Fireplace insert or freestanding stove in "alcove"?

[eclecticcottage]

So I know the answer if this is about wood heat. Stove. However I don't know if this rings true for gas units.

Here's the question/situation:

We heat with wood. Primary heat source, no furnace. We'd like something as a backup that can heat the place should we need to be/want to be away during the winter for several days. I don't trust plug in electric heaters. I also don't trust the VF that much, although it might be able to do it. We were looking into splits/hyper heat units but now I'm thinking maybe just a stove or fireplace in the porch we are wanting to rebuild. This would then be a part of the house and could be opened to the house to circulate heat. We'd have to find a way to feed it (LP tanks somewhere, we use 2 100lb tanks to feed our range and water heater and a third one to feed the VF when it's on). Not entirely sure if this is how we'll go, or if we'll be able to rebuild the sunroom anyway, but I like to get some rough ideas together in case we do.

House with rebuilt sunroom would be in the range of 850 heated sq ft. One story. Sunroom at one end. We're getting better insulated and sealed, the Republic can heat the place easily unless it's in the single digits or teens with high winds.

We would want a little "bump out" for the fireplace or stove to keep as much floor space in the sunroom as possible. So the stove would basically be installed like a stove in fireplace install (alcove).

We've heated with a gas stove before, and now a wood stove but I don't have a comparison for using a fireplace. Which would likely heat better? Stove or fireplace? Do gas fireplaces use a blower the way wood inserts do, to circulate the heat?

 

[danimal1968]

As a rule, zero clearance direct vent fireplaces and inserts use blowers to help move the heat out from the unit much the same as with wood. In fact, just as with wood stoves, many freestanding gas stoves offer blowers as an option. I know that Mendota, one of the high-end manufacturers, says that its units take about a 5 percent hit to their efficiency if they are run without the blowers on (i.e. during a power outage).

Since you're talking about using these with propane, I'd definitely look at the Enerchoice P4 efficicency ratings given by the Canadian government. A gallon of propane contains 91,500 BTUs. With the larger stoves and fireplaces hitting 40,000 BTU/hr or more, and given the price of propane

Also if you're talking about something you'd use while you're away, look for a model that allows you to use either a wall thermostat or one that is incorporated into the remote. Some units will simply turn the unit on or off to maintain temperature; some incorporate a "smart thermostat" feature that will adjust the flame height in order to accomplish that.

One thing you might consider is a direct-vented wall furnace. Their efficiency numbers are right up there with most stoves and fireplaces, and there are units that work on convection without fans (though again they are typically offered as an option). There are models made by WIlliams, Rinnai, and others, and I suspect they'll be less expensive than a stove or fireplace.

 

[eclecticcottage]

Oooo...liking the flame height adjustment option. Our Lopi stoves (Heritage Bay DVS and Berkshire) were either on or off. Definitely going with thermostatic wall control, although the Heritage Bay has been at war with the thermostat for the past two years (it's in our rental, formerly where we lived)-it just doesn't always want to communicate.

Since it's a small space, we are trying to combine aesthetics with functionality. Not too into the idea of the wall unit-which has been part of the issue with the splits (location of the inside portion).

So it sounds like the same "rule" applies for gas as for wood, which I figured-the stoves heat a bit better sans blower (we'd rather not run one 24/7, we don't with our wood stove). Still might like the fireplace though, since I've always wanted one but had to "settle" for stoves for various reasons (nothing against my stove of course).

Would very likely be buying used so as to keep costs manageable. That will make things a bit more difficult, because I'm hesitant to buy either if it's not still hooked up and functioning.

Might be worth a separate thread, but would most units be able to run on a 40lb tank for a test of functionality if they were already taken out?