Forge & Flame P42i-TC 24" Pellet Fireplace

In most homes, expect it to heat 1,050–2,100 sq ft, depending on your climate and layout. Harman's own rating is broader, at 800 to 2,400 square feet, and the unit is rated 79% efficient (weighted average, higher heating value).

No. It comes with the Harman zero-clearance cabinet, which the installation manual calls the only permissible way to install the P42i-TC without a suitable fireplace. The cabinet builds into a framed wall, and you finish around it with tile or stone like any built-in fireplace.

Less often than on the 20-inch version: the 24-inch hopper holds 64.5 lb of pellets, compared with 47.5 lb. The feed rate runs from 0.93 to 5.3 lb per hour, so time between fills depends on how hard it's working, and Harman's bottom-up PelletPro feed is designed for 24-hour heating.

It uses a 4-inch vent. Inside the zero-clearance cabinet, the installer runs type PL pellet vent pipe through an exterior wall or up through the ceiling, and flex pipe isn't approved for that setup. For wall-vented installs, the manual recommends at least 60 inches of vertical pipe to create natural draft.

No. The blower and controls run on household power, and when the combustion blower stops, exhaust can seep into the room. The manual recommends a Harman-approved UPS for a safe shutdown, or an approved inverter/charger on a 12-volt deep-cycle battery that can run the unit for up to eight hours.

You set it on the Easy Touch control panel, and a wireless room sensor reads the temperature where you mount it, up to 30 feet from the unit. Harman's Exhaust Sensing Probe then adjusts heat output to hold your set temperature within one degree, and the brochure lists a built-in programmable thermostat.

The zero-clearance cabinet, the distribution blower, and the standard surround come with it, and matte black is the only finish. The ceramic log, surround extension or custom surround up to 60 by 47 inches, service rail kit, flue rough-in support kit, outside temperature kit, and outside air adapter are all extra.

Scrape the burn pot every time you add pellets, or at least every 3 bags, and empty the ash pan weekly. Each month, clean the heat exchanger, distribution fan and igniter, and before every heating season do the yearly Total Clean of the combustion fan, venting and door gasket. The Easy Touch control prompts you to scrape, empty the ash pan and do the total clean.