I've got gas..!

[Donn2390]

... and Alka selzer doesn't help..!
The last question I asked in here went unanswered. According to the Mod it was because very few people use or are knowledgeable on the subject of gas inserts.
So here is a new question that should be a slam dunk..!
I have been doing volumes of research on all kinds of inserts, and from everything I have learned, Natural Gas is far more efficient that any other fuel, not to mention far more convenient. The only advantages I see to using wood or pellets are, it's renewable, which is good, and it has the desirable wood smell, which is also good..
My question.... Why is NG not used far more than wood or pellets? The only thing I must assume is that NG is not nearly as available, and if it were, everyone would use it...??
OK, now I'm gonna sit back and watch the fur fly........

 

[ozarkjeep]

gas goes up every year.

I get better at scrounging wood every year ( which means it gets cheaper)

we had a gas burner, it didnt heat worth a flip, and gave me a headache when it was burning.

real mean know how handle their wood.

 

[MANIAC]

Unless you know a way to pipe NG into your house for free or less even, I think your going to be SOL.

 

[cmonSTART]

Because the world could end and I'll still be warm!

 

[stoveguy2esw]

... and Alka selzer doesn't help..!
The last question I asked in here went unanswered. According to the Mod it was because very few people use or are knowledgeable on the subject of gas inserts.
So here is a new question that should be a slam dunk..!
I have been doing volumes of research on all kinds of inserts, and from everything I have learned, Natural Gas is far more efficient that any other fuel, not to mention far more convenient. The only advantages I see to using wood or pellets are, it's renewable, which is good, and it has the desirable wood smell, which is also good..
My question.... Why is NG not used far more than wood or pellets? The only thing I must assume is that NG is not nearly as available, and if it were, everyone would use it...??
OK, now I'm gonna sit back and watch the fur fly........

lemme help you with that.... http://www.beanogas.com/

 

[Tarmsolo60]

no natural gas lines here...but trees no matter what window of my house I look out of.

 

[hearthtools]

Only populated (city)areas have NG
Dont make no sense to pipe 1000's miles of gas for a few homes per sq mile.
Propane is in the $2.50 to $3.00 per gallon in our parts
So I heat will pellets because I can heat for Less than $6 for 24 hours of heat. 25 cents per hour for I run my stove 24 hours a day when it is cold.
my cost per year for pellets is around $650.00 per season.

The same heat BTU for propane will cost me $1.25+ per hour that I would run my 4500 btu LPG gas fireplace.
or about 1,2000 to $1,500 per season. this is going by what my gas stove customers tell me they send a month in LPG.

 

[drizler]

Who says gas isn't renewable. Just look at the Presidential debates. There is enough gas being generated there to run the whole country and it just keeps coming.
On the serious side yea gas is great but it suffers from one BIG liability. You are hooked to that one little pipe controlled by one company . There is no competition at all. The other thing is all the other little fees, charges, surcharges and multiple taxes that get added into the mix. They do tend to add up rather quickly.

 

[Jimbob]

Gas fireplaces are very popular in cities and towns with gas. The reason you don't see anyone asking questions on here is because the fireplaces have to be installed by a gas fitter, and they already know how to do all that. Most gas fireplace owners also get theirs serviced by somone, so they don't need to come to a forum to ask questions.
Gas heat, and fireplaces are good for somone who is VERY busy, and wouldn't have time to fuss with wood.
Also, being that you take the human factor out of the equation becuse of them being somewhat maintenance-free, they can be a bit safer than wood.
I guess what I'm saying, is there are people out there who shouldn't burn wood....:lol:

 

[Donn2390]

Unless you know a way to pipe NG into your house for free or less even, I think your going to be SOL.

I already have natural gas piped to my fireplace, and it is not expensive. It's certainly a lot cheaper than buying wood or pellets, and I don't have a termite attracting wood pile stacked up next to my house.
I guess it depends on one's location. Where I am in the Calif hi desert, there are no trees, so wood must be purchased. I'm thinking cactus doesn't burn too well.
Another factor would be that it sounds like a lot of you rely on the stove for all heating, where as I just want to warm the central area of my house, and my tempertures don't approach the lows many of you experience. I turn off all heat when I retire for the night, and the house will be 60 degrees in the morning. I can see it would make a huge difference if you're in extreme cold. Your heater has to work much harder than mine, since I am only looking to raise the temperture 10 degrees at most. To accomplish that now, I have to crank up two FA heating units, and then it does get expensive. I'm hoping the insert will reduce the need for the FA units.
I don't think NG is expensive here, and my home in Oregon received a letter from the local Gas Co that NG prices will be reduced 8% this year, and 9% in Washington, so the price does not go up every year.
From all of your responses, I was correct that NG isn't available everwhere, and fuel prices very greatly depending on location. Wood is free to some, It has to be purchased where I am.
One poster mentioned, Quote"Most gas fireplace owners also get theirs serviced by somone, so they don't need to come to a forum to ask questions" Quote.
I say to that, I have not yet purchased a unit. I am doing the research so I will be knowledgable before I spend a few thousand dollars and be dissapointed. I have talked to several so called experts, and even called several manufactures to pick their brains. I want to be able to make an informed decision.
I'm getting smarter every day. Thanks for your responses.....

