Urbana U37, U44 and U55 Traditional Gas Fireplace
Get Started HereI Have A Question

Urbana U37, U44 and U55 Traditional Gas Fireplace Selection and Installation

A fireplace selected around your room

A traditional fire view can still belong in a clean, contemporary room. Urbana’s U37, U44 and U55 fireplaces combine substantial, upright openings with a louver-free face, giving you the visual weight of a classic fireplace without a busy front grille. The three sizes make it possible to choose proportions that suit the room rather than force one opening into every design.

Serving the Triangle and surrounding Central North Carolina communities.

These are appearance-led fireplaces. The manufacturer classifies the U37, U44 and U55 as decorative gas appliances and states that they are not a source of heat. They still become hot and require careful clearance and heat-management planning, but they should not be selected or sized as room heaters. If heating performance is your primary goal, Chimneys Plus can help you compare a suitable heater-rated model.

Design choices that make a difference

The U37 and U44 offer square or arched firebox designs, creating different relationships with a mantel or masonry-style surround. Their approved log and glass-burner variants, plus a range of liners, allow a traditional or more contemporary interior treatment. The larger U55 creates a broad, tall focal point with traditional or birch log selections; the U37/U44 arch and glass-burner choices should not be assumed to apply to it.

Top lighting emphasizes the interior, and approved heat-management options give the surrounding wall design more flexibility. The important word is approved: the Cool Surface System and any Chase Comfort arrangement must be installed as specified. They do not make every surface cool to touch or allow arbitrary television placement.

In U.S. installations, these decorative models must not be operated with a thermostat. We explain the appropriate controls and flame settings rather than describing them as thermostat-controlled heating appliances.

Planning the installation

These are built-in gas fireplaces with their own fireboxes, not inserts that need an existing fireplace around them. Installation includes the framed enclosure, manufacturer-approved exterior venting, gas supply, electrical connection and the prescribed chase ventilation. The sealed direct-vent combustion system brings combustion air from outdoors instead of using already-conditioned room air and exhausting it outside. Chase ventilation is a separate room-side heat-management requirement; it does not replace the combustion vent.

Chimneys Plus plans the support, clearances, vent route and surrounding finishes as a complete project. We handle or coordinate the gas piping, required electrical work and applicable permits, including the requirements for a replacement installation. A fireplace’s visible glass dimensions are not its installed footprint.

Details to help you compare

  • Models: indoor U37, U44 and U55; the separately named U44 Outdoor is not covered by this page.
  • Approximate glass: U37 35 × 30 inches; U44 42 × 36 inches; U55 52 × 42 inches. These are not installed dimensions.
  • Maximum natural-gas fuel input: U37 47,000; U44 63,000; U55 75,000 BTU/h.
  • Log-model propane maximum input: U37 47,000; U44 63,000; U55 72,000 BTU/h. Confirm the exact burner and fuel configuration before specification.
  • Decorative-appliance classification; no U.S. thermostat operation.
  • Household electrical connection required for normal installation; approved natural-draft or power-vent arrangements have different requirements.

Manufacturer U37 · U44 · U55

The Chimneys Plus team includes CSIA- and NFI-certified professionals. Together with our North Carolina general contractor and fuel-piping licenses, these qualifications reflect our commitment to knowledgeable fireplace installation and service.

Contact Chimneys Plus to compare proportions, fire views and installation options, then plan the right fireplace for your home.

Current specifications

  • Efficiency: U37 36.6%, U44 37.6%, U55 39%
  • Venting: 5 x 8 in power vent or 8 x 11 in direct vent
  • U37/U44 log sets: traditional, birch, driftwood; river rock with twigs; Forgeworks face option
  • Liners: black enameled, black glass, rustic brown brick, herringbone dark umber or sandstone; ledgestone (U37/U44)
  • Top lighting kit; 3D stainless steel burner

Source: manufacturer product page. Specifications can change with new model years, so we confirm them against the current documents before you buy.

Related products and services

Frequently asked questions

Are the Urbana U37, U44 and U55 designed to heat my home?

No. Their manufacturer identifies them as decorative gas appliances, not a source of heat. The input ratings describe fuel consumption, not a heating-capacity promise. Choose these models for the fire view and room design; ask us about heater-rated alternatives if dependable room or backup heating is important.

How do the Urbana U37, U44 and U55 differ in appearance?

The U37 is the most compact of the three, the U44 provides a larger opening, and the U55 offers the broadest and tallest view. U37 and U44 have approved square or arched designs and log/glass-burner choices. U55 options differ, so we compare the exact model rather than assume every finish or burner is shared.

Can the Urbana U37, U44 and U55 operate during a power outage?

Their installation manuals include battery-backup controls, but the selected vent system is decisive: a power vent needs household electricity, and lights and powered accessories do too. We verify the approved battery arrangement for any natural-draft installation before promising flame operation. Even where the burner can operate, these decorative models are not a backup-heating recommendation.

Do the Urbana U37, U44 and U55 require electrical work?

Yes. Normal installation includes an electrical connection and grounding, with additional requirements for any power vent or powered heat-management accessory. Chimneys Plus handles or coordinates that work. A battery holder in the controls does not make the standard installation electricity-free.

Can I use a thermostat with an Urbana U37, U44 or U55 in North Carolina?

No. The manufacturer’s U.S. installation instructions prohibit thermostat use with these decorative appliances. We configure and explain the approved controls for the selected model instead of treating the thermostat symbol on a remote as authorization to use it.

Can Chimneys Plus provide the gas line and permits for an Urbana U37, U44 or U55?

Yes. We handle or coordinate the correct gas supply, required electrical work and applicable permitting as part of the project. We evaluate any existing line and the requirements for a replacement as carefully as a new installation.

Can I mount a television above an Urbana U37, U44 or U55?

It may be possible with an approved design. The fireplace’s clearances and heat-management configuration, the finish materials and the television’s own requirements all need to agree. We plan the complete wall; a Cool Surface feature is not blanket permission to place electronics anywhere.

What installation and care do the Urbana U37, U44 and U55 need?

They are complete built-in fireplaces, not inserts requiring another fireplace around them. Each needs its specified enclosure, venting, gas and electrical connections and heat-management details. Arrange professional inspection and service at least annually, including the burner, pilot, vent, seals, screen and any powered accessories.