Converting wood fireplace to DV/NG

[abrucerd]

Hi - I was an active member of the Pellets forum until a few months ago where I sold my house and moved into another that now has natural gas.

We have a wood fireplace that needs a new damper and I was talking to a friend who recommended converting to a direct vent fireplace. I did some poking around and it seems like a good idea, though I know there are a few other options out there.

I'm curious if anyone can help me determine what would be a good fit for my family. We spend most of our time in the new living room (where the fireplace is), and my wife tends to run cold so I would like to supplement our normal heat in the winter to keep her happy.

Any ideas what factors I should consider, as well as ball-park installation costs for various systems (I'm in central Massachusetts).

Thanks in advance!

 

[kennyp2339]

Free standing gas burner? looks like a wood stove but is gas.

 

[DAKSY]

Go to your local hearth shop with the height, width & depth of your fireplace & see what they have to offer.
Also bring a picture of your fireplace taken from across the room & a picture of your home, showing both
the ground & the top of the chimney in one shot. Measure how much gas line you will need from the nearest
gas appliance to the underside of the fireplace,
With all those things in hand, your local hearth guy will be able to give you a fairly accurate estimate
of the installation costs. The size (& cost) if the insert will depend on the size of the room you want to install your insert in.
Bigger rooms require more heat. More heat generally requires a larger BTU insert. Larger inserts generally cost more money.
The insert, gas line, co-axial venting & accessories take about 4 hours of installation time, for a two-man crew.
Your average cost for this type of installation is probably gonna be $4-5K depending on what you choose.

 

[abrucerd]

Thank you, Daksy. Do different brands differ much from a quality standpoint, or is it mostly aesthetic options?

 

[DAKSY]

Different brands will have different flame presentations & options.
There are folks here who prefer one brand over another, but most are quality units.
I personally have two Heat & Glo units, but I'd buy a Regency or a Valor or another
brand if I thought the unit performed better or looked nicer.
Ask your wife which one SHE likes. That's the one you should get!

 

[abrucerd]

Ask your wife which one SHE likes. That's the one you should get!

Excellent point - thanks for the help!