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We just installed a natural gas insert in our fireplace. I want no part of the trouble wood causes. Buying, hauling, cleanup, i'm agasinst it all. I like picking up my remote and cranking up the heat.
We had it installed in July when it was over 100 degrees out, so haven't tested it yet, but it's rated at 40k btu's and heats up to 2000 sq feet. Our house is double that size, but it should keep the center warm, and cut way down on have to run our two F/A units, which suck fuel like it's free.
In the past, we just wore several layers of clothes. Hoppefully those days are over.
As far as free wood, we live in the desert, so the only trees around are Yucca trees, illegal to cut, and it would be like trying to burn a water balloon. We should know in another month or so if our investment pays off...
I do love the sound and smell of wood, but too old and lazy to do the work. The romance factor only lasts past the second or third load of wood you chop and haul...
What is the point of gas? You already have a gas furnace, just turn that on. A fireplace is for atmosphere and for some people delaying in turning on your furnace. Gas serves neither purpose.
Well for me, gas fireplace is the only type available. And although I realize it is not as appealing to some as natural, I have stayed in hotels that have gas fireplaces, and it was a nice touch and better than nothing at all.
As far as the issue of replacing furnace, I agree that both sources use the same heat source, but because the fireplace is suppose to add heat to a room for a certain square footage, I thought I could keep the thermostat down and thereby not heating the upstairs rooms to 70 degrees, yet still feel comfortable downstairs because of the fireplace.
Why heat the entire home if you are only using certain areas during certain times of the day?
I think a separate thermostat would be idea. Not sure that I will get that. That is something I will find out in my precon meeting I guess.
But if I don't have a separate thermostat, I was thinking the fireplace may help me conserve heat. presently, my husband will turn the thermostat down to 65 or 62 when we are not at home and when we return, the house is chilly. Then he cranks up the thermostat to 74 and it is an hour or more until the house is comfortable. A fireplace would add instant warmth to our sitting area, and at the same time, would not need to warm up the rest of the house.
At night, blankets and warm sleeping clothing would be used to keep the thermostat to 68.
What is the point of gas? You already have a gas furnace, just turn that on. A fireplace is for atmosphere and for some people delaying in turning on your furnace. Gas serves neither purpose.
As I already explained, A high efficiency gas fireplace insert, will do a better job of heating, for a calculated saving of 60-70 % over the F/A units....
The standard "Builder installed" fireplace is rated at 5 -10 % efficiency, MAX, and is good only for atmosphere. My last two homes both had two of those useless units, and were never turned on. they served no purpose.
Now, with an insert rated at 90 % efficiency, I can heat my home much warmer for far less money. Not only will it save a huge amount on the gas bill, but the electric bill will also go way down.
I crank up two F/A units and it sucks gas like crazy, and the big blowers use a lot of electric. By using the gas fireplace, which uses two small blowers, to heat the majority of the house, the F/A units will be used as secondary units, and will run little, if at all.
Much warmer house, much less spent in gas and electricity.. No brainer..
oh, well I guess I will have to ask the effiency of the fireplace I will be getting. Since this is a builder install, I bet it will be a non efficient one. LOL
oh, well I guess I will have to ask the effiency of the fireplace I will be getting. Since this is a builder install, I bet it will be a non efficient one. LOL
If you are having a home built, you can specify that you want a real fireplace, not one to look pretty. The two homes I used to live in with the cheapo's were in OC, So Calif, where no fireplace was necessary. Now I live in the high desert, where temps can get down in the 20's, and occasionally the teens. Being the cheapskate I am, after much investigating, I figured it was worth it to invest $5k in a more efficient unit.
If you live in the cold country, you must have a fireplace store near you that can advise you. If you are building new, make sure you get a real fireplace. There are numerous manufactures who can do the job, we chose Mendota because they had the biggest unit available.
Examples.... Mendota - America's Luxury Fireplace | Gas Fireplaces, Inserts and Stoves
Blaze King Gas products (http://www.blazeking.com/gas-products.html#GAS_-_BURNING_INSERTS - broken link) Welcome to Napoleon Fireplaces' Fireplace Design Studio Regency Gas Fireplace Products - Gas Fireplace Inserts
They both have good and bad aspects.
Where I currently live I have a natural gas fireplace in my family room (which is 2 feet below ground level) and it does a nice job helping heat the room without making the upstairs overhot like the furnace would, trying to keep the family room warm.
My last house had a big stone fireplace that heated the family room very well also.It also had an outside wood boiler. At that house I had pleanty of wood 3 acres 3/4 wooded . My current house has only a few young trees and is only 1/4 acre with other homes very close by.
My next home will be on 5+ acres with lots of woods and I will have a woodstove and/or an outside wood boiler. With natural gas prices rising year after year, I think wood is the way to go if you have access to plenty of "Free" wood.
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