 

[Hogwildz]

I have major gas lines running through the field at the top of my street, and yet, we cannot get gas here. Nor cable, nor DSL.
Electric, phone & satellite, thats it. But lots o wood.

 

[struggle]

If NG works for you that is great.

For me/us I like to use wood for several reason not just one.

It is a release for me to go out locate, cut and split wood in the fall.

I am only dependent on myself beyond the means of my vehicle and basic equipment.

Fire to me is more of a built way of survival that comes somewhat natural to most people.

It is renewable.

I compete against no one at my wood source location

The thought of flipping a switch to watch a somewhat mechanized fire does nothing for as the fire of NG will most likely always be the same.

Termites what are termites ;-P

NG is just to easy.

In my soapstone stove or fireplace no two fires are ever the same.

And like others stated I so not want to have to rely on a very unstable priced fuel source which includes heating oil and electric for others.

I have no idea how much it would cost to heat my home now on NG as I have not used my furnace for more than 10 times in the last 7 years.

I love it when my NG provider flags our house yearly and audits my meter saying this guy must be stealing gas as his meter as it is not running in the winter. They have done this the last 4 years.

The only NG thing in my house is the furnace.

My house can be 75 degrees in the winter and it does not hurt the pocket book at all raise even higher than that.

And if for no other reason I just like it.

 

[myzamboni]

Unless you know a way to pipe NG into your house for free or less even, I think your going to be SOL.

I already have natural gas piped to my fireplace, and it is not expensive. It's certainly a lot cheaper than buying wood or pellets, and I don't have a termite attracting wood pile stacked up next to my house.
I guess it depends on one's location. Where I am in the Calif hi desert, there are no trees, so wood must be purchased. I'm thinking cactus doesn't burn too well.
Another factor would be that it sounds like a lot of you rely on the stove for all heating, where as I just want to warm the central area of my house, and my tempertures don't approach the lows many of you experience. I turn off all heat when I retire for the night, and the house will be 60 degrees in the morning. I can see it would make a huge difference if you're in extreme cold. Your heater has to work much harder than mine, since I am only looking to raise the temperture 10 degrees at most. To accomplish that now, I have to crank up two FA heating units, and then it does get expensive. I'm hoping the insert will reduce the need for the FA units.
I don't think NG is expensive here, and my home in Oregon received a letter from the local Gas Co that NG prices will be reduced 8% this year, and 9% in Washington, so the price does not go up every year.
From all of your responses, I was correct that NG isn't available everwhere, and fuel prices very greatly depending on location. Wood is free to some, It has to be purchased where I am.
One poster mentioned, Quote"Most gas fireplace owners also get theirs serviced by somone, so they don't need to come to a forum to ask questions" Quote.
I say to that, I have not yet purchased a unit. I am doing the research so I will be knowledgable before I spend a few thousand dollars and be dissapointed. I have talked to several so called experts, and even called several manufactures to pick their brains. I want to be able to make an informed decision.
I'm getting smarter every day. Thanks for your responses.....

I have friends in the CA high desert (Yucca Valey) and they love their pellet insert. No gas bill in the winter

 

[webbie]

... and Alka selzer doesn't help..!
The last question I asked in here went unanswered. According to the Mod it was because very few people use or are knowledgeable on the subject of gas inserts.
So here is a new question that should be a slam dunk..!
I have been doing volumes of research on all kinds of inserts, and from everything I have learned, Natural Gas is far more efficient that any other fuel, not to mention far more convenient. The only advantages I see to using wood or pellets are, it's renewable, which is good, and it has the desirable wood smell, which is also good..
My question.... Why is NG not used far more than wood or pellets? The only thing I must assume is that NG is not nearly as available, and if it were, everyone would use it...??
OK, now I'm gonna sit back and watch the fur fly........

I have burned wood stoves
I have burned pellet stoves
I have burned coal stoves

and I have burned gas stoves....

Given Natural Gas, I can only say "I love them!". It is a clean burning fuel, efficient, operates without electric, from thermostats, etc.

I usually tell folks.....when they are looking for the second stove in the house, get a gas stove! Keeping up with two wood stoves is only for a certain minority of people!

And, BOTH pellets and wood are "lifestyle" choices......you do have to be "into" them in order to get satisfaction. Whereas a gas stove or insert is more of an appliance that just does the job it was designed for.

Having burned and installed thousands of products, I can heartily recommend efficient gas stoves to just about anyone.

 

[Hogwildz]

Is there an insert or freestanding LP stove that is bedroom rated?

 

[webbie]

Lots of them, I think......
Can't use open ones or vent-free over a certain BTU (which you should not use anyway!)

Main thing is to get a DV so it uses no air, and also not to oversize or your will be roasted.

From a Heat N Glo Manual:
"These models may be installed in a bedroom or bed-sitting room in the U.S.A.
and Canada."

