| Wood Stoves |
| Wood Stove Central |
, ive used it once but had alot of smoke coming in, was the fire not hot enough to assist in the smoke rising? is some smoke coming in normal? any tips or tricks ?
. The fireplace looks aweful. I am not sure what would be a good color to paint it. Its a concrete fireplace.
. We were wondering how much heat does a fireplace actually give off in the winter and will it be enough to heat at least the surrounding room? Sorry if its a stupid question, weve never had a fireplace before though, thanks!One reader recently asked:
Should I Install a Propane Fireplace
I presently have an electrically heated home. With the possibility of power outage especially in winter months, I am faced with no heat. My question is: Would a propane fireplace insert provide adequate heat for my home during a power outage? Secondly, is it a reasonable solution for an additional source of heat given the fluctuating price of gas?
Answer:
Your inventory indicates that you have a late 1970s single-story home of approximately 1500 - 2000 ft.. It also indicates that you have electric baseboard heat and a gas fired water heater. If the water heater is natural gas, a natural gas fireplace insert may make more sense than propane. If your water heater is propane powered, you likely already have an acceptable propane storage tank.
A propane fireplace insert would probably not provide adequate heat for the entire house during a power outage, but it would almost certainly provide enough heat to prevent freezing pipes, and it would likely provide enough heat for living and sleeping in the room containing fireplace. With a propane fireplace insert in place, you will have a hedge against soaring electrical costs. You will be able to favor propane or electricity depending on their cost per BTU of output. Bear in mind that electric heating is approximately 100% efficient.
Every BTU generated stays in the house. A propane or gas fireplace insert has an input capacity and an output capacity. The output capacity dictates how much usable heat you will get. The balance goes up the chimney. Some fireplace inserts come with limited ductwork and fans to distribute the heat. While this might help to offset high electricity costs, the electrically powered fans will be of no benefit during a power failure.
