I have a wood burner and I would like to convert it to gas logs , can the logs just go right inside the wood burner ? How do I accomplish this ?
Thanks,
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I have a wood burner and I would like to convert it to gas logs , can the logs just go right inside the wood burner ? How do I accomplish this ?
Thanks,
A logset can usually go right inside the wood burner, yes. Gas logs are huge gas wasters, not efficient at all. If you want something that will give you some heat for your money look into direct vent inserts.
You should lookup some hearth / fireplace shops in your area and check out what they have, that's the best place to start. You really should have a pro install the stuff but if you must try it yourself a lot of dealers will sell for self install. You will get better quality products and better support from a dealer than from a big box store.
Do you have any cost ratio rule of thumb, if I am spending 200 dollars for a cord of hardwood and 1.25 per CFF of nat gas , is there a rule of thumb I can use to see the difference ? If it costs me say 50 to 100 a month more to go with gas and get the same heat it would be worth it to me. I'm tired of the whole wood scenario, would rather light it up and leave it ,. know what I mean ?
If you are trying to heat your house with an open wood burning fireplace right now, then you would probably save money switching to a direct vent insert. Open wood fireplaces are as efficient as gas logs, usually near zero or negative.
Need to know more about the current fireplace, what you use it for, and what your intention is with the switch to gas.
Ditto JTP on the gas direct vent insert and the neg. efficiency of open hearths.
However, first of all, you need a Level II inspection to determine what you are working with and what is suitable.
Its a woodburner, its closed up except for the flue and has a fan. I get about 18" logs in it. I use it to heat an area of the home, its like a great room and an adjacent living room, maybe 700 sqft. When its warm in these rooms there is no need to run the gas furnace, so at night the gas furnace will cycle on and off a few times.
What I'm wondering is can I just put a gas burner in the woodburner in place of the real logs and get the same affect without reinventing the wheel. If I coud do that it would be awesome, I'm figuring I just drill a hole for the gas lne ? Right track wrong track ? You tell me. Won't hold you to it,
Do you have a make and model of the current fireplace?
If not, you either need to post some pictures, or you need to consult a local pro to come look at it.
From what you are saying this could be a wood stove, insert, built in EPA, open fireplace, full masonry, or heatform... need to determine what kind of wood fireplace it is.
1 Therm of energy can be had from approx. 100 cubic feet of natural gas, 14 pounds of wood, or 12 billionths of a pound of radioactive material decaying.