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Dave H 
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Central IL
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 Topic: Buying a propane fire place?
Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 7:58am |
Making a major change/remodel in the house. This winter was the last for the wood stove. Am retiring from that business, but have really enjoyed it thru the years. So I am contracting the overhaul. Gotta take the wood burner out, knock down three non supporting decor walls, do some floring and then, put/build a vented propane fireplace in a 90 degree corner. Has to be a vented one, remote controlled, adjustable, and quality, but not just dumping money.
Got a concept on the build and the carpenter says he can construct the fireplace, but has no recommendation on the exact unit to mount up/install.
So the plan is, I gotta buy the thing and he will install. BTW it will vent out thru the side wall of the corner/house.
Where in the heck do I start to get the perfect one. Reliability, nice looking flame, etc?
thinking of throwing in the towel and going contract completely on the fireplace. Trouble there also is finding a reputable contractor.
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desertjoe
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Joined: 23 Sep 2013
Location: New mexico
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 9:18am |
Hey Dave,,,,First thing I would do is check into the price of propane Vs natural Gas. Like most places,,propane is quite a bit more expensive than natural gas AND if you don't already have a storage tank plumbed to the house will require you to either buy one, get it set and piped to the heater,,,OR rent one for so much a month rental. THEN,,,you have to make sure and check the level so it does NOT run out of propane,,,,cause if it does,,you will have to pay a LICENSED plumber to test the whole system before they will fill tank back up,,,!!!! With natural gas,,,,you never have to worry bout all these things,,,,,,,,,  I'm thinkin maybe natural gas has a higher BTU value than propane too,,,,,?? I hear rumblings that the suppliers around here are lookin at charging for "delivery" and that will just add to the total,,,,,dang commies,,,,,, 
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desertjoe
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 9:22am |
OH,,,and since you have burned lots of wood in a fireplace,,you know there IS a difference in a propane fireplace to a propane HEATER,,,one is for "SHOW" and will let most of your available heat go out the vent ,,,,the heater will heat your house right nicely
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Sugarmaker
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Location: Albion PA
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 9:23am |
Dave, Cant help you on the brand of fireplace. I also stopped cutting and heating with wood in the house. I miss the feel of the heat but the back is probably better for it. What your looking for probably wont be a cheap date. But nothing is cheap now days. Should be a good update project for you. I would still like to install a nice wood stove in the family room someday. As a back up and to just get warm by some days. i still burn 4 cord of slabs each spring for making maple syrup so I am not entirely out of the wood business. And I need something to keep the Allis tractors busy too. Regards, Chris
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D17 1958 (NFE), WD45 1954 (NFE), WD 1952 (NFE), WD 1950 (WFE), Allis F-40 forklift, Allis CA, Allis D14, Ford Jubilee, Many IH Cub Cadets, 32 Ford Dump, 65 Comet.
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desertjoe
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 9:34am |
Yeah,,,Chris,,that's the way to do that is to have the wood burner only as a spare for emergencies. We had a nice Parlor Stove in the den and I finally took it out as the wife was always complainin bout it botherin her lungs, so out it goes and still have it in the corner in garage,,,now she won't let me sell it,,,,!!!I doubt it ever going back in this house.
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Tbone95
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Location: Michigan
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 10:00am |
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I have a Lennox propane(no natural gas available) fireplace. Have had it 11 years. We don't use it a lot, but have had no problems. And while Joe is correct in that it is not the same as a heater, our unit is efficiency rated, meaning it is rated to put out some heat. I'd recommend it.
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EricPA
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Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Location: Watsontown,PA.
Points: 2578
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 10:36am |
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We just put our second heat n glo unit in the new house we just built. last one 15 years no problems hopefully the new one will be the same. very happy with both units
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Life is tough,but it's tougher when you're stupid. - John Wayne
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Lars(wi)
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 10:39am |
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Edited by Lars(wi) - 05 Mar 2019 at 10:41am
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I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science.
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ocharry
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Location: missouri
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 10:47am |
maybe consider a nice hearth with a really nice big BTU free standing pellet stove,,,,lots of heat and you can watch the fire too,,,,and back your a** up to it ind warm up the bones,,,,,not as good as a wood burner but it will get you warmed up,,,,
BUT you will want to have a battery back up system for when the lectric goes off
just a thought
ocharry
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jaybmiller
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 10:58am |
I have a NG Napolean fireplace, direct vent,sux air from outside to burn..the ONE item you need to be sure for whatever you buy... That it can run when the power is OFF !!! While I do have a blower, it's NOT necessary, just help blow hot air away from fireplace. Not fancy computer, no remote with oddball battery that goes dead.. just a simple stat on the opposite wall. Turn it up, I get heat... good thing if you contract it out, it's THEIR problem if it don't work !!
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
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john(MI)
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 11:43am |
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I have a Lennox, with remote control thermostat. It also has a fan in it. I had to add a thermocouple to turn the fan on and off automatically. My feeling is if you make a contractor get the unit, you will pay quite a bit of markup on the price and it will probably be a brand X model you'll need to replace in 3 to 5 years.
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desertjoe
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 2:34pm |
You know,,Jay,,I've always wondered bout the reasoning the Mfgrs had for using "COLD" outside air for combustion air which has to make the heater lose some of it's efficiency in order to heat the incoming outside COLD air instead of using WARM inside air that you already paid to heat up once already,,,,,,,? HMmmmmm,,,where's ole Dave Kamp,,? I bet he will straighten me up,,,,, 
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desertjoe
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 2:41pm |
I got to wonderin bout the actual BTU value and cost comparisons of propane VS natural Gas and found this on the internet,,,,,
At $2.50 per gallon of propane, natural gas would be a more cost effective energy solution. Breaking it down even further, natural gas needs to be more than $28.00per 1,000 cubic feet for propane to be a more cost effective energy solution (provided the cost for propane is $2.50 per gallon
Hope this helps, Dave..
