GAS FIREPLACE
we are considering getting a gas/fuel flueless fireplace to put inside our existing fireplace (which is decorative now and has an old shallow firebox and hearth. we’ve heard they do not emit any smoke/gas and actually emit some heat. anyone have any experience with these ???
we are considering getting a gas/fuel flueless fireplace to put inside our existing fireplace (which is decorative now and has an old shallow firebox and hearth. we’ve heard they do not emit any smoke/gas and actually emit some heat. anyone have any experience with these ???
I’m’ a specialty hearth retailer in Canada (fireplace store)
Here in Canada vent free units are not certified to be installed.
Even if they were certified in Canada I still would not install this type of unit. I’ve been in this industry since 1990 and have seen some really scary things out there.
My experience with vented logs has shown me the damage that is cause to the clay of your chimney. (Turns your clay into mush) is not worth it. Yes they have a beautiful full flame, but they also use an incredible amount of fuel (70,000 BTU’s Input), they steel more heat than they give, leaving an open hole to the outside.
As to vent free logs, they might work well when they are new but what happens when they start to break down. Do you have a professional inspect them on a yearly base to see if they are working properly? I’m glad to hear that you have CO detectors in your room and that you have tested them. (I test all my CO detectors by putting them in my garage with my car running – fast way to test)
Log sets are not efficient by any means. Because fireplace flames are orange and yellow and not blue you are not burning at the top efficiency. When you burn natural gas no matter how clean you burn there is left over residue.
As to looking for an efficient DV fireplace designed for the older homes with character may I suggest the Valor line of fireplaces.
The Portrait series is available with ether logs, coal or stone engines
I am renovating an 1899 brownstone with seven shallow gas fireplaces (12-15 inches)that are currently non-functional. I would like to get them operational again (gas not wood). One company wanted $10K per fireplace and insisted that the mantels be pulled off and the fireboxes and flues completely rebuilt. Isn’t it possible to do something a lot less drastic (i.e. put a liner in the old 8 inch flues, maybe with a draft inducer?).
Any recommendations on someone who could do it at a more reasonable price?
no..if you had looked on the website i added they are gas fake coal units….not logs…they gave off no odor on initial fire-up
i’m done with this….you people figure out what you want to do
and don’t pay any attention to all the “guests” with all the opinions but no actual experience in these matters
No, Dave is talking about using a vented gas log unit and not venting it. This is why people are having a problem with him.
Seems like people are talking about different kinds of gas fireplaces. There are ventless logs, vented logs and direct vent units. I had the ventless logs and hated them- they gave off very little heat, the flame was small and they did emit a chemical kind of odor (that is supposed to be harmless.) For ventless logs you are supposed to keep a window cracked because the combustion uses O2 from the room, vented and direct vent need to have chimneys. I think direct vents are the nicest and safest but they are also the most expensive.
Dave, sounds like you did more than your homework.
With lawyers just waiting to jump with liability suits, it’s no wonder, say, gas log manufacturers have to put in those dire warnings.
Please tell me why your kitchen range does not need to be vented, even if you have a Wolf with the capacity to feed an army, if burning natural gas produces high levels of CO?
what i failed to mention was that we used a CO meter to monitor these when we put them in down in Philadelphia (a professional meter, not just a detector) and there were no detectable levels of CO…JUST LIKE THE KITCHEN GAS RANGE….like the thread just above says, it has to do with “having an adequate supply of oxygen” to burn. We did our homework, checked with the CO meter and they work fine…its the same thing as having two burners going on your range!!!! How come you people can’t understand this? Just because its a gas burner that sits in the fireplace doesn’t mean its giving off anything different than in the kitchen.. You’re not actually burning anything combustible with the gas flame.
Here is a quote from New Jersey gas company “Carbon monoxide or CO is a toxic gas that is produced when fuels such as gasoline, oil, propane, kerosene, coal, wood and natural gas do not have an adequate supply of oxygen to burn completely. When CO is breathed into the body, it combines with the body’s blood and prevents it from absorbing oxygen. High levels of carbon monoxide can be fatal.”
Dave, you are going to kill someone.
Dave, Just what do you think DOES produce carbon monoxide?