Considering switch to LPG from Pellet - Gas Fireplace insert do the job??

[Runboy7426]

Hello, new to the forums here and looking for some input from those who have first hand experience with gas fireplace inserts as primary heat sources.
I am needing to heat home that is approximately 900sq ft on the northern california coast.
Current heater is a Thelin Gnome Pellet stove (rated at 27000 btu) which we actually never run on high. Start it up on medium for an hour or so and then drop it to low.
We are looking to get into something with more thermostatic controllability and less noise than a pellet stove.
I have a air circulation system set up the intakes warm air from the ceiling near the stove and distributes it to the bedrooms at the other end of the home making for a fully cozy living space.

My question is - would an insert such as a Valor G4 be sufficient to match the heating performance of the Gnome Pellet stove? Would the "convection" action be enough or would blowers also be required on the insert?

Any info anyone can contribute would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DAKSY]

BTUs are BTUs. no matter what fuel you burn. That being said,
you have to look at the efficiency of the unit & multiply that by the BTU (input) rating,
in order to compare different units/fuels.
If you DO have an insert installed, you will have to learn to use it, just like you did
when you first started burning pellets. Hot air rises & if you get blower with your unit,
that will move heated air further away from the front of the unit before it starts to rise.
In order to move the heated air to another room will STILL require you to use a secondary system.
I always told customers who got new gas inserts, to start with all settings - burner & blowers - at
a middle setting. If that setting isn't warm enough for your home, adjust one or both of them UP.
Hope this helps you.

 

[Runboy7426]

BTUs are BTUs. no matter what fuel you burn. That being said,
you have to look at the efficiency of the unit & multiply that by the BTU (input) rating,
in order to compare different units/fuels.
If you DO have an insert installed, you will have to learn to use it, just like you did
when you first started burning pellets. Hot air rises & if you get blower with your unit,
they will move heated air further away from the front of the unit before it starts to rise.
In order to move the heated air to another room will STILL require you to use a secondary system.
I always told customers who got new gas inserts, to start with all settings - burner & blowers - at
a middle setting. If that setting isn't warm enough for your home, adjust one or both of them UP.
Hope this helps you.

Thanks for the reply DASKY,
have you had much "hands on" with the different brands on the market to form an opinion on which ones are the most legit as actual heat sources?
I keep gravitating toward Valor or Mendota but need to make the drive 90 miles to see them in person. Locally the offerings are Quadra-Fire, Heat & Glo, Lopi and Fireplace X.
These things are obviously priced through the roof and if a Quadra-Fire is getting up there say within $1000 of a Valor or Mendota I'd rather spring for them if the heating performance is better.
Any thoughts?

 

[DAKSY]

Where I worked, we sold Heat & Glo, Regency, Vermont Castings,
Hearthstone & Jotul gas burning inserts.
I have serviced a couple of Lopi, Mendota, & Monessen inserts.
I have a Heat & Glo in my home & it works well for my situation,
but if I were to replace it, I would probably go for a Regency unit.
They are Kick-ass heaters & the flame presentation is very realistic.
All are dependable or they wouldn't still be on the market.
Bottom line is to make sure what you want fits your fireplace,
& in the HEAT department, BIGGER is almost always BETTER.
A BIGGER unit can be turned down if you get too hot.
A SMALLER unit can only go so high & if you run it on high
& it doesn't heat your home, you've probably wasted your money.
Then again, you MAY have to get the one your WIFE likes...

 

[k0wtz]

Where I worked, we sold Heat & Glo, Regency, Vermont Castings,
Hearthstone & Jotul gas burning inserts.
I have serviced a couple of Lopi, Mendota, & Monessen inserts.
I have a Heat & Glo in my home & it works well for my situation,
but if I were to replace it, I would probably go for a Regency unit.
They are Kick-ass heaters & the flame presentation is very realistic.
All are dependable or they wouldn't still be on the market.
Bottom line is to make sure what you want fits your fireplace,
& in the HEAT department, BIGGER is almost always BETTER.
A BIGGER unit can be turned down if you get too hot.
A SMALLER unit can only go so high & if you run it on high
& it doesn't heat your home, you've probably wasted your money.
Then again, you MAY have to get the one your WIFE likes...

I would keep the pellet stove