Desa UNVENTED (VENT-FREE) PROPANE GAS FIREPLACE Quick start guide

OWNER’S OPERATION AND INSTALLATION MANUAL
Manually Controlled
DESA INTERNATIONAL
UNVENTED (VENT-FREE)
PROPANE GAS FIREPLACE
Shown with optional
cabinet mantel, hearth
base, and trim
accessories.
WARNING: If the information in this manual is not followed exactly, a fire or
explosion may result causing property damage, personal injury, or loss of life.
— Do not store or use gasoline or other flammable vapors and liquids in the vicinity
of this or any other appliance.
— WHAT TO DO IF YOU SMELL GAS
• Do not try to light any appliance.
• Do not touch any electrical switch; do not use any phone in your building.
• Immediately call your gas supplier from a neighbor’s phone. Follow the gas
supplier’s instructions.
• If you cannot reach your gas supplier, call the fire department.
— Installationandservicemustbeperformedbyaqualifiedinstaller,serviceagency,
or the gas supplier.
WARNING: This is an unvented gas-fired heater. It uses air (oxygen) from the
roominwhichitisinstalled.Provisionsforadequatecombustionandventilation
air must be provided. Refer to the Air for Combustion and Ventilation section in
this manual.
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Save this manual for future reference.

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101969
CONTENTS SECTION PAGE
SAFETY
INFORMATION WARNING ICON G 001 WARNINGS
IMPORTANT: Read this owner’s manual carefully and completely before
trying to assemble, operate, or service this fireplace. Improper use of this
fireplace can cause serious injury or death from burns, fire, explosion,
electrical shock, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
WARNINGICON G001 DANGER
Carbon monoxide poisoning may lead to death!
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning resemble
theflu,withheadaches,dizziness,ornausea.Ifyou have these signs,thefireplacemaynot
be working properly. Get fresh air at once! Have fireplace serviced. Some people are
more affected by carbon monoxide than others. These include pregnant women, people
withheartorlungdiseaseoranemia,thoseundertheinfluenceofalcohol,andthoseathigh
altitudes.
Propane Gas: Propane gas is odorless. An odor-making agent is added to the gas. The
odor helps you detect a gas leak. However, the odor added to the gas can fade. Gas may be
present even though no odor exists.
Make certain you read and understand all Warnings. Keep this manual for reference. It is
your guide to safe and proper operation of this fireplace.
Safety Information continues on next page
Safety Information................................................................................... 2
Product Identification .............................................................................. 4
Local Codes ............................................................................................. 5
Unpacking................................................................................................ 5
Product Features ...................................................................................... 5
Air for Combustion and Ventilation........................................................ 6
Installing .................................................................................................. 9
Check Gas Type ............................................................................... 9
Assembling and Attaching Brass Trim ............................................ 10
Installation Clearances ..................................................................... 11
Conventional Fireplace Installation ................................................. 11
Built-In Fireplace Installation .......................................................... 13
Installing Gas Piping to Fireplace Location ..................................... 15
Connecting Fireplace to Gas Supply ................................................ 17
Checking Gas Connections .............................................................. 18
Installing Logs.................................................................................. 20
Operating Fireplace ................................................................................. 22
Inspecting Burners................................................................................... 25
Cleaning and Maintenance ...................................................................... 26
Troubleshooting....................................................................................... 26
Technical Service .................................................................................... 30
Service Hints ........................................................................................... 30
Replacement Parts ................................................................................... 31
Specifications .......................................................................................... 31
Wiring Diagram....................................................................................... 31
Accessories .............................................................................................. 32
Illustrated Parts Lists ............................................................................... 34-37
Warranty Information .............................................................................. Back Cover

