if room oxygen drops; Framed mesh screen, black canopy with three screws, four black screws and two anchoring screws; Factory-fitted 18-inch stainless flex connector with a listed 1/2-inch T-handle manual shutoff; ANSI Z21.11.2 listing, CSA design certification, manufactured-home approval; HHT limited warranty — 20 years on the firebox, 10 years on the 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-inch supply in new black iron or steel pipe to the factory shutoff, with an upstream manual shutoff, union tee, 1/8-inch NPT test point and sediment trap, run and purged by a qualified installer or licensed plumber; propane also needs an external regulator holding the tank supply at 13 inches w.c. or less; Electrical (electronic-ignition models only) - a 120 V, 60 Hz circuit to the factory junction box for the 6 V adapter, wired by a licensed electrician before the fireplace is framed; the millivolt models need no electricity, and a 120 V outlet is only needed if the optional blower is added.
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Optional: Interior panels above the cart (Cinnamon or Colonial Red firebrick, Black Porcelain or Black Magic Glass); below it the BLOT 160 CFM thermostatic blower (installed before the fireplace goes in and wired before framing), the MVWS wall switch, RCB or TSST remotes and TS thermostat sensor, the VFC32TK black trim kit and the black Decorative or Transitional face — the fireplace operates fully without any of them.
Millivolt or electronic ignition — what is the difference, and do I need an electrician?
The millivolt models have a standing pilot you light once a season with the built-in piezo button, need no electricity at all, and adjust flame height at the LOW/HI knob; a wall switch, thermostat or RCB/TSST remote can be added on low-voltage wire. The electronic (EcoLogic IPI) models light the pilot and burner automatically from a wall switch or the RMSC hand-held remote, need a licensed electrician to wire a 120 V circuit to the factory junction box before the fireplace is framed, and add a cold-climate switch that keeps the pilot standing in a cold room; flame height from the remote needs a separate stepper-motor kit. Both are dedicated natural-gas or propane units — there is no field conversion.
What happens in a power outage?
It keeps burning whichever ignition you choose. A millivolt model never uses household power — its pilot generates the millivolts that run the valve, so nothing changes. An electronic model switches to its battery back-up, rated for roughly 48 hours of on/off operation (using high/low from a remote shortens that); the batteries are for outages, not everyday use.
Can I add a blower, a face or a trim kit later?
A face or trim kit, yes — the black Decorative and Transitional faces and the VFC32TK trim kit are finishing frames that fit the finished opening at any time, and the fireplace is complete without one. The BLOT 160 CFM thermostatic blower is the one to decide up front: the manual has it installed before the fireplace goes in and its 120 V connection made before the firebox is framed, so plan power at the fireplace if you think you will want it.
Why does it smell the first time, and how often does it need service?
Every new unit burns off manufacturing oils for its first hours on high — open windows and let the odour clear; anything after that will be slight and fade with use. Because it burns room air, Monessen wants an unvented heater cleaned before use and at least once a year by a professional: burner air-intake holes, burner ports and the ODS pilot must stay free of lint, and candles, incense or oil lamps burned nearby leave soot the heater cannot filter.
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 and liner panels 2 years; the warranty transfers with the home. Keep your invoice and the model number; we hold the rest on file.
