Fireplaces: Natural Vs Gas

Originally Posted by JustinW

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Central heating for warmth. Open wood fire for occasional ambiance.

this. WTF are we in the praries that we need to heat a whole home with wood? BTW my mom has a remote controlled fireplace in her room that I think is pretty dope lol. You can set it to whatever temp you like, put a timer on. It's nice, but I still like wood burning fireplaces much better though. Real burning wood gives you that nice feeling you cannot replicate with a gas fireplace.

Originally Posted by montecristo#4

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Having dealt with both, I have to say I prefer gas. With gas, I can enjoy a fire every day, instantly. With a classic fireplace, the pain ********** associated with building the fire and maintaining it generally prevents me from doing anything at all.

If someone else is starting, building, and maintaining your fire, then go with classic.

I enjoy building and maintaining the fire. It's part of the experience.

Originally Posted by oneeightyseven

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this. WTF are we in the praries that we need to heat a whole home with wood? BTW my mom has a remote controlled fireplace in her room that I think is pretty dope lol. You can set it to whatever temp you like, put a timer on. It's nice, but I still like wood burning fireplaces much better though. Real burning wood gives you that nice feeling you cannot replicate with a gas fireplace.

Heating with wood is cheap, especially if it's your wood.

I prefer a natural woodburning fireplace.

I'm a man.

And was a Boy Scout/are an Eagle Scout!

Originally Posted by GQgeek

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Heating with wood is cheap, especially if it's your wood.

yeah, but is heating a house with central heating really that much? I seriously