 

[webbie]

I was correct that NG isn't available everwhere, and fuel prices very greatly depending on location. Wood is free to some, It has to be purchased where I am.
One poster mentioned, Quote"Most gas fireplace owners also get theirs serviced by somone, so they don't need to come to a forum to ask questions" Quote.
I say to that, I have not yet purchased a unit. I am doing the research so I will be knowledgable before I spend a few thousand dollars and be dissapointed. I have talked to several so called experts, and even called several manufactures to pick their brains. I want to be able to make an informed decision.
I'm getting smarter every day. Thanks for your responses.....

If I was there in the desert, I'd probably be going gas.....and we can help you with gas stuff - there are a lot of articles on troubleshooting gas stuff, etc. at our articles page:
https://www.hearth.com/what/specific.php

Right now there is a boom in wood, and to some extend pellet stoves. But over the last 15 years in general, gas has taken over and retained a LOT of the market. One (true) reason that you don't see a lot of gas heads here is that stove usually don't break down! So they are just sitting by the stove or fireplace enjoying themselves, instead of asking us why there is smoke coming out of the pipe, etc.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Gas is Taxed. My wood isn't. Why pay taxes you don't want/have to? It's not like the exercise of hauling and splitting wood is bad for me either.



Matt

 

[webbie]

Gas is Taxed. My wood isn't. Why pay taxes you don't want/have to? It's not like the exercise of hauling and splitting wood is bad for me either.

Matt

Now, prepare yourself - this may be really hard to believe.....

But some of us don't mind paying taxes! Didn't the "big man" say to render unto Caesar what is his?

Why, if I was Fox News, I'd spin the lack of paying taxes to your failure to support our troops or President! Or the roads or something else...oh, yeah, Vets...that's it, your failure to help our Vets.


But I guess each of us is driven differently, and the lack of tax was never even a consideration for me in wood burning. In fact, it could probably be said that I paid MORE tax because I burned wood, since the utilities would have been deductible (business expense) in my store, and the wood chopping was not!

Funny world....we love those nice interstates we drive around on, but don't want to pay the gas tax to make certain they are paved.

As a store owner, I was constantly being asked to risk my business by not charging people sales tax. It was a tough position - after all, I was not even getting paid to collect it! At the same time, when the big state sales tax audit came, I was glad we followed the straight and narrow! One guy pleaded and pleaded....telling me he NEVER paid sales tax. I was a bit surprised when I found out he was a judge in state superior court.......of course, our customers who were police officers didn't want to pay either.

A funny world, it is!

Actually, if you really don't want to pay tax, get that beer out of your hand. Now that's a great reason to stop drinking!

 

[SlyFerret]

My last propane delivery came in at $3.24/gallon. The total for the delivery was over $1100. That will get me though the first half of winter, but I'll need a second delivery of about the same amount before spring. Propane isn't cheap. NG isn't available.

My wood stove is sitting in my living room waiting to be installed. I'm working on my drawings to get my permit to install it. Once I do, I'll be able to use it to significantly reduce my heating costs. There is ample wood in the area that can be had for free.

That's my reason for switching to wood. Oh yeah, that and I find it to be therapeutic to go outside and gather, cut, and split wood.

-SF

 

[hearthtools]

Gas is Taxed. My wood isn't. Why pay taxes you don't want/have to? It's not like the exercise of hauling and splitting wood is bad for me either.



Matt

In California LPG is not taxed if it is for HOME heating.

 

[Highbeam]

As to the original question. I would love a NG stove in addition to my wood stove. It is automatic and in my experience maintenance free. No moving parts, silent, efficient, etc. The purpose for both is since wood heat is a different animal and much more pleasant to use for someone who wants to actually be involved with their warmth.

We have NG all around us and some day it will run down our street when I will hook up to it. NG is not just in the city. Lots and lots of fairly rural areas are equipped perhaps in anticipation of build out. Gas in the NW is cheap. Not the cheapest in the US but still much cheaper than any other purchased fuel. The gas mains are very reliable.

 

[Cabover]

Hi, I also am now considering a gas insert. Only because my wife doesn't want one wiff of smoke in her house. So now the wood insert is out.

I have found a used Quadrafire QVI35 for sale. Does anyone know anything about it? What's the flames like? Will it heat me out of my 1300 square foot Living/Kitchen area? It puts out 35,000 btu, would I be better off with a smaller insert.

Thanks.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Gas is Taxed. My wood isn't. Why pay taxes you don't want/have to? It's not like the exercise of hauling and splitting wood is bad for me either.



Matt

In California LPG is not taxed if it is for HOME heating.

Sorry, this thread fell off the radar.

Unfortunately, fuel for home heating is taxed here. They tax to the point I believe that the rebates given to low income familys probably do not even cover the taxes on the fuel.

Matt

 

[ansehnlich1]

Now, prepare yourself - this may be really hard to believe.....

But some of us don’t mind paying taxes! Didn’t the “big man” say to render unto Caesar what is his?

Why, if I was Fox News, I’d spin the lack of paying taxes to your failure to support our troops or President! Or the roads or something else...oh, yeah, Vets...that’s it, your failure to help our Vets.

Belongs in the Ash can with the rest of your liberal pontificating

I have to agree with booshcat on this one.