Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > North Carolina > Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary
 [Register]
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary The Triangle Area
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
View Poll Results: What is your fireplace preference?
I want a woodburning fireplace where I can build a proper fire. 22 30.56%
I prefer gas logs, an insert in a woodburning fireplace, so I can do either. 8 11.11%
I prefer a dedicated gas log fireplace unit. 27 37.50%
I will take either one. 3 4.17%
I don't care about a fireplace for me, but think I need it for resale. 8 11.11%
I don't want any fireplace. I would rather have the space. 4 5.56%
Voters: 72. You may not vote on this poll

Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 09-08-2016, 08:52 AM
 
Location: Sneads Ferry, NC
13,324 posts, read 26,800,173 times
Reputation: 6920

Advertisements

A gas log fireplace is great to supplement the heat pump when it is very cold. I would not want to deal with the ashes from a wood fire or the periodic chimney cleaning.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 09-08-2016, 01:42 PM
 
Location: NC
3,441 posts, read 2,781,795 times
Reputation: 8479
Quote:
Originally Posted by UserNamesake View Post
How long does it take the smell to dissipate?

And I can see feeling skittish about running out with it burning... and how you have to commit to being at home for a huge chunk of the day.



So do the ashes end up a great distance from the fireplace? Could it damage furniture?

I don't mind buying a bundle of firewood because it wouldn't be a constant usage of the fireplace. But the commitment to staying at home and keeping a watchful eye out is concerning.
The smell goes away after a few days, but the smell isn't that nice wood burning smell, it's a sour smell (at least to me). When we lost power and had to use it for heat for 4 days, we had to wash everything in that room, rugs, throw pillows, blankets, sheets, etc. because they all had that sour smell to them.

We used a screen, so the embers didn't get outside of that unless we were stoking the fire. We did end up with a burn on our area rug and on the hardwoods from some embers that must have gotten out when we were adding wood. It was hard to see with no lights.

If you are sitting at home in the evening during the winter and want a fire, that's one thing. You are already pretty much committed to staying home already. But when you are using it for heat when you have no power and need to run out, it's worrisome.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-08-2016, 04:03 PM
 
Location: NC
1,836 posts, read 1,585,169 times
Reputation: 1793
Quote:
Originally Posted by UserNamesake View Post
How long does it take the smell to dissipate?

And I can see feeling skittish about running out with it burning... and how you have to commit to being at home for a huge chunk of the day.



So do the ashes end up a great distance from the fireplace? Could it damage furniture?

I don't mind buying a bundle of firewood because it wouldn't be a constant usage of the fireplace. But the commitment to staying at home and keeping a watchful eye out is concerning.


I would never leave my house with a fire in a fireplace. Now, leaving a fire in a wood stove is very different. They are closed up so that the fire is contained. Still does not mean that a house fire will not happen, just less of a chance. Another way to up the chance of a house fire is to burn green wood. The creosote from green logs builds up more in your chimney and can catch fire.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-08-2016, 06:18 PM
 
533 posts, read 1,194,697 times
Reputation: 460
We have a gas fireplace in our house. I hate it and we rarely use it. I'd love to have a wood burning fireplace instead.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-08-2016, 07:00 PM
 
Location: S-E Michigan
4,265 posts, read 5,892,603 times
Reputation: 10785
High quality gas log sets look identical to real wood fires; less the smell, ash, and popping ember problems. Having installed a high quality gas log set into our wood burning fireplace nearly 12 years ago, I would never go back!


Turn a knob to start it, turn the same knob to shut it off. No embers popping out to melt holes in the carpet. No popping embers getting directed through cracks in the firebox mortar to ignite the home's hidden wood frame structure (5 or 6 such home fires in our neighborhood!). No bug infested wood being carried into the house. No fly-away wood ash to be collected and taken out doors. No smelly ashes in the house. No need to try and guesstimate when to stop feeding the fire so that it will die-out at 10 or 11pm when you wish. No need to buy and store firewood.


The high quality log sets bury the burner in a shallow tray of sand. The gas burbling through the sand to ignite results in dancing yellow flames just like a wood log fire, not the old fashioned fixed blue flame you see on your range top or furnace.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-08-2016, 09:04 PM
 
1,733 posts, read 2,410,482 times
Reputation: 2119
Anyone know what the estimated cost to replace a non vented insert is? I have the ugly one with the chains over the front, and want to put one with a glass front and blower in there.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-08-2016, 11:07 PM
 
Location: Raleigh
13,634 posts, read 12,262,912 times
Reputation: 20038
I view fireplaces like soaker whirlpool tubs...Something everyone says they want, but rarely ever use...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-09-2016, 09:35 AM
 
Location: North Carolina
2,679 posts, read 2,873,085 times
Reputation: 2161
Quote:
Originally Posted by goldenlove View Post
The smell goes away after a few days, but the smell isn't that nice wood burning smell, it's a sour smell (at least to me). When we lost power and had to use it for heat for 4 days, we had to wash everything in that room, rugs, throw pillows, blankets, sheets, etc. because they all had that sour smell to them.

We used a screen, so the embers didn't get outside of that unless we were stoking the fire. We did end up with a burn on our area rug and on the hardwoods from some embers that must have gotten out when we were adding wood. It was hard to see with no lights.

If you are sitting at home in the evening during the winter and want a fire, that's one thing. You are already pretty much committed to staying home already. But when you are using it for heat when you have no power and need to run out, it's worrisome.
Good info. Having second thoughts on this fireplace now...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-10-2016, 06:47 AM
 
Location: Near the Coast SWCT
83,298 posts, read 74,572,722 times
Reputation: 16519
Fireplaces are for show. I used mine for 2 yrs hoping to save money on heat. Whoops.

Decided to get a wood stove and boy am I glad I did. Made back the investment ($1500) within the first year (since we have oil for heat). I only fill up my oil tanks once a year thanks to the stove now while some neighbors fill up 4 times a year.

I didn't get an insert so the fireplace is still there "for show". It does add value to a home so I wouldn't want to be without one
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:




Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > North Carolina > Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary
Similar Threads
View detailed profiles of:

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top