How to Supplement your Home’s Main Heating System with a Gas Fireplace
By Mark J. Donovan
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Freestanding gas fireplaces add warmth to your home and are highly energy efficient. A direct vent gas stove is ideal for providing supplemental heat to a portion of your home. Freestanding gas fireplaces also come in many sizes and can produce various levels of heat (or British Thermal Units – BTUs). Standalone gas fireplaces also have come a long way in terms of their aesthetics. Many freestanding gas fireplaces sold today have beautiful enamel finishes with a front window so that you can enjoy the warmth and charm of the gas flame. Others have terracotta and brushed metal finishes.
Freestanding gas fireplaces are ideal for any type of home due to the fact that they are extremely safe and efficient and look beautiful anywhere. You can find them in the everyday suburbia home, McMansions, cottages, and even in city lofts. |
A standalone gas fireplace can be direct vented or ventless, however ventless types are not always allowed in homes or certain rooms within a home. Freestanding gas fireplaces produce radiant heat that provides a comfortable warm temperature in a room or rooms.
| There are also freestanding fireplaces that use alternative fuel sources other than propane, including natural gas, wood, and wood pellets, so there is a fuel source solution for anywhere in the country. A freestanding gas fireplace however requires the least maintenance and work to use. Simply push a button and your standalone gas fireplace is operational. This said liquid propane or natural gas is typically more expensive than home heating oil and wood. So though you may be able to heat an entire home with a large freestanding gas stove it may not be the most cost effective home heating solution compared to an oil based furnace. |   |
When in the market for buying a freestanding gas fireplace there are many options and features to consider. Most importantly make sure you buy one that is appropriately sized for the room that it will be installed in. Also, take a careful look at some of the options that can maximize its utility. Today’s freestanding gas fireplaces include variable speed blower fans and remote control units for adjusting the flame height, fan speed and temperature. Some can even be installed with remote thermostats.
| Also carefully look at the ignition options. Some freestanding gas stove fireplaces use a constantly burning pilot light, whereas others have an electric spark ignition system to reduce gas use. Some also offer piezoelectric ignition systems for situations where there is no electrical outlet near the gas fireplace. The nice think about piezoelectric ignition systems is that your freestanding gas fireplace can still be used in the event your home loses electricity.
Freestanding gas fireplaces vary in price however expect to pay somewhere between $1,000 and $2,500 depending up its heating capacity and the various options that you select. |
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You’ll also need to have a trained service technician install it since it involves the use of gas, and at least with the direct vent gas stove fireplaces, require the installation of a properly sized external vent system. Also it will need to be installed on a non-combustible surface.
For information on Restoring Baseboard Heating Element Covers, see the Restoring Baseboard Heating Element Covers eBook from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Restoring Baseboard Heating Element Covers Ebook provides easy to understand, step-by-step instructions, on how to restore Baseboard Heating Element Covers so that they look new again. Pictures are included for every key step in the process.
For information on how to maximize a wood stove’s heating efficiency, see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s Installation of Hood over Wood Stove eBook.
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Additional Heating and Cooling Resources from Amazon.com
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