1. Why doesn’t my gas fireplace
heat very well?
Many times builders will have a low cost “commodity” fireplace
installed in order to save money. These kinds of fireplaces
usually have a low BTU rating and are not high efficiency.
More and more homeowners are replacing their inexpensive fireplaces
with a fireplace that heats exceptionally well. It does require
reframing and remodeling of the fireplace wall, but the change
is dramatic.
2. Are there any advantages in having more than one gas
fireplace?
Yes. A second high efficiency gas fireplace can save on heating
costs and its atmosphere and warm radiant heat will dramatically
improve any room.
3. Can I get a fireplace that doesn’t have louvers?
Yes you can. Most of the fireplaces sold still use upper
and lower louvers to aid in circulating convectively heated
air. Many fireplace manufacturers now offer different face
styles to go with different home styles.
4. What are the advantages of a factory built fireplace
over a site built fireplace?
There are several advantages. First, there is no requirement
to build a fireplace foundation. The venting is much more light
weight and bends can easily be added. Also, the installed cost
of a site built fireplace is much more than a factory built
model.
5. Can I get a gas fireplace without a glass face?
No, the glass facing is a necessary part of the overall gas
fireplace system. Many people do have wood burning fireplaces
installed with large gas log sets. This allows you to see the
fire without having to look through glass, but this arrangement
has very low operating efficiency.
6. Why does my wood burning fireplace smoke?
Unfortunately, wood burning fireplaces, factory or mason
built, (and stoves) operate using their natural draft and can
have smoking problems because of where they are located or
how they are vented. There are six rules that a home designer
needs to follow in their house design details to minimize smoking
problems. Call us or come by the store and pick up a copy of “Best
Practices for Wood Burning Fireplace Installation. It’s
also available at www.hpba.org at the bottom of the “Fireplaces” page.
7. Can I convert my wood burning fireplace to gas?
Yes, by having a set of gas logs installed. Some gas log
systems have beautiful fires but none of them are efficient
enough to be used as a heat source.
8. Are there any “Craftsman Styled” fireplaces?
Yes there are . Some of the best fireplace faces to coordinate
with “Craftsman Style” homes are from Fireplace
Xtrordinair. Their “Artisan” series faces, either
wood burning or gas are extremely popular with this style.
