I installed a NG fired fire place insert in one of our fireplaces. We had the builder installed fireplaces that are just for looks, and provide no heat at all. I believe they are rated at 5% efficiency. They actually take more heat out of the room than they put back in. Your gas lof unit will never heat the house, unless you set fire to the house, you need an insert..!
We bought a fireplace insert, and had it installed just last month, so I have no actual results yet, but it is rated at 90% efficiency. We have a large home with two FA units, and it costs a fortune to keep the house warm. I keep the heat set down to around 60 in the winter time, and turn it off altogether at night. I sleep in long underwear and flannel PJ's. In answer to your next question, yes, I'm the cheapest SOB that ever walked the planet..!
With my new insert, I expect to heat the center of the house to at least 75 degrees, and spend far less than the two FA units cost to run. The FA units will be used as secondary units, just to provide any needed heat to the rooms at the far ends of the house.
The unit I purchased puts out 40K BTU's, and has two blowers to blast the heat into the room. It is a sealed unit that works with a concentric chimney vent pipe. that is, one smaller pipe inside a larger pipe, so it draws fresh combustion air in one pipe, and exhausts hot air out the other. Therefore it has no detrimental affect on the inside air.
I live in the Hi desert of So Calif, where we get temp extremes from 17 in the winter, to 117 in summer, so it will be a few months before we can test it, but having done much research on it, I expect it to do a super job.
The same unit I bought is also available in a self standing unit, if you choose not to use the fireplace. It can also be purchased to use with wood, wood pellets, propane, oil, just about anything you might want, depending on what is available in your area. We chose NG because cleaning fireplaces and hauling wood isn't my idea of fun. Wood is more romantic, but after chopping and hauling a few loads of wood, the romance is gone..!
We purchased a
Mendota - America's Luxury Fireplace | Gas Fireplaces, Inserts and Stoves , but there are other good brands. We went with this brand because they produced the larged unit I could find.
I have done much research on the subject before I put down my money, sio if you have questions, I can either answer them, or point you in the right direction.
If you live in the cold country, you must have a near by fireplace store....?
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