Gas Insert Effectiveness?

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N_Blueth

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Jan 19, 2014
33
Virginia
Previous owner of our house cut out the prefab and jammed in a wood burning insert. Need to replace and thinking about going with gas but have a few concerns.

House is approximately 2000sf with vaulted ceilings on the main level. You can also see to the second level via an open catwalk. House was built in 2004 and fairly tight. Heat pump and no access to NG.

Will a 42k btu gas unit be effective to heat the house on both levels?
How much gas does a 42k btu unit use per hour (roughly)?
At $3.50/g is it even worth it or should I go with a wood replacement?

Electric costs are killing me but I don't know if this would be a worthwhile replacement.

Thanks in advance.
 
N_Blueth said:
Previous owner of our house cut out the prefab and jammed in a wood burning insert. Need to replace and thinking about going with gas but have a few concerns.

House is approximately 2000sf with vaulted ceilings on the main level. You can also see to the second level via an open catwalk. House was built in 2004 and fairly tight. Heat pump and no access to NG.

Will a 42k btu gas unit be effective to heat the house on both levels?
How much gas does a 42k btu unit use per hour (roughly)?
At $3.50/g is it even worth it or should I go with a wood replacement?

Electric costs are killing me but I don't know if this would be a worthwhile replacement.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Approximately 91.5 K in a gallon of LP so you'll get a little over 2 hours burn time with a 42K BTU unit. $3.50 seems a little high, especially for heating fuel, but maybe that's the going rate in your area. Your ability to heat the entire 2K sf will depend upon the amount of insulation you've got. If you can close off some rooms that don't require heat 24/7, it'll heat a smaller area better & quicker. The efficiency of gas inserts is generally 75% - 83% & obviously the more efficient ones will save you $$ but not a whole lot...HTH
 
i would not try to heat my home with a gas insert on propane .The most it could do is supplement your heat pump .If you have access to wood i would upgrade the insert to something approved for the prefab you have.You wont find a gas unit that can keep that much area heated by itself without using a large amount of fuel if it can do it at all.
 
With a high efficiency gas insert I like to use 6 BTUs per cubic foot in older loose construction and 4 BTUs per cubic foot. In new construction. I don't use manufacters square footage ratings because they don't take into consideration vaulted ceilings.

I live in the country. I have a newer high efficiency heat pump. I primarily heat my home with a gas fireplace on propane. Heating with electricity is a lot like washing dishes with scotch. It works but it is expensive.

Finally if you are like most people and only use a portion of your house, zone heating makes a lot of sense.

Brad
 
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