Replacing Wood Burning Insert with Gas (LP)

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

elroyyboy

Member
Sep 10, 2010
17
Nozarks, (Central MO)
Hi,
We have a two story Cape Cod over a full, uninsulated, basement. Currently, we have a Country Flame wood burning insert w/ catalytic exhaust.
We had the chimney inspected last year and it was good to go.
However, we don't like the "mess" of wood. We just had 750 sf of wood floors refinished and the wife doesn't like the mess that carrying wood from the baement and cleaning out of ash produces (I don't blame her). Additionally, we have 18 inch headers dividing all the rooms on the first floor of the house and the only air return for HVAC is two rooms away in the kitchen. As a result, we can roast meat in the living room, but distribution of heat to the rest of the house is difficult. Having the thermostat in an adjacent hallway also has its drawbacks, as the heat gets to it, prevents the temp from lowering, and doesn't engage the HVAC when it's cold. Finally, I can stoke up the fire in the evening and the following morning it's still smoldering. As a result, I can't close the flue door and I know we lose lots of heat through the chimney, defeating the purpose of alternative heat sources to reduce electricity bills in the first place.

I'd like to replace the wood burning insert with an LP gas insert.
If possible, I wouldn't mind putting a wood stove in the basement, but I have no idea how to vent it. There's a chimney cleanout in the basement, but I don't think I can use it as another flue/chimney for the woodstove, can I? Or am I in the wrong forum for this question?

I was directed to this site from gardenwebs fireplace forum. I'm amazed, and a little intimidated, by the amount of info available.


Thanks,
 
The wall mount electric fireplace can be a focal point in a living room or family room. The modern appliances are very beautiful and can add a fabulous look to your home.


source:soothingfireplaces.com/
 
Whatever you decide, if you have a central HVAC system on the house, you can circulate the heat in the living room to the rest of the house by switching the thermostat fan setting from "auto" to "on". It will even the heat distribution and give your thermostat a more accurate reading on the average temperature.

Adding a proper wood burning flue from the basement can be prohibitively expensive (more than the cost of the stove itself), so I'd be tempted to make the Mrs. a happy camper and install a gas insert where the beast is now. After that, you can better judge whether you'd like to try gas down there in the basement as well.

I hate to disagree with eliteanny1, but "electric fires" aren't practical heating solutions for your part of the country.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.