gas vs wood fireplaces

[Buffy]

We are going to purchase our first mobile home and would like to have a fireplace. We have our own land with a free source of wood. I have many reservations about the labor intensity of cutting, splitting, storing etc., not to mention the clean-up. But being on a fixed income, how expensive is it to run a gas fireplace? Is it mostly aesthetic, either way? Maybe it isn't worth the cost of either fireplace. The location is far north in cold country; long winters.

[rmurray]

No fireplace is an efficient heating source...Both gas and wood will heat some...but the purpose of a fireplace is more aesthetic than functional...The look of the fireplace as part of a home is the real draw...Truth be known..most fireplaces will be used not much more than once or twice a year after the new wears off..

[jgn]

Murray, you haven't met my wife, she goes through 2 ricks a year and has for the last 20 years. If you are looking for something to provide heating benefit from that wood get a wood stove, If you want something to look nice and get some heat benefit, wood fireplace is the choice, if you want something to look at and no heating benefit, gas. I have had them all and I prefer gas because there is no work involved but I lost that battle to a higher authority and we burn wood.

[Buffy]

Thank you for your input. Since we are leaning toward gas, and you have had a gas fireplace, do you think it burns a lot of gas and is expensive? The salesman we are dealing with tells us we'll be shocked at how low our heating bill will be because of insulation, etc................but that probably won't affect the fireplace, so will it be a gas hog and be expensive to run?

I appreciate your help.

[mac]

If you spend the money, you can get gas fireplaces certified as furnaces - with thermostats that modulate the gas flow. I have no idea what they cost, or what they cost to run. My friends have one... pretty slick. That said, we have an endless supply of wood also. We deleted the fireplace from our place, and installed a wood stove instead. The wood stove, a heat-driven fan, and a nearby ceiling fan, heat most of the house just fine. I get the benefit of saving gym money by pumping wood. I hope I'm able to cut, split and stack wood well into my 90's.

[Mark]

Ask for the data sheet on the gas fireplace you are interested in. It will show the consumption rate. Simply take that, multiply by the cost of gas, multiply that by the time you are going to run it.

The only thing that really sucks up the gas is a furnace, most other gas appliances are quite efficient and burn very little fuel.

[David]

Check on the internet for information about gas and wood fireplaces. There are some very efficient fireplaces out there. Bt doing this you will have the latest information rether than peoples opinions.

[Matt]

Hello there,

Can you tell me where you acquired your heat-driven fan?

Thank you so much.

Matt