Gas fireplaces are a popular choice for homeowners that want the convenience of a fireplace but don’t want to have to deal with sourcing the firewood they would need for a traditional fireplace. With a masonry fireplace you have to build a fire and it takes some time before it generates heat. With a gas fireplace you can just flip a switch and have heat within minutes. It’s a less expensive and environmental friendly means of keeping you warm in the winter. There is nothing cozier than curling up with a good book or the family pet in front of a warm fireplace.
Some of the advantages of a natural gas fireplace are:
– You’ll always have a constant heating source with a gas fireplace unlike a log fireplace.
– No more worries about chopping or buying firewood.
– No ashes to clean from the firebox
– You can save at least 25% on your energy bill.
– It’s safe to use because there are no fumes or particles that are being released into the air or in your home.
– The fire needs no tending and won’t die out from neglect.
– The blower helps to circulate the warm air throughout the home and not only in the room that it is installed in.
Gas fireplaces can burn either natural gas or propane. Natural gas is less expensive and produces about 5 percent more heat. Propane is an ideal choice where natural gas isn’t available.
If you don’t install a gas fireplace insert, when it comes to venting you have two options direct vent or vent free.
A Direct Vent Gas Fireplace does not require a chimney and can be vented directly through a wall or roof; drawing its combustion air from outside while venting outside as well.
A Vent Free Gas Fireplace is a system that doesn’t need venting to operate, therefore they are designed to burn clean and allow the combustion by-product to flow into the room the fireplace is in. Precautions and guidelines must be followed in order to use a vent free gas fireplace.
Now that you know about the venting options there are three types of gas fireplaces. Gas fireplace inserts are for those people who want to retrofit a wood-burning firebox. You can transform an existing traditional masonry fireplace into a beautiful and efficient heat source, without a major renovation. Built-in gas fireplaces are installed where there isn’t an existing fireplace and as you can imagine, require renovations. Log sets are ideal for a pre-existing masonry fireplace opening. Whether you choose gas or electric, modern log sets are very realistic and look like a natural wood burning fire.
PCS carries the award-winning Heatlilator gas logs that were designed to fill larger fireplaces. With its easily accessible hidden controls that won’t detract from the fire’s authenticity, the log set to fit perfectly centered. They are offered with three types of burners: Matchlight (NG only), Safety Pilot, and IntelliFire.
You can expect to pay $2,000 to $5,000 (including installation) for a heat-producing insert or built-in fireplace. While log sets are in the $400 to $1,000.
