Friday, February 7, 2014

Would it pay to put a propane fireplace insert in my home?







My home is 4 yrs old. It is heated by oil (hot water), I have an existing wood burning fireplace. Would it be economical to put in a propane fireplace log insert, too compliment the oil heat? The house seems to heat really hard. The house is 1800 sq ft. We seem to fill up with oil (half tanks 130 gallons) every month in the winter. Any help is appreciated.


Answer
Propane is not a whole lot cheaper than oil. You may want to get an electric radiant heat heater instead. They make wood burning inserts that you can install in your fireplace. Some models have a heat chamber with a fan to force the heat into the room. Most wood burning fireplaces (without the insert) just shoot most of the heat up the chimney. With an insert you can better regulate the fire for a slower burn. You use less wood and stop the heat that is in the room from going up the chimney. Between the insert and a radiant heater used in the rooms your are in most, you should cut down on your oil consumption.
Good luck, stay warm and be safe !

Which is more efficient? Using a gas fireplace or an electric space heater?




John


I have a home built in 2004, masonry fireplace with metal flue and a Home Depot gas log set. My question, is whether it is cheaper to run the fireplace to add a little warmth to the den or to use a ceramic type electric space heater. From what I've read, a fireplace is very inefficient. However, gas is more efficient and cheaper than electricity. You do get a fan, oscillation, etc out of the space heater, but gas is a thermally more efficient than electricity and much cheaper. I also have a solar voltaic system that covers about 50% of my normal electricity usage, so that may also skew the real equation of relative costs.


Answer
It is more efficient to use your electric space heater unless you had a fireplace insert. After reading your question it sounds like you just have a flue and not an insert. If you only have a flue and no insert is present, then most of the heat generated by the fireplace logs is going up and out the flue. Thus, it is more efficient to run the electric space heater. In addition, you have a solar voltaic system to increase the efficiency of your electric heater. However, if you had a fireplace insert and not just a flue, then it would be more efficient to burn gas rather than run the heater.

-Miller's One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning




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Title Post: Would it pay to put a propane fireplace insert in my home?
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