Can A Gas Fireplace Heat A Room

A lot of fireplace owners set the gas to the highest setting and always burn at that level.

Can a gas fireplace heat a room.

Wood burning fireplaces create the classic look and feel of a cozy fire but some experts recommend gas models for greater efficiency in retaining heat and warming the room. Installing a fireplace insert for more heat. As heat naturally rises most of the warmth produced by your fireplace immediately exits the room up through the chimney. You ll get more even comfortable heat when you size your fireplace properly.

Utility bills are lower when they can turn down the thermostat on a central furnace and use the gas fireplace as a supplemental heat source. Last there is little heat reflecting from the fireplace masonry into the room. Ernie johnson director of marketing for varsity plumbing heating in flushing queens said that running a gas line to the fireplace or stand alone unit could cost 500 or more depending on the. Gas logs are normally installed inside an open masonry fireplace.

As a general rule of thumb you will need 1 kw of heat for every 15 cubic meter of space to be heated. You can expect to retain upwards of 70 percent of the heat generated. If your house is bigger we can talk about larger units to do more. If your fireplace is well designed it will have a damper you can easily adjust to control the flow of air up the chimney.

In addition to being remotely controllable vented gas fireplaces are extremely efficient. Basically what s happening with your fireplace is that natural gas is being sprayed in to the fireplace and ignited with ambient air from the room and then the hot exhaust air is lifting through the flue and outside. Gas fireplaces with tempered glass that will have an efficiency below 60 will also produce heat just enough for a single room or so. You don t have to burn at the same volume all the time.

Energy conscious consumers are fueling the trend of using gas fireplaces inserts and pellet stoves to provide zone heating for the spaces used most often. Highly efficient natural gas fireplace inserts for example can heat up to 1 000 square feet of living space at low cost. Electric fireplaces are also designed as space heaters and will not be able to heat an entire home. For homeowners looking to zone heat their living rooms a vented gas fireplace is a great option.

Fortunately there are fixes for each of these problems which you can use separately or together.