Q Are alcohol- or gel-burning fireplaces a good alternative for a regular gas or wood fireplace? I like that they don't need a chimney and am considering buying one for the family room and our bedroom upstairs.

A No. For safety reasons, Minnesota's Mechanical Code prohibits unvented, nonelectric fireplaces. You'll find alcohol- and gel- burning appliances for sale at local stores, in catalogs and on the Internet, but installing one in your home could be in violation of state code.

Unvented fireplaces, including alcohol-burning ones, exhaust the byproducts of combustion into household air. That includes carbon dioxide and monoxide.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from burning gel go into the household air you breathe. VOCs have short- and long-term effects. They can include eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, nausea and damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Gel also can produce oily soot deposits on household surfaces, said Phil Smith, energy specialist at the Minnesota Office of Energy Security. In addition, Smith said, these fireplaces won't give you much heat. You won't be saving money by using them as space heaters and turning down your thermostat.

If you want the ambience of a fireplace, with a space-heating option that won't erode indoor air quality, consider an electric fireplace.