Anyone have one of these?

[mass_burner]

Easy to install? How do they heat?
Gas bill, any thoughts appreciated.

 

[DAKSY]

Many of us in here, myself included, wouldn't dream of putting a household vented appliance in our homes.
You can read about the FEW plusses & the MANY minuses about these units elsewhere in hearth.com...

 

[Husky]

Had something like this many years ago when I was just starting out in my marriage. Lived in an old farm house and not much money and needed something to keep living area warm for the new bride. I hated it, always had a bad smell and was always afraid of carbon monoxide. Could not run it without leaving a window cracked open for fresh air. Would not do it again unless it was the only way to keep warm.

 

[Fsappo]

I use a VF heater in a 3 season room. I use it for an hour or two at a time, I use it on natural gas, bought an empire unit ($500 I think for a 15K BTU, I don't go cheap on vent free). It is off the main home in a room rarely used. It is also a room the wind literally blows thru. I also keep the proper detectors (CO and combustible gas). Would never use one in the primary living space or for more than a couple hours at a time. In my installation, I notice no odors. Its instant and efficient heat. Also, it adds moisture to the air.

Like anything else, there is always a right way or wrong way to use something.

 

[HVAC_Marc]

Frankensteined. Circa 1912

 

[eclecticcottage]

View attachment 149351


Frankensteined. Circa 1912

as in, patched together? I've always wondered what those looked like running.

As for the VF...we have two. A "fireplace" and a very small version of what you have shown (5,000 BTU). The fireplace is in the dining room and we run it when it's VERY cold (fired it up yesterday and will probably put it back out Friday, it's been in the teens/single digits but getting back into the 20's) at night. The little one is in our utility area which is in our bathroom. Haven't needed to run it in two years, but it heats up the space QUICK when we do. The fireplace has more of a smell then the little guy. Personally, if your house isn't extremely drafty, I wouldn't put on in. We had an energy assessment and we were losing about 6000 cfm per hour before we started sealing (If I'm recalling the measurement correctly-it was 6000 somethings, that much I know) in a 700 sq ft house so you know we were pretty leaky.

Easy to install. Can't compare gas bills.

This is our fireplace last year near Christmas, as you can see, it wasn't lit at the time.

 

[HVAC_Marc]

as in, patched together? I've always wondered what those looked like running.

It's all original except the new gas valve and pilot assembly. All of them are natural gas and there are no provisions for propane. Precise enough control of the flames to prevent massive CO production could not be achieved with a hand valve alone.

 

[eclecticcottage]

It's all original except the new gas valve and pilot assembly. All of them are natural gas and there are no provisions for propane. Precise enough control of the flames to prevent massive CO production could not be achieved with a hand valve alone.

Very cool. A friend of ours lives in an older house in Friendship that I think had one of those at one time. We don't have a fireplace to put one in so I've never considered one for the Cottage although I consistently drool over the old gas parlour stoves!

 

[BrotherBart]

I grew up in farm houses heated with those things burning butane.

 

[HVAC_Marc]

Very cool. A friend of ours lives in an older house in Friendship that I think had one of those at one time. We don't have a fireplace to put one in so I've never considered one for the Cottage although I consistently drool over the old gas parlour stoves!

i think i might have an older crustier one that can be vented... if you may be interested? I was going to make it another fixer-upper but never got around to it