3
101969
SAFETY
INFORMATION
Continued
WARNING ICON G 001
WARNINGS Continued
WARNING: Any change to this fireplace or its controls can be dangerous.
1. Use only propane gas. Do not convert fireplace to use different fuel type.
2. Do not place propane supply tank(s) inside any structure. Locate propane supply
tank(s) outdoors.
3. If you smell gas
• shut off gas supply
• do not try to light any appliance
• do not touch any electrical switch; do not use any phone in your building
• immediately call your gas supplier from a neighbor’s phone. Follow the gas
supplier’s instructions
• if you cannot reach your gas supplier, call the fire department
4. This fireplace shall not be installed in a bedroom or bathroom.
5. Never install the fireplace
• in a recreational vehicle
• where curtains, furniture, clothing, or other flammable objects are less than 36
inches from the front, top, or sides of the fireplace
• in high traffic areas
• in windy or drafty areas
6. Do not use this fireplace as a wood-burning fireplace. Use only the logs provided
with the fireplace.
7. Do not add extra logs or ornaments such as pine cones, vermiculite, or rock wool.
Using these added items can cause sooting. Do not add lava rock around base. Rock
and debris could fall into the control area of fireplace.
8. You must operate this fireplace with the fireplace screen in place. Make sure
fireplace screen is in place before running fireplace.
9. This fireplace is designed to be smokeless. If logs ever appear to smoke, turn off
fireplace and call a qualified service person. Note: During initial operation, slight
smoking may occur due to log curing and fireplace burning manufacturing residues.
10. Avoid any drafts that alter burner flame patterns. Do not allow fans to blow directly
into fireplace. Do not place a blower inside burn area of firebox. Ceiling fans may
create drafts that alter burner flame patterns. Sooting and improper burning will
occur. Sooting can settle on household surfaces outside the fireplace.
11. This fireplace needs fresh air ventilation to run properly. This fireplace has an
oxygen depletion sensor (ODS) pilot light safety system. The ODS shuts down the
fireplace if not enough fresh air is available. See Air for Combustion and Ventila-
tion, pages 6 through 8. If fireplace keeps shutting off, see Troubleshooting, pages
26 through 30.
12. Do not run fireplace
• where flammable liquids or vapors are used or stored
• under dusty conditions
13. Do not use this fireplace to cook food or burn paper or other objects.
14. Never place any objects in the fireplace or on logs.
15. Fireplace front and screen becomes very hot when running fireplace. Keep children
and adults away from hot surfaces to avoid burns or clothing ignition. Fireplace will
remain hot for a time after shut-down. Allow surfaces to cool before touching.
16. Carefully supervise young children when they are in the room with fireplace.
17. Do not use fireplace if any part has been exposed to or under water. Immediately
call a qualified service technician to inspect the fireplace and to replace any part of
the control system and any gas control which has been under water.
18. Do not operate fireplace if any log is broken. Do not operate fireplace if a log is
chipped (dime-sized or larger).
19. Turn fireplace off and let cool before servicing. Only a qualified service person
should service and repair fireplace.
20. Operating fireplace above elevations of 4,500 feet may cause pilot outage.

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101969
PRODUCT
IDENTIFICATION
Figure 1 - Log Base Assembly
Base
Rear Burner
Right Front
Branch
(#5)
Front
Burner
Front Log (#2)
Left Front
Branch
(#4)
Rear Log (#1)
Crossover Log (#3)
Gas
Regulator
Piezo
Ignitor
Control
Knob
Figure 2 - Fireplace
Top Louver
Assembly
Firebox
Hood
Bottom Louver
Assembly
Screen
Assembly
Top Outer
Casing
Firebox
Support
Side
Access
Door
Rear
Access
Door

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101969
LOCAL CODES Install and use fireplace with care. Follow all local codes. In the absence of local
codes, use the latest edition of The National Fuel Gas Code ANSI Z223, also
known as NFPA 54*.
*Available from: American National Standards Institute, Inc.
1430 Broadway
New York, NY 10018
National Fire Protection Association, Inc.
Batterymarch Park
Quincy, MA 02269
UNPACKING 1. Remove trim kit and cartons containing logs from carton. Place the carton
containing the fireplace unit on its back. Hold fireplace and pull the carton and
pallet away.
2. Remove protective packaging applied to logs, log base assembly, and fireplace.
You may not want to remove protective plastic on front of fireplace until after
installing. This will protect fireplace from dust, debris, and damage during
installation.
3. Check all items for any shipping damage. If damaged, promptly inform dealer
where you bought fireplace.
PRODUCT
FEATURES
Operation
Thisvent-freefireplaceiscleanburning.Itrequiresnooutsideventing.Thereisnoheat
lossouta vent orupa chimney. Heatis generated by bothrealistic flames and glowing
embers. The fireplace requires no electricity making it ideal for emergency back-up
heat.
Safety Device
This fireplace has a pilot with an Oxygen Depletion Sensor Shutoff System (ODS).
The ODS/pilot is a required feature for vent-free room heaters. The ODS system
shuts off the fireplace if there is not enough fresh air.
Piezo Ignition System
This fireplace has a piezo ignitor. This system requires no matches, batteries, or
other sources to light fireplace.
Manual Control
This fireplace has a manual control valve which allows the user to choose the heat
setting that best suits his needs. The low, medium, or high setting may be selected
by simply turning the control knob.

