fireplaces? (Seattle, Kirkland, Poulsbo: appliances, house, neighborhood)

[LMB]

Wood burning or gas fireplaces (the heating kind, not just the gas logs)...which do you prefer and why?

We moved to WA from FL a few months ago, so this will be our first winter here. We have a traditional wood burning fireplace in our house, and have enjoyed a few crackling fires already this year--something we missed a lot while living in Florida. We're originally from the midwest, where we had wood burning fireplaces. However, we could really only use them regularly in the spring & fall there--too cold there in the winter to be efficient. It seems like the temperate winter climate here would be perfect for using fireplaces all winter.

We're considering a gas fireplace, mostly for convenience, but also for heat during occasional power outages. I understand these power outages are expected during winter storms--some lasting hours, some days. We live close to downtown Poulsbo, so it's doubtful the power would be out too long.

I'd appreciate hearing pros and cons of each before we decide. If we go with gas, we'd need to have the power company bring the line up to the house ($$$) as well as buying the gas fireplace insert, so it's kind of a pricey decision.

Thanks for your input!

Lynn

[wythors]

We installed a gas fireplace a little over a year ago. Having gas in the house already, that expense wasn't relative to us. That said, we LOVE our gas fireplace. It warms the entire living room/dining room/kitchen area very nicely and comes in very handy during the inevitable power outages in the winter.

Issues with a wood burning fireplace are 1. buying wood 2. dealing with the ash mess and 3. Seattle routinely experiences temperature inversions in the fall and winter that trap smoke and pollution near the ground. When this happens, the Dept. of Ecology issues "burn bans" that prohibit wood burning fireplaces from being used unless they are your sole source of heat.

[chris]

yep, tried the fireplace/stove already... You'll get smoked out of your own home most days from stagnant air not moving (wythors mentioned the inversion thing) the smoke away. There are 10 or so days a winter where you'll not be allowed to have a wood fire (announced on the news) and some communities have a winter ban on it.

Anyone who has kids (or live in a neighborhood full of them) should definitely consider the consequences before burning wood in their area.

Most here in the development I live in, use propane. All you have to pay for is a tank.

[ness]

wood burning fires cause more pollution.....although i do SOOOOO love the smell of a wood burning fire. in my house we had a gas pipe that ran into our woodburing fireplace that we used to light the wood logs....then eventually we just got gas logs. it could've been converted back to a wood-burning just by taking the logs out. Maybe you don't need to get the whole new gas insert?????? One of the things I dislike about modern pre-fab gas fire boxes is that they tend to look dinky (in my opinion) and well....pre-fab....as opposed to the character and nuances of a traditional brick fire box.

[LMB]

Thanks for the advice everyone! It really does help us decide. We're thinking of adding other gas appliances within the next year, so running the line to the house would not only be for the fireplace. I think with the heating type of gas fireplace the doors have to remain closed--is that right? I guess the charm of the "cozy crackling fire" would be lost as well. Stupid question, but does a gas fire crackle? I'm thinking not.

The convenience factor (no wood to store/haul into the house, ashes to clean, etc.) and the pollution issue are big ones--not to mention more efficient heat provided during a power outage. I didn't realize there are days when stagnant air causes a "no wood burning" condition. We're on Kitsap Peninsula, but maybe that would extend out here as well as in Seattle. It appears the trade-off to go to a heating-type gas fireplace would be cost and charm--and as Ness said, the pre-fab appearance factor. All in all, though, I guess gas is winning.

Thanks again!

Lynn

[wythors]

When we were shopping for our fireplace, we found that there are two types: radiant and blower equipped. Both have a sealed front and, no, they don't crackle. The radiant style (which is what we bought) basically heats the glass and housing and radiates the heat into the room. The models with the blower actually have a fan that circulates air around the fire box and blows it into the room. This style is capable of heating a much larger area and would be ideal for a one story house with an open floor plan.

Also, nothing beats gas for heating water or cooking. We'd never go back to electricity for those purposes.

[ness]

what about some of the older/traditional methods of fire/heating.....like wood burning stoves, rumsford fireplace, or AGA cookers. ??? Just curious if people are considering these as options.

[wythors]

Originally Posted by ness

what about some of the older/traditional methods of fire/heating.....like wood burning stoves, rumsford fireplace, or AGA cookers. ??? Just curious if people are considering these as options.

I don't think that he/she's looking at this as a primary source of heat. More for the "cozy" factor of a flickering flame.

To the OP: I just reread your post and you might be surprised at the duration of power outages around here. Last winter, huge areas of the Puget Sound region were without power for over a week.

[LMB]

Originally Posted by wythors

I don't think that he/she's looking at this as a primary source of heat. More for the "cozy" factor of a flickering flame.

To the OP: I just reread your post and you might be surprised at the duration of power outages around here. Last winter, huge areas of the Puget Sound region were without power for over a week.

Right--we're not looking for primary house heating, but more the "cozy" factor of extra warmth and the flickering flame. Power outages are definitely on our minds as well. My husband and I were in Seattle visiting our daughter and son-in-law last winter during one of the big storms. They live in Phinney Ridge and did not lose power even once during last year's entire wild winter. However, our nephew & his family were without power for over a week in Kirkland. Our neighbors here in Poulsbo said they lost power a few times last winter, usually for only a couple of hours, but once it lasted a couple of days.

Since we're discussing power outages here, what about generators? Another consideration for bringing a gas line to the house would be to power a generator (not to mention I'd also love to have a gas stove!). Does anyone recommend gasoline powered generators? In our past experience with hurricane power outages in our FL neighborhood, they seemed so loud and smelly.

Thanks for any and all advice!

Lynn

[scirocco22]

A natural gas generator? Aren't most powered by gasoline? ...or diesel?

edit: oops, never mind, I guess there are natural gas generators. I'd be interested if anybody has one too.