Forge & Flame P42i-TC 20" Pellet Fireplace

Plan on about 1,050–2,100 sq ft in most homes, depending on your climate and layout. Harman rates it at 800 to 2,400 square feet, and it's aimed at small to medium homes that want thermostat-style pellet heat in a new wall, a remodel, or an addition.

The hopper. The 20-inch is the factory-built shorter hopper configuration, and it holds 47.5 lb of pellets versus 64.5 lb in the 24-inch, so you'll refill it more often. Both share the same 79% efficiency rating, heating capacity, and Easy Touch control.

Yes. The Harman zero-clearance cabinet comes in the package, and it's the only approved way to install this insert without a fireplace. Once the cabinet is framed in, the installer vents it with type PL pellet pipe through an exterior wall or the ceiling; flex pipe isn't approved there.

Yes, as long as it's not in a sleeping room and an outside combustion air inlet is provided. The manual requires a Harman outside air kit, grounding to the home's frame, listed Class PL connector pipe, and keeping the structural integrity of the floor, walls, and ceiling intact.

It's rated 79% efficient on the weighted-average higher heating value scale, or 84% on the lower heating value scale. The P42i-TC is EPA certified at 1.0 grams of emissions per hour and meets the 2020 EPA particulate emission standards.

Plan on a battery backup, because the P42i-TC's blower and controls need household power and a stopped combustion blower can let exhaust into the room. A tested TrippLite INTERNET750U UPS gives a safe shutdown only, while an approved inverter/charger on a 12-volt deep-cycle battery can keep it running for up to eight hours.

Yes, it's built around one. The Easy Touch control panel includes a programmable thermostat, and the wireless room sensor mounts on a wall up to 30 feet away so the unit heats to the temperature where you actually sit. A glass hopper lid lets you check your pellet level at a glance.

Matte black is the only finish; for porcelain brown, look at the Accentra52i-TC. The ceramic log is sold separately with its bracket kit, and you can add a surround extension or custom surround, a service rail kit, a flue rough-in support kit, an outside temperature kit, or an outside air adapter.