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Ventless fireplace vs wood pellet stove
Kenthetoolman
Member Posts: 839 ✭✭✭✭
I am buying a new house which has a ventless gas fireplace in the living room. These things do not give me warm fuzzy feelings. I have noticed the wood pellet stoves in the local store and am interested but would like the opinion of someone with first hand experience with one. I don't know why they went ventless to begin with since there is a brick chimney directly behind where they put it.
Comments
At one time, the cost of pellets was higher than stratus clouds.
Pellet Pros: pellets are not messy and produce even heat
Gas Pros: not messy and produce even heat. Stoves tend to be more expensive, yet more reliable than pellet stoves
Wood pros: cheapest source of fuel (assuming you gather cut and split yourself), but only by a slim margin, and most people can supply themselves.
Likely they went ventless because you can theoretically transfer all the heat energy to your room (orders of magnitude more efficient). I don't trust them either, to not produce dangerous gasses.
ETA: FWIW, this from a ventless gas sales site:
quote:
In the United States, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death related to home appliances, has stated that it is not aware of any documented incident in the CPSC In-Depth Investigation (IDI) database of fatal carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning associated with an ODS-equipped ventless gas heating product.
In the United Kingdom, approximately 15 million ODS-equipped ventless units have been installed with no reported CO deaths.
Japan reports that more than 40 million units have the same outstanding safety record.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
The wood stove has been lit now for over a month and burns wood very efficently. I have an endless supply of wood so I am a bit bias.
My brother in law has a pellet stove and I hate it. Its an ugly flame with little ambiance but a decent heat source. I would not own one.
We have a ventless gas fireplace. Don't use it much----has to be pretty cold because it does put out a lot of heat.
+100 I put in the infrared ventless in the laundry room and Ventless fireplace in the living room when I built. The fireplace puts out way too much heat for this house so I havent used it in years. The heater in the laundry room pretty much can heat the whole house but the last few years have saved it in case the power went out. It is just a little cheaper to heat with electric around here.
If moisture is a problem (electronics etc) and you can't let the ventless run continuously then I'd suggest going with the pellet stove.
This is the unit in the barn. Has fairly realistic fake logs, all in all a presentable unit. Heats two 20'x24' rooms with 11.5' ceilings FAST!
Bet U spend a lotta time in the basement!!![:D][:D][;)]
Dennis, you are a hopeless romantic.[;)]
Have a Harman XXV. Puts out nice heat, and in time will heat a large room. It does require electricity, and you cannot refill while it is running. t will hold enough pellets for several cold eveningshowever, Main downside is no electricity, no fire,
I got rid of the wood stove and have not missed it in the least. I can get by on around $250 gas a year and my electric bill runs between $150-$200 year around. Big job to get the wood in, bugs in the house, smoke in the house, damage to the floor, couldn't control the wood heat on days were the nights are cold and it warms up during the day.
Not much for ambiance.
On the lowest possible setting, it would run you out after an hour or two in even the most brutal Atlanta winters. [;)]
It worked. No doubt. For heat, I can't think of much that would be more efficient. And a good backup in case of power outage.
I'd rather have a wood burning stove that you can cook on.
Maybe, I'll put one in the guest house...
We have a Gas/Wood Fireplace in out home, and have used both Gas and Wood at times - great when the power goes out!
I wonder at depending on pellet Manufacture/Distribution when things get bad...
I absolutely love this unit. We put one in the new addition last year, and even if it is in the 20's outside, I can run the house up to 80+*. This is the EPA approved new technology style insert. When she gets good and hot, you won't even see smoke coming from the chimney,..it burns THAT hot
By damping down the vent system, this unit will go for more than a day on a wheelbarrel load of wood.
this will tie right into the chimney you say is in place[;)] just install the double stainless pipe and light it up.[^]
I can't say about the others since I don't find gas or pellets to be appealing at all. I like REAL fire,..that's what I grew up with, so that's what I eventually installed in the addition. I don't mind the extra cleaning from dust and wood,..it is offset every time I stand in front of the fireplace[8D]
and put a wood burning stove with fire brick / wall where that gas fireplace is at.
That ugly propane wall heater heats just as well as the gas fireplace.
Ventless gas: Not code approved as a primary heating device. These are always 100% efficient, low maintenance & reliable. Downside is CO output & smell.
Wood: MAY be code approved as a primary. If you got free wood & a strong back, hard to beat. Dirty. Requires lots of interaction to light & keep filled with wood, haul ashes, etc. Very poor efficiency.
Pellet: Not code approved as a primary. Auto ignition on better models means true thermostat control, so somewhat efficient. Some mess but not bad. ALL pellet devices eventually break down & requires service & parts. Good compromise, especially if you don't want to hump firewood.
Here's our ventless:
I'd rather have a wood burning stove that you can cook on.
Maybe, I'll put one in the guest house...
Your insert resembles what my mother has, but possibly smaller.
I have no idea why they put something like this in a house in Florida.
Been used maybe 3 times, as even on a 20 degree night, it will heat up the family room, where it's located to an almost unbearable temp quite quickly.
Not too worried about CO, as I have detectors installed in 4 locations in her home since she has NG furnaces as well.
None have ever gone off, even though the house is very 'tight' concerning air infiltration.
My house doesn't have a fireplace of any kind, and that's fine.
If I want to see fire, I light up some wood in my firepit outside.[;)]
Here's our ventless:
I'd rather have a wood burning stove that you can cook on.
Maybe, I'll put one in the guest house...
I will appreciate that Drobs.[^][}:)][:p]
I don't like pellet stoves either. Too many moving parts, and they don't work when the power goes out.
Check out the gas stoves. Great fire, good heat, low maintenance, no reliance on electricity. Go with the added fan, which does use 110v power -- but the stove will continue to make heat with the power off.
Unless, like me, you believe in a good, old-fashioned, messy wood stove. [:)]
quote:Originally posted by drobs
Here's our ventless:
I'd rather have a wood burning stove that you can cook on.
Maybe, I'll put one in the guest house...
I will appreciate that Drobs.[^][}:)][:p]
Guest house will be across the "street". Maybe I can Allen Griggs to be foreman / tutor for the log cabin I want to build.
Your welcome to stay anytime hell you're welcome now. I have flat spot you pull the RV into.