Napoleon High Definition 81 See-Through Direct Vent Gas Fireplace
The Napoleon High Definition 81 is a see-through direct vent gas fireplace: one fire, seen through a 36-3/4" by 30-3/4" ceramic glass door on each face, at up to 60,000 BTU/hr on natural gas or 50,000 on propane — from $8,979. You choose the fire — an oak log set, mineral rocks, or glass embers or beads — and the interior panels; the remote control, battery back-up, two accent lights and the safety screens on both faces come with it. It vents off the top on 8" / 11" pipe, frames into a 54-1/2" wide by 27-3/4" deep opening, and carries Napoleon's President's Lifetime Limited Warranty.
Choose the High Definition 81 if you want one fireplace to serve two rooms through the wall between them, with a large glass on each side, a choice of logs, rocks or glass, and the remote, accent lights and battery back-up already included. It is approved for bedrooms and bathrooms and certified for mobile homes.
It is not right for a wall that only shows one side, or for a shallow chase: it is a see-through fireplace that frames into a 27-3/4"-deep opening, needs at least 84" of enclosure height, and vents only off the top on large 8" / 11" pipe. It cannot use an existing chimney, so it is not a drop-in for a wood-burning fireplace.
Specifications
The framed opening is 54-1/2" wide, 49-1/2" high and 27-3/4" deep, built with the two steel stud framing kits that come with the fireplace; the fireplace itself measures 54-1/4" wide, 49-1/4" high and 28-3/4" deep. The enclosure needs at least 84" of inside height, measured from the bottom of the fireplace. Non-combustible finishing stays 7-5/8" from the sides and 16-1/16" from the top of the opening, and facing may stand out up to 2" past the face. Mantel clearances depend on the mantel's depth and are listed in section 4.5 on page 30 of the installation manual. The vent pipe needs 2" around horizontal runs and 1" around vertical runs (11-5/8" above and 3" around inside the enclosure), and the fireplace takes a 1/2" gas line.
Features
- See-through: one fire seen from two rooms, with a ceramic glass door and safety screen on each face
- Your choice of fire — an oak log set, mineral rocks, or glass embers or beads
- Remote control included: six flame heights, dimmable accent lights and split flow to run one burner or both
- Up to 60,000 BTU/hr on natural gas, 50,000 BTU/hr on propane
- Battery back-up keeps the electronic ignition working through a power outage
- Vents off the top on 8" / 11" direct vent pipe, through a wall or the roof
Answers to common questions
What venting does the High Definition 81 need?
It is a direct vent fireplace on an 8" exhaust / 11" air-intake pipe that leaves the top of the unit and runs out through a wall or up through the roof: a vertical rise of 3 ft to 40 ft, and up to 20 ft horizontally (a 20 ft run needs a 57" rise straight off the fireplace). Napoleon's flexible 8" / 11" pipe kits and wall or roof terminals are sized to your installation and ordered separately, and an existing chimney cannot be used. The outside terminal clearances are listed on page 11 of the installation manual.
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: Electronic pilot-on-demand ignition with the remote control; Split-flow burner control from the remote; Battery back-up control (runs on 4 AA batteries); Two Night Light accent lights; 5 mm ceramic glass door and safety barrier screen on each face; Two steel stud framing kits with cement board.
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Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Burning Display - choose from one of three burner configurations: glass, rocks or logs; Interior Panel - required, the pair of side panels that line the firebox, sold separately in MIRRO-FLAME reflective black porcelain; Venting - 8" / 11" direct vent pipe and a wall or roof termination sized for your run (see pg 9 in the installation manual); Electrical - a 115 V supply hard-wired to the fireplace's junction box; Gas Line - a 1/2" gas supply to the fireplace's shut-off valve.
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Optional: A power vent adaptor kit and the Wall Mount Control — the fireplace operates fully without either of them.
Which burner should I choose?
It comes down to the look. The oak log set burner comes with PHAZER logs, Sandstone hearth panels for the floor of the firebox, glowing embers and charcoal embers, with most logs doubled so both faces show a log fire. The mineral rock burner comes with its rocks and a porcelain base. The glass embers burner takes glass embers in amber, black, blue, clear, red or topaz, or glass beads in amber, black, blue, clear or topaz. All three are installed in the same firebox and run on the remote's split flow.
How much heat does it put out?
It is rated up to 60,000 BTU/hr input on natural gas (38,753 BTU/hr steady-state output) and 50,000 BTU/hr on propane (33,677 BTU/hr output), with six flame heights on the remote and split flow to switch the second burner on or off.
Where can it be installed?
Indoors, in a wall between two rooms or spaces, including bedrooms, bathrooms and bed-sitting rooms, and it is certified for mobile and manufactured homes where local codes allow (fastened in place). It is rated to 4,500 ft, with the input reduced above that. No hearth extension is needed; on carpet or vinyl it sits on a full-size metal or wood panel. Keep furniture at least 48" from each face, and do not run it below freezing. For a mantel above it, see section 4.5 on page 30 of the installation manual.
What gas and electrical connections does it need?
A 1/2" natural gas or propane line to the fireplace's flex connector and shut-off valve — natural gas at a 4.5" w.c. minimum inlet pressure, propane at 11" to 13" w.c. It is hard-wired to a 115 V supply at its junction box, and the remote receiver mounts in a wall switch box within 8 ft of the fireplace; the battery back-up keeps it running in an outage. It ships for natural gas, and a certified Napoleon kit converts it to propane.
Does buying from The Torch Guys affect my Napoleon warranty?
No. The Torch Guys is an authorized Napoleon dealer, so the President's Lifetime Limited Warranty applies in full, and we file claims with Napoleon for you. The firebox, burner, PHAZER logs and embers, rocks and the ceramic glass (against heat breakage) are covered for as long as you own the fireplace — parts free for the first 10 years, then at half of retail; blowers, valves, remotes and other electrical parts and the labour are covered for the first year. Coverage starts on the installation date.
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