Am I stuck with Propane!?

[shawneyboy]

It maybe possible to convert the existing unit from propane to natural gas, will not change the output, but would change the operating cost.

There are higher BTU gas inserts as well.

The problem with living in the Pocon's, as I and the OP do, is that for a VAST majority of us, NG is not an option. I am less than 1.5 mile from a pipeline, but it is not even an option for those that are within a couple hundred feet of the pipeline.

Shawn

 

[Irish916]

Hello Irish916

I have a very similar fireplace. A 30k BTU Heat N Glo SL-550-TRS-D and with the Optional Blower, it belts out the heat! I have a wall thermostat that I set to 70 Degrees and the fireplace easily maintains that! Although with out the blower it would not do Jack!

So do you have the convection blower that comes on when the fireplace heats up automatically?

So it works great when there is a power outage, I just stick in some D Cells for the auto ignition.
Also it would not heat much without the R53 Fiberglass insulation in the attic above!! Do you have any insulation in your ceilings?

My current unit does have a fan that comes on as the unit heats up. It just isn't enough heat to move unless you either A. Let the unit run for a few hours. B. Get close enough to the unit.

The house was built in 2007, will full compliance to code. So we have 2x6 outer walls with R40 and 20+ inches of blown insulation in the ceiling, as well as a full house wrap. I don't have access to natural gas in my location (as a previous poster pointed out). The other challenge we have is that our home is situated in breezy area in the southern ridge of the poconos. The home is surrounded by thick high trees that block the winter sun. What keeps us cool in the summer keeps us COLD in the winter. So I'm thinking I need a solution that pushes 50-60 BTUs.

 

[KB007]

Looks like a zero clearance wood burner would make some sense. Something like the Napoleon NZ26 or Regency R90 perhaps?

Suggest you take a look at some Mfg's websites for installation specs to see how your existing hearth stacks up against spec's. It looks like many can be installed into a wod framed space, but may require better floor insulation / protection than a gas unit would.

You may need to do a little more work on the chase / chimney exit, may want to look into an insulated liner to help with clearances, but definitely need a pro to spec that out for you. The good news is you aldready got a hole in the roof

 

[Irish916]

It's been a few years since I originally posted this. Plans to swap this out took a detour a few years ago and now we're back to ripping out this zero-clearance propane fireplace in favor of a better heat source. Free-standing units aside, what are the best options for wood or pellet now that we're in 2014? Napolean and Regency? What about units with blowers that I can tie back into my HVAC?

 

[Grisu]

I just looked through the old discussion and came away with the impression that you want the look of a fireplace, correct? Thus, you will need a zero clearance fireplace that either runs on wood or pellets. Now for pellets I am not sure if such a unit exists, you may have to ask in the pellet forum here. For the wood zero clearance fireplace there are lot of units to chose from in addition to the ones mentioned already. Here are some manufacturers:

Kozyheat Z42: http://www.kozyheat.com/mobile/product/z42
RSF: http://www.icc-rsf.com/en/rsf-woodburning-fireplaces
Fireplace Extraordinaire: http://www.fireplacex.com/ProductGuide/FuelTypeOverview.aspx?fueltype=wood&fueltab=0
Pacific Energy FP30: http://pacificenergy.net/products/wood/fireplaces/fp30/
Quadrafire 7100: http://www.quadrafire.com/Products/7100-Wood-Fireplace.aspx
Osburn Stratford: http://www.osburn-mfg.com/en/heaters/model-OB04002-description
Lennox also has a good selection of EPA-approved ZC fireplaces but that part of the website seems to be down.

Most of those units can also be ducted to transfer the heat to other parts of the house although I think it is generally not recommended to tie them directly into the HVAC system. The particular dealer/installer would certainly help you with that.

The question is what kind of area you want to heat with it and how well is your house insulated. That will determine what size firebox you will need. What kind of budget do you have?Just a word of caution: For a nice model with chimney install, ducting, framing, finishing the outside etc. you are looking at $8000 to $10,000 probably. Less if you can do the labor yourself. Here are some pictures of an install: http://houseblog.ottopohl.com/2010/03/14/fireplaces-vs-wood-stoves-vs-zero-clearance-inserts/
Tearing out the propane insert and putting a woodstove in will certainly be cheaper.

Make also sure you have dry wood with a moisture content of less than 20% ready for next winter as any EPA-approved wood fireplace will need that. Ideally you would have split and stacked it in a sunny and windy spot in your yard already last year.

 

[Irish916]

Grisu, THANK YOU for that list. It's incredibly helpful! To answer your question, I'm looking for something that should throw off enough heat to heat the house, or at the very least, to be our go-to heat source when the cold temps make our current heat pump an uneconomical option. While I may need some slight modifications to the framing, I'm confident that whatever we put in place of the TEMCO should not require a massive refit. The TEMCO is already framed up in the following rough dimensions:
Opening Height 34³⁄₄” (883 mm)
Opening Width 36” (914 mm)
Opening Depth 19¹⁄₂” (495 mm)

The box that has been framed in seems like it could easily accommodate a larger unit, so I think we're good there. I would also probably opt for some direct vent chimney system that would exhaust out the side of the house versus something like my current set-up, which exhausts up through the attic and out the roof. I really appreciate your suggestions. I'll poke around the pellet forums for their suggestions. Thank you.

 

[Grisu]

So how big is your house and how well insulated? You could also post a floorplan.

Wood ZC fireplaces cannot be direct vented. You will need a chimney preferentially straight up to allow sufficient draft for full combustion and a clean burn.

Depth could be an issue. I think many units require more than that. You will also need to pull out the current insert to check the framing and clearance to walls inside. If your unit has been installed with minimum clearances only, you most likely will have to make some adjustments.

 

[Irish916]

Thank Grisu-
I was not aware they couldn't be direct vented. That's important to know. As per size, the entire first floor is approximately 1,550 sq ft. (exact floor plan shown below) The house was built in 2007, so it's insulated up to recent code. 2x6 modular construction, R19 in the walls, R30 blown in the ceiling. As for the current framing, the actual framed space juts out 27.75 inches. Take off 3 inches for the 2x4 framing and another inch for sheetrock (both the outside and inside are rocked), you're looking at a good 23in of depth for the new unit.

 

[begreen]

23" is shallow. Most units are 24" deep. Would it be possible to install the fireplace flush with the exterior wall or partially into the room and enclose it in an insulated exterior chase?