White Mountain Hearth
The workhorse of our floor. Empire’s hearth line covers nearly every situation we walk into — a chimney or no chimney, a big room or a small one, a tight allowance or an open budget — and it is built in Illinois rather than shipped in from overseas.
What we carry
One line that covers almost every job.
Most of the fireplaces we put in new construction and remodels around Rome come out of this line, for the simple reason that it has an answer for nearly every house.
Direct-vent gas fireplaces
Sealed units that vent straight out an exterior wall or up through the roof, drawing their combustion air from outside. This is what goes in a bedroom, a basement or an addition that never had a chimney — and it is the most common new fireplace we install.
Vent-free fireplaces
No flue at all, and nearly all of the heat stays in the room. The trade-off is that the unit has to be sized to the room volume and local code has a say in where it can go. We will tell you straight whether your room is a candidate.
Gas inserts
For the masonry fireplace you already own that looks beautiful and heats nothing. The insert seals the opening and pushes heat back into the room instead of up the flue — you keep the mantel and the surround you already have.
Gas log sets
Vented and vent-free log sets, so if your firebox is sound and you only want the look of a fire without a full unit, that option lives in the same line with the same parts support behind it.
Why we carry White Mountain Hearth.
We do not stock a little of everything. We stock lines we can stand behind for the twenty years the customer will own them, and this is the one we reach for most often.
- It has an answer for nearly every house. Chimney or no chimney, new build or retrofit, modest budget or generous one. Fewer compromises and fewer surprises mid-job.
- Built in the United States. Empire Comfort Systems has been making hearth products in Belleville, Illinois for generations. That is not just flag-waving — domestic manufacturing tends to mean better parts availability.
- Parts you can still get. A gas fireplace is a twenty-year purchase. The question that matters is whether anyone will sell you a valve for it in year twelve.
- Sensible to install and service. We put these in every week, which means we know their quirks and we are not learning on your house.
- We service what we sell. Annual service, pilot and valve work, and warranty calls come straight to us.
Common questions
What people ask us about White Mountain Hearth.
Who actually makes White Mountain Hearth?
Empire Comfort Systems, based in Belleville, Illinois. White Mountain Hearth is their hearth brand — gas fireplaces, inserts, stoves and log sets. Empire has been building heating products in Illinois for generations, which is a large part of why we carry the line.
Can I put one in a room with no chimney?
Yes — that is exactly what a direct-vent unit is for. It vents horizontally through an exterior wall or vertically through the roof and pulls its combustion air from outside, so it can go in a bedroom, a basement or an addition that never had a flue.
Direct-vent or vent-free?
Direct-vent is the safer default: sealed from the room, no moisture added, no room-sizing rules to satisfy. Vent-free puts more heat into the room and needs no venting at all, but has to be matched to the room volume and is restricted in some rooms and jurisdictions. We will tell you honestly which one your house can take.
Will it heat, or is it just for looks?
These are real heaters. A direct-vent fireplace or a gas insert will noticeably warm the room it is in, and many people run one as zone heat rather than turning the whole house up. If you only want the look, a gas log set is the cheaper route — see our gas logs page.
Do you service them?
Yes, including units we did not sell. Annual service keeps the pilot, burner and safety sensors right, and we handle warranty work rather than sending you to a phone number. More on our service page.
Next step
Tell us about the room.
A photo of the space and a rough idea of what you want it to do is enough to get started. We call back within one business day — or come stand in front of the live displays.
- Rome Showroom
- 3 Holmes Ave NW
Rome, GA 30165
Get directions - Canton Showroom
- 3275 Marietta Hwy
Canton, GA 30114
Get directions - Hours
- Monday–Friday
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
We call back within one business day.
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