Fireplace Extraordinaire

[cbehr]

Fireplace Xtrordinair has "relief ports" built into the unit. The glass is not there relief port. A 100 pound LP tank produces 1,946,800 BTU's of heat. An STR fireplace produces up to 40,000 BTUS's of heat per hour and is 85% efficient. I think you can do the math as to how long a fireplace will burn on a 100 lb LP tank. (should equal 57 hours or so). Temperature outside is also a factor. Any fireplace that is 40,000 BTU input at 85% efficiency should give you the same results.

[hearthman]

Where are you getting those figures from?? Just curious...

Quoting from Propane Emergencies, Second Edition, which is put out by the Nat'l Propane Gas Assn., a typical "100lb" DOT cylinder can safety store 100 lbs. of propane. This tank has a water capacity (w.c.) of 238 lbs. Since propane weighs 42% as much as water on a volume basis, this tank will hold 100 lbs of propane. However, you cannot fill them more than 80% full. At 21,548 BTUs per POUND of propane or 91,502 BTUs per gallon based on a vapor density of 1.50/ specific gravity of 0.504, this would calculate as follows:
238 lbs water capacity x 80%=190.4 lbs water available space x 42%=79.97 lbs. propane x 21,548 BTUs/lb C3H8= 1,723,150 BTUs available. However, since we try not to run tanks down past 20%, you actually have only 60% of a tank available to consume. The 20% reserve does help with the vaporization rate but is not drawn off. This leaves us with 1,292,3623 BTUs actually availble to be consumed in a std. "100 lb." tank. Take that and divide it by 40,000 BTUhr = 32.3 hrs if burned on high.

What is of greater concern is the vaporization rate of this tank. When the tank is full and the weather is moderate, this tank could probably keep up with a 40,000 BTU Fp. But, it it serves other appliances, the liquid level drops significantly, or the outdoor temp. drops down around the 20's- 30's, good luck getting that tank to keep up with the Fp. It has to do with the "wetted surface" area of the tank and the temperature. This is why most hearth industry people refuse to connect to 100 lb. cylinders anymore--they're tired of the callbacks that aren't their fault.

I'm not sure why the stated efficiency of "85% is quoted but is that an AFUE rating or just mfrs. claimed rating? At 85% AFUE, that would put that Fp into Category IV with condensing gas furnaces. I'd be impressed if that were the case. I'd also like to know how it would still vent by gravity and how the condensation would not eat up the liner.

Somebody please check my figures.

[on call]

Just curious, how did you come up with 91,502 BTU/gallon propane?

1 gallon water =8.34 lbs

8.34lb/gal x 0.504 x 21,548 btu/lb = 90,574btu/gal

Is there some other factor I'm not taking into consideration?

[hearthman]

On call asked: "Just curious, how did you come up with 91,502 BTU/gallon propane?"

"Quoting from Propane Emergencies, Second Edition, which is put out by the Nat'l Propane Gas Assn" from my original post.

[operator]

original post is probably done now but H & H and NAPOLEON are my recommendations. Dont know where you are, NAP. is a canadian company, also make some nice stuff

as for the clare brothers unit, guessing you will have a hard time finding info. So far as I know they went under a number of years ago.

[cdjohnston]

fireplace extrodinaire. Made by travis industries. i have one. i paid over 2K for it two years ago and never used it until this winter season. I have a few comments that i hope will prevent someone from wasting a lot of money for a very unreliable product. I will state the following:

#1. You will pay very dearly to run this unit. I would estimate it will run you about $400. a month to use it as a furnace. it is not a substitute for a furnace. period. in one three week period at the start of the season i used a full tank of LP. (100 gal). i have no idea how long it was out of fuel.

#2. The heat sensor will not function properly. They are now going to put in the 4th one. the fan will not go on. the flame ignites, runs for about two hours and the fan comes on for under ten minutes then stops, runs a couple of hours longer and the fan may come on, or may not. it is very frustrating. The dealer would not give me the number of the company as they don't like to have end users call them directly. (nice attitude) It took me a while but i found it on the internet.

last week i told them to come and remove it from my house. of course, they wouldn't.

i would not recommend this product under any circumstances.
if you are using it to heat a home, you will pay for the price of the unit in two years in fuel costs.

you owe it to yourself to look further at what is out there.
you won't be sorry.

Heya - I noted your comments on the fireplace extrodinaire gas burner. I cannot comment on it - I do, however, have the 44-inch woodburner version. The one that 'thinks' its a fireplace but behaves more like a woodstove.

I am VERY satisfied with my burner. Granted, we are in Southern California, but we are at 5300' elevation and barely-teens is not uncommon in winter with boatloads of snow and ice everywhere.

When I am out of town which happnens regularly, I cut the propane radiant heat down to 45 when I leave. But when I come back home, I get a good fire going then make sure I have plenty of oakwood (manzanita is better) with me. get it going and the house is very comfortable within the hour. If I left it to the radiant heat only, it is a 24-hour (and a LOT of propane later) normalized.

I like my 44" fireplace extrodinaire woodburner and would recommend it any time. For the gas version? I cannot comment.

Best regards,

Chris

[cdjohnston]

fireplace extrodinaire. Made by travis industries. i have one. i paid over 2K for it two years ago and never used it until this winter season. I have a few comments that i hope will prevent someone from wasting a lot of money for a very unreliable product. I will state the following:

#1. You will pay very dearly to run this unit. I would estimate it will run you about $400. a month to use it as a furnace. it is not a substitute for a furnace. period. in one three week period at the start of the season i used a full tank of LP. (100 gal). i have no idea how long it was out of fuel.

#2. The heat sensor will not function properly. They are now going to put in the 4th one. the fan will not go on. the flame ignites, runs for about two hours and the fan comes on for under ten minutes then stops, runs a couple of hours longer and the fan may come on, or may not. it is very frustrating. The dealer would not give me the number of the company as they don't like to have end users call them directly. (nice attitude) It took me a while but i found it on the internet.

last week i told them to come and remove it from my house. of course, they wouldn't.

i would not recommend this product under any circumstances.
if you are using it to heat a home, you will pay for the price of the unit in two years in fuel costs.

you owe it to yourself to look further at what is out there.
you won't be sorry.

Hi - Chris here again... With things being as what they are and all fuel costs going up, wood is a natural renewable product. remember for every pound of CO2 that is put out by wood, a pound is absorbed by living trees. It is net-net neutral on CO2 ----- BUT NOT neutral on particulates... HOWEVER, the fireplace extrodinaire woodburner's catalyst consumes over 75% of the junk.

So if you are OK with burning wood you may consider the fireplace extrodinaire unit. Works well for us. Very satisfied using wood at $4.40/gallon for propane in California.