Went in to get quotes on four ventless fireplaces, two for our house and two for my son's house. While in the showroom we saw a ventless gas stove that was on sale and told our salesman we'd like to buy it as this was for an unfinished basement and would save us a lot. He said no problem and said he'd write it up. There was absolutely no indication that someone else already bought it but within 45 minutes our salesman called and said exactly that. Hmmmm . . .
So we went ahead with the other purchase for our house which was a set of ventless burner, logs, and hood. I had to pay 100% upfront but no one called to schedule an appointment. I had to inquire what was going on. Days later I got an appointment. Eventually the tech came out to install everything. He was ok. However, when he started to install the hood, which I researched extensively, he set it completely within the dimensions of the fireplace cut out. It did not protrude beyond the face of the brick like literally every picture of a hood, the purpose of which is explained to prevent heat from rising out of the firebox and scorching the underside of your mantle, tv, etc. If anything, this hood as installed, prevented heat from escaping into our family room, held more heat in the firebox, and made our fireplace look much smaller as it blocked the opening. I took readings and, with low flame, the underside of our mantle was 200*F. Heated air was traveling up the face of the brick, as it would without a hood, and encountering out mantle.
I called Graves to explain all this. Told them I didn't think the hood was doing anything or maybe was making everything more dangerous. I told them the installation looked nothing like every other one I saw. At first the service dept. guy, who had a picture of it, said it didn't look like it was installed properly, that it was set inside the firebox, and that he'd send someone out to make it right. Then he calls back and says he showed it to someone who thought it was installed correctly and that he'd send someone out to "look at it". So this guy shows up and, as expected, says everything looks good. He said the main purpose of the hood is to prevent hot air from getting into the gap (I looked - there is no gap) between the brick and firebox. I never once saw anything that stated that to be the purpose of a fireplace hood, let alone the main purpose. So I asked for a refund as the one I got from Graves now had holes drilled through it and obviously was the wrong hood for me. I learned the hood is supposed to be installed on clips that come with it. The guy said they don't even have a masonry bit and that this is the only hood they sell. Really? I think they just didn't want to do it. I've already purchased a new hood to install myself and I'll have to take the one Graves "installed" and return it. Beware. Things like this make me wonder what other shortcuts they took with the install. Needless to say my son won't be doing business with them. read more