Decision between Mendota vs. Regency

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anonymous1977

Member
Mar 3, 2021
68
NJ
I have a high ceiling in my 2500 sq ft high but one zone heating. So, I would like to get a new vented gas fireplace put in the family room with high ceiling where I have no fireplace right now. I have evaluated two primary brands - Mendota and Regency and I have visited 3 dealers for Mendota and 1 dealer for Regency and the outcome is as follows:

Mendota - Evaluated the Mendota FV46 model. Total cost including fireplace, framing for a 20 foot ceiling, installing, plumbing and adding a stone face comes to about $15k. This is assuming a floor to ceiling 20 foot framing is done but stone finish is done for the height of the fireplace and a hearth is added. The advantages of this model is that it can use a heat output from 10000BTU to 45000BTU and there are two blowers which you can control separately. The disadvantage is that due to the venting limitation, the vent has to travel up a couple of feet and then right angle out and this is the primary reason for the floor to ceiling bump out of the drywall. My wife feels that she would much rather prefer a regular height fireplace without bumping out the full wall but this is just not possible with Mendota. The pricing breaks out like this:

Price of unit = $5768
Vent kit = $386
20 foot framing = $2000
Delivery & Installation = $1200
20 foot Gas line =$1350
Stone finish = $2750
Wood wrap around mantle shelf = $1666
Total cost =$15120

Add painting of area above fireplace, electricity and permits, painting of about $1000

Regency - Evaluated B41XTCE model. Total cost including fireplace, framing for only until height of fireplace, installing, plumbing and adding a stone face comes to about $12300. The model is designed in such a way that it vents from the back without requiring a framing from floor to ceiling. The disadvantage in this model that I see is that its heat output is 30000BTU to 40000BTU and there is only one blower. This means I can't reduce the temperature significantly but the salesman says I will not have a need for this. My wife feels she would much rather prefer a fireplace that only goes to the height of the fireplace. The other disadvantage in this model is that the depth is about 26 inches to which I need to then add a hearth whereas the Mendota depth is only 20 inches. The pricing breaks out like this:

Price of unit = $5850
MSI Stone facing =$1420
Stone top shelf =$725
Stone hearth =$725
Multi product discount =$-300
Framing and installation =$2500
Plumbing =$1000
Electricity =$450
Total cost =$12370

Add cost of permit of about $200

Which way should I go? Do the advantages or disadvantages makes leaning one side better than the other?
 
Your wife already told you which one she wants...lol
You are incorrect in the BTU values you have cited.
Those figures are INPUT. To determine the correct
OUTPUT, you need to multiply the INPUT BTUs by
the efficiency of the unit.
 
Mendota fv46 has 13450-45500BTU with 72pct efficiency. Therefore output range will be 9684-32760BTU.

Regency b41xtce has 30000-42500BTU with 72pct efficiency. Therefore output range will be 21600-30600BTU.

The point I was making is that since I can control the variability not the mendota over a wider range, is it better?

Second question is Is this heat output enough to heat a 15x15x20 family room and 15x15x8 kitchen?
 
I have a 40K fireplace in out 15 x 15 x 16 H Great Room & it heats that room very adequately.
I do have R21 insulation in the walls & R30 in the rafters.
How well yours will heat the kitchen is an unknown...
 
Is there a better way to size my need? In the above example does mendota having a larger range means it has more of an advantage?
 
The wall on which this will be mounted is exterior wall. So I am assuming there is insulation. I have ceiling fan but it does not rotate in reverse.