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101969
AIR FOR
COMBUSTION
AND
VENTILATION
WARNING ICON G 001
WARNING
Thisfireplacemusthavefreshairforproperoperation.
If not, poor fuel combustion could result. Read the
followinginstructionstoinsureproperfreshairforthis
and other fuel-burning appliances in your home.
Today’s homes are built more energy efficient than ever. New materials, increased
insulation, and new construction methods help reduce heat loss in homes. Home
owners weather strip and caulk around windows and doors to keep the cold air out and
the warm air in. During heating months, home owners want their homes as airtight as
possible.
While it is good to make your home energy efficient, your home needs to breathe.
Fresh air must enter your home. Fresh air enters the home through and around doors
and windows. This may provide enough fresh air for combustion and ventilation. All
fuel-burning appliances need fresh air for proper combustion and ventilation.
Exhaust fans, fireplaces, clothes dryers, and fuel burning appliances draw air from the
house to operate. You must provide adequate fresh air for these appliances. This will
insure proper venting of vented fuel-burning appliances.
PROVIDING ADEQUATE VENTILATION
The following are excerpts from the National Fuel Gas Code NFPA 54/ANSI Z223.1,
Section 5.3, Air for Combustion and Ventilation.
All spaces in homes fall into one of the three following ventilation classifications:
1. Unusually Tight Construction; 2. Unconfined Space; 3. Confined Space.
The information on pages 6 through 8 will help you classify your space and provide
adequate ventilation.
Unusually Tight Construction
The air that leaks around doors and windows may provide enough fresh air for com-
bustion and ventilation. However, in buildings of unusually tight construction, you
must provide additional fresh air.
Unusually tight construction is defined as construction where:
a. walls and ceilings exposed to the outside atmosphere have a continu-
ous water vapor retarder with a rating of one perm or less with open-
ings gasketed or sealed
and
b. weather stripping has been added on openable windows and doors and
c. caulking or sealants are applied to areas such as joints around window
and door frames, between sole plates and floors, between wall-ceiling
joints, between wall panels, at penetrations for plumbing, electrical, and
gas lines, and at other openings.
If your home meets all of the three criteria above, you must provide additional
fresh air. See
Ventilation Air From Outdoors , page 8 .
If your home does not meet all of the three criteria above, proceed to page 7.
Unconfined Space
An unconfined space has a minimum air volume of 50 cubic feet for each 1000 Btu/
Hr input rating of all appliances in the space (cubic feet equals length x width x
height of space). Include adjoining rooms only if there are doorless passageways or
ventilation grills between the rooms.
If the Btu per 50 cubic feet is less than 1000 Btu/Hr, then the fresh air will be
provided by the natural air flow into the house.
Confined Space
A confined space has an air volume of less than 50 cubic feet for each 1000 Btu/Hr
input rating of all appliances in the space (cubic feet equals length x width x height
of space). Include adjoining rooms only if there are doorless passageways or
ventilation grills between the rooms.

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101969
AIR FOR
COMBUSTION
AND
VENTILATION
Continued
DETERMINING AIR FLOW FOR FIREPLACE LOCATION
Determining if You Have a Confined or Unconfined Space
Use this work sheet to determine if you have a confined or unconfined space.
Space: Includes the room in which you will install fireplace plus any adjoining rooms
with doorless passageways or ventilation grills between the rooms.
1. Determine the volume of the space (length x width x height).
Length x Width x Height = ___________________ cu. ft. (volume of space)
Example: Space size 22 ft. (length) x 18 ft. (width) x 8 ft. (ceiling height) =
3168 cu. ft. (volume of space)
If additional ventilation to adjoining room is supplied with grills or openings, add the
volume of these rooms to the total volume of the space.
2. Divide the space volume by 50 cubic feet to determine the maximum Btu/Hr the space
can support.
____________ (volume of space) ÷50 cu. ft. = (Maximum Btu/Hr
the space can support)
Example: 3168 cu. ft. (volume of space) ÷50 cu. ft. = 63.3 or 63,300 (maximum
Btu/Hr the space can support)
3. Add the Btu/Hr of all fuel burning appliances in the space.
Vent-free fireplace ___________________ Btu/Hr
Gas water heater* ___________________ Btu/Hr
Gas furnace ___________________ Btu/Hr
Vented gas heater ___________________ Btu/Hr
Gas fireplace logs ___________________ Btu/Hr
Other gas appliances* +___________________ Btu/Hr
Total =___________________ Btu/Hr
Example: Gas water heater 40,000 Btu/Hr
Vent-free fireplace +28,000 Btu/Hr
Total =68,000 Btu/Hr
* Do not include direct-vent gas appliances. Direct-vent draws combustion air from the
outdoors and vents to the outdoors.
4. Compare the maximum Btu/Hr the space can support with the actual amount of Btu/Hr
used.
_________________ Btu/Hr (maximum the space can support)
_________________ Btu/Hr (actual amount of Btu/Hr used)
Example: 63,300 Btu/Hr (maximum the space can support)
68,000 Btu/Hr (actual amount of Btu/Hr used)
The space in the above example is a confined space because the actual Btu/Hr used is more
than the maximum Btu/Hr the space can support. You must provide additional fresh air.
Your options are as follows:
A. Rework work sheet, adding the space of an adjoining room. If the extra space provides
an unconfined space, remove door to adjoining room or add ventilation grills between
rooms. See Ventilation Air from Inside Building, page 8.
B. Vent room directly to the outdoors. See Ventilation Air from Outdoors, page 8.
C. Install a lower Btu/Hr fireplace, if lower Btu/Hr size makes room unconfined.
If the actual Btu/Hr used is less than the maximum Btu/Hr the space can support, the space
is an unconfined space. You will need no additional fresh air ventilation.
WARNING ICON G 001
WARNING
You must provide additional ventilation air in a
confined space.
Continued

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101969
AIR FOR
COMBUSTION
AND
VENTILATION
Continued
VENTILATION AIR
Ventilation Air from Inside Building
This fresh air would come from an adjoining unconfined space. When ventilating to an
adjoining unconfined space, you must provide two permanent openings: one within 12"
of the ceiling and one within 12" of the floor on the wall connecting the two spaces (see
options 1 and 2, Figure 3). Follow the National Fuel Gas Code NFPA 54/ANSI Z223.1,
Section 5.3, Air for Combustion and Ventilation for required size of ventilation grills or
ducts. You can also remove door into adjoining room (see option 3, Figure 3).
Outlet
Air Ventilated
Attic
Outlet
Air
Inlet
Air
Inlet Air Ventilated
Crawl Space
To
Crawl
Space
To Attic
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Figure 4 - Ventilation Air from Outdoors
Ventilation Air from Outdoors
Provide extra fresh air by using ventilation grills or ducts. You must provide two
permanent openings: one within 12" of the ceiling and one within 12" of the floor.
Connect these items directly to the outdoors or spaces open to the outdoors. These
spaces include attics and crawl spaces. Follow the National Fuel Gas Code NFPA 54/
ANSI Z223.1, Section 5.3, Air for Combustion and Ventilation for required size of
ventilation grills or ducts. IMPORTANT: Do not provide openings for inlet or outlet
air into attic if attic has a thermostat-controlled power vent. Heated air entering the
attic will activate the power vent.
Figure 3 - Ventilation Air from Inside Building
WARNING ICON G 001
WARNING
Re-calculate work sheet, adding the space of the
adjoining unconfined space. The combined spaces
must have enough fresh air to supply all appliances in
both spaces.
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Or
Remove
Door into
Adjoining
Room,
Option
3
Ventilation Grills
Into Adjoining Room,
Option 2
Ventilation
Grills
Into Adjoining
Room,
Option 1
12"
12"

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101969
INSTALLING NOTICE
A qualified service person must install fireplace. Fol-
low all local codes.
WARNING ICON G 001
WARNING
Never install the fireplace
• in a bedroom or bathroom
• in a recreational vehicle
• where curtains, furniture, clothing, or other flam-
mable objects are less than 36 inches from the
front, top, or sides of the fireplace
• in high traffic areas
• in windy or drafty areas
Continued
IMPORTANT: Vent-free heaters add moisture to the air. Although this is beneficial,
installing fireplace in rooms without enough ventilation air may cause mildew to
form from too much moisture. See Air for Combustion and Ventilation, pages 6
through 8.
IMPORTANT: Make sure the fireplace is level. If fireplace is not level, log set will
not work properly.
WARNING ICON G 001
CAUTION
This fireplace creates warm air currents. These cur-
rents move heat to wall surfaces next to fireplace.
Installingfireplacenexttovinylorclothwallcoverings
oroperatingfireplacewhereimpuritiesintheair(such
as tobacco smoke) exist, may discolor walls.
CHECK GAS TYPE
Use only propane gas. If your gas supply is not propane gas, do not install fireplace.
Call dealer where you bought fireplace for proper type fireplace.

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101969
INSTALLING
Continued
ASSEMBLING AND ATTACHING BRASS TRIM
Note: The instructions below show assembling and attaching brass trim to fire-
place. You cannot attach the brass trim as described below for built-in installation
(see page 13).
1. Remove packaging from three pieces of brass trim.
2. Locate four brass screws, two adjusting plates with set screws, and two shims
in the hardware packet.
3. Align shim under adjusting plate as shown in Figure 5.
4. Slide one end of adjusting plate/shim in slot on mitered edge of top brass trim
(see Figure 5).
5. Slide other end of adjusting plate/shim in slot on mitered edge of side brass
trim (see Figure 5).
6. While firmly holding edges of brass trim together, tighten both set screws on
the adjusting plate with slotted screwdriver.
7. Repeat steps 1 through 6 for other side.
Figure 6 - Attaching Brass Trim to Fireplace
Assembled
Brass Trim
Screws
Side Brass Trim Top Brass Trim
Slot
Mitered Edge
Slot
Shim
Set Screws
Adjusting
Plate
Figure 5 - Assembling Brass Trim
8. Place the assembled trim onto fireplace cabinet. Attach to fireplace with brass
screws included in hardware package (see Figure 6).