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Dave H
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 2:48pm |
I think natural gas is a no go since the nearest hook up would be like 3 miles as the crow flies.
Gots a 500 gal propane tank at the house now used for a back up genny and a stove in the finished part of the basement.
That question about using the outside air might be a kind of tricky one there Joe. Since the air is drawn in through the double wall, well I will never get a grip on that one. 
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Tbone95
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 2:54pm |
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Well, I ain't Dave Kamp, but you use fresh outside air for 2 reasons that I can think of. Mainly, you don't want to be using the oxygen from the inside air. Today's houses are "tighter" than the older ones, where the cracks around the doors and windows maybe didn't have glass at all, there was plenty of fresh air for the fireplace/ woodstoves to use.
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Tbone95
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 2:56pm |
 Dave H wrote:
I think natural gas is a no go since the nearest hook up would be like 3 miles as the crow flies.
Gots a 500 gal propane tank at the house now used for a back up genny and a stove in the finished part of the basement.
That question about using the outside air might be a kind of tricky one there Joe. Since the air is drawn in through the double wall, well I will never get a grip on that one.
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john(MI)
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 6:05pm |
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I'm in rural Michigan. There were enough people in the area petitioning the gas company, me included, that they ran the pipeline thru here a couple years ago. I sure was glad to see that 500 gallon tank going down the road.
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Thad in AR.
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 6:31pm |
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Find a good dealer to buy from and they will recommend a good contractor that understands the fireplace and it’s requirements. The dealer we use at work emails me schematics and will make a run to the job site if I need. They do the install we just frame around it to their specs.
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Ron Eggen
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Posted: 05 Mar 2019 at 8:10pm |
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Talk with your propane supplier. They or their repair people can recommend one or more units and probably will install it for you. I know my brother does at the supplier he works for. Most of them have them in their houses and are experienced in their operation and yearly maintenance.
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shameless dude
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Posted: 06 Mar 2019 at 7:51am |
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go to a home and garden show, should be going on lots of places. they will have about every kind and brand on show, and factory reps usually there to answer any questions. and show prices are usually good too
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Tbone95
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Posted: 06 Mar 2019 at 8:26am |
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john(MI)
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Posted: 06 Mar 2019 at 9:14am |
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Live on a dirt road. Neighbor has cows and chickens. Another one has goats and chickens. Giant combines coming down the roads in the fall. Huge tillage equipment back and forth down the roads in Spring. Wife counted 22 deer in the yard one day. I counted over 40 turkeys walking thru a field one day. Not sure of your definition, but it seems rural to me! I do know you are joking but I wanted to point out what I deem as rural.  |
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Tbone95
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Posted: 06 Mar 2019 at 9:26am |
Yes, I was joking. I've driven around a LOT down that area, . . . .and while you certainly encounter numerous areas as you describe, you're never all that far from what certainly is NOT rural.
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shameless dude
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Posted: 08 Mar 2019 at 1:45am |
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around here the factories are really putting out the sales of fire places and propane heating appliances right now, shop around
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 08 Mar 2019 at 8:57am |
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A normaly furnace from the 1975 era was 78% efficient at BEST.... They burn up all the hot air in the house and make it suck in COLD air from outside.. When the furnace is OFF, the hot air rises and goes out the stack vent........... by 2000 they had units that had a flapper valve that shut off the stack when furnace was off and the efficiency went up to 80-82%............. Now you have furnaces that suck in cold air to burn and put out luke warm exhaust since they have a secondary heating box to get more heat from the flue gas............ these units at 96-98% efficiency can use a 2 inch PVC pipe to suck in the cold air AND a second pipe to discharge the "warm" exhaust.... You don't LOOSE efficiency by using COLD outside air compared to burning up all your INSIDE warm air.
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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Tbone95
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Posted: 08 Mar 2019 at 9:24am |
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That, and, if the air can get into the fireplace from inside, more chance combustion products can leak into the inside, like CO. Today's tight houses don't have as much natural ventilation as the old ones.
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desertjoe
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Posted: 08 Mar 2019 at 9:51am |
OK,,,OK,,,!!! I give,,,,Chit,,,,don't kick me no more,,,,I believe you,,,I believe you,,!! I done learnt my physics lesson for good,,,,Chit,,these guys are brutal,,,, the GOOD thing bout all this is that the very next time some other,,,slow witted Yay-hoo wants to ask a dumb question like this,,,I can now be the FIRST one to jump on him (gently) and explain how this chit works,,,,,,,
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chaskaduo
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Posted: 08 Mar 2019 at 11:31am |
Are we sensitive this morning Joe?
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1938 B, 79 Dynamark 11/36 6spd, 95 Weed-Eater 16hp, 2010 Bolens 14hp
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Dave H
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Posted: 09 Mar 2019 at 8:17am |
good down and dirty (dick and jane) explanation there Steve.
And then along came geo, it don't suck and blow to the outside period.
Thanks all, you gave me some good thoughts. I am really leaning toward a Napoleon since i have gotten 18 trouble free years out of the wood stove.
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HD6GTOM
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Posted: 10 Mar 2019 at 3:24am |
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Dog gone it, I took a good one out of mom's house last summer, she hauled it to the scrap yard just last week. She wanted her couch put along the wall in from the of it.
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After about the 4th one of the year, it's like, look, GRAB A FRIGGIN' MAP, AND A RED SHARPIE, DRAW A X OVER MY HOUSE AND NOTE THAT THERE IS NO NATURAL GAS ON MY ROAD!!!