Anyone convert wood fireplace to gas logs?

[Razl]

This will be my first winter in this house. The fireplace is a standard wood burning masonry type. It's new so I need to buy a grate, cleaning tool set, screen, and of course seasoned split wood.

I'm also considering skiping the wood thing altogether and go gas logs. A couple of years ago I would have never considered this, but the newer types look very realistic, and the minimal maintenance is attractive.

I have natural gas already so I would need to pay a plumber to extend the gas line up the ash cleanout into the fireplace. A 30" vented gas logset costs about $500, then all I would need to buy is a screen. Peterson Real Fyre seems to be the name in gas logs (quality &most realistic flames)

Some of my neiboors have vent-free gas logsets. I like the idea of the additional heat but I've read that the flames are not as realistic (shorter flames).

Any owners of vented or vent-free gas logs out there? What would you do if you had to start all over.

 

[JavaMan]

Why not a woodbox to set inside your fireplace?

 

[Auto-Union]

Don't count on any heat coming out of a masonary fireplace with anything less than a roaring wood fire. A good way to keep the maintenence down and the efficientcy up, is a wood burning stove. You can attach it to your current masonary chimney, all the expense and trouble of carrying in the wood would not go to waste. The difference in heat output from a masonary box and a nice stone wood burner is night and day. I've put in natural gas fake wood too. It's nice rather than never building a fire or in a situation where the old masonary chimney is not totally fit ofr a roaring fire. The black gas pipe goes in really easy, honestly a DIY.

 

[alreadygone]

Real wood = ashes all over everything, fire out and needing rebuilt, 90% heat up the chimney, real wood expensive in most areas.

Vent free= thermostat controll, CLEAN, trouble free, no fuel source interuptions.

Not much of a decision!

Bob

 

[Bob Woods]

Years ago I put in the gas logs, after my first gas bill using them I regretted putting the gas logs in and I quit using them. They are very inefficent.

 

[Auto-Union]

Logs are for aesthetics, real wood in a masonry fireplace is not far behind. Wood is well worth while if it's burned in a stove. Looks-wise good stoves with glass doors are just as nice as a fireplace if not nicer. Generally cleaer too since everything is mostly contained.

 

[drm7]

If you can do the vent-free thing then all the heat stays in the house. I had a vent-free propane stove in my last house and it put out a lot of heat. I have a gas log lighter in my wood box now. My wife wanted wood. My plan is when she is tired of wood I'll connnect the logs to where the lighter is.

 

[msparks]

Pellet Stove Anyone?

http://hometips.com/cs-protected/guides/pellet.html

 

[JHZR2]

My parents have a real, large masonry fireplace that burns wood. They installed an insert that still burns real wood, but that circulates air through the firebox and out into the room, so that there is less heat loss. It does make a difference, especially locally, though overall a fireplace like that is really still jsut for looks. It certrainly wouldnt do much beyond keep the living room that it is in warm.

Ive been kind of thinking of putting in a wood stove on its own here in my house - maybe on the porch. Id have to install its own chimney, but I think asthetically, it would do a lot. Since im not reliant upon it, I could just collect wood when they cut down branches in town, and at least have makeup heat to ride out the coldest days...

I hear there are some reallu nice, compact, swedish (or maybe norwegian?) cast-iron wood stoves. Not to steal this thead, but any suggestions?

JMH

 

[Razl]

JHZR2, no offense taken, I'm sure someone will chime in.

My heating is ultra-efficient with geothermal so my main priority with the fireplace is aesthetics, not supplemental heat. This is something I would use seldom. I would consider the vent-free only if they looked like real burning wood logs. The additional heat would be a nice bonus, but not if it's a faux flame appearance. I guess I'll have to go to a fireplace store and look for myself. I may put a wood stove in the master bed, but after paying a premium for a brick/masonry fireplace in the family room, the last thing I want to do is install a wood stove in front of it, just my opinion.

Pabs, I'm not sold on pellets. Around here, folks are having problems with getting a company to deliver, even ordering a ton. Last year, even the customers that pre-paid, couldn't get any because of a shortage. Their only opinion was to buy the marked-up bags at Home Depot. From a net efficiency (cost per BTU) point, they cost about the same to run, so I'd rather have the flexibility of a wood stove.

 

[Drew99GT]

Natural gas fireplaces suck. No smoke comes out the darn chimney! And you can't smell anything. Wood burning or nothing for me, and I must agree on either a wood stove or a fireplace insert, both with fans inside. We have a HUGE wood stove at my cabin and also a pellet stove. The pellet stove on full blast is akin to a lighter where as the wood stove is like a nuclear explosion as far as BTU output, and the fan inside really pushes the scolding hot air into the living room. Plus, there's tons of nice ashy smoke everywhere. mmmmmmmmmmm

At my parents residence, they have gas fireplaces. Since they were put in, they never get used, where as we used to always have a raging wood fire on those cold Saturday nights.

 

[Auto-Union]

We heat out 1500sq/ft house with maybe 2 chords. The big benefit is the option of DIY wood collection. Heck, with NO outside energy, we can still stay alive....wood is popping out of the ground around here, had to say any other fuel offers that.

 

[TooManyWheels]

We had a vent free gas log set - loved the heat output but hated the fumes and headaches.

Do some serious Googling about the safety of these. You should find plenty of people who think they are fantastic, "never had a problem", safe because of the O2 depletion sensor, "people who say otherwise are crazy", etc. You should also find plenty of people who won't stay in the room with a set ever again.

 

[Brett Miller]

Vent free can also put huge amounts of moisture into the home. My parents have vented gas insert which works very well.

 

[johnd]

Installed a set of gas logs in my stepmother's wood fireplace. There was already a gas pipe there so all I had to do was add a flange fitting. They seem to think that it is fine and use it all the time in the winter.

 

[drm7]

I would think in the dry of winter that the moisture would be a side benefit. Many people put pots of water on wood stoves to add moisture to the air. I know my hands crack in the dry of winter.

I do love the smell of a wood fire though. I just don't like the mess.

 

[JohnnyO]

My house had gas logs but the previous owners took them when they moved. I burn wood in it now occasionally. All you need to do is run a gas line and shutoff valve. My folks have gas logs in their house, I'd recommend a glass door on the fireplace like they have to keep the heat in. Without that or an insert to pump the hot air into the house, you'll lose more heat from your house up the chimney than the fireplace puts out.

 

[Razl]

Increased humidity can be a plus for homes that tend to be dry in the winter. However, if moisture accumulation is localized, there's a much greater chance for mold issues.

Ther fireplace is something I'll seldom use so I think I'm leaning towards the vented gas logs. I will miss the wood smell but not enough to deal with other issues that go with it.

 

[9296D21B14]

Had a wood stove vented through an old chimney via a 6" ss pipe for 5 or 6 mild La. winters. The fuel that heats twice was ok before my shoulders went south. Felling trees and splitting wood was fun but got to be a chore. It also scared me to death even though our property provided as much as needed. Fly ash really bites. Blocked off the bottom of the chimney with steel plate and put in a small ventless gas log set 6 or 7 years ago. Primary heat is central heat pump system. If looks is all you want, how about a video fireplace on a big screen tv?

 

[1sttruck]

We have a useless wood fireplace, it's an insert from the 70s, and eventually I want to replace it with a wood stove. I'm not keen on gas as two neighbors around me have had CO in their house from a furnace venting problem, part of the block was evacuated when someone hit a gas line, and during a cold snap the gas pressure dropped which shut down furances. I have a 'ventless' portable propane heater as a backup unit, but would prefer the wood stove for additional heat and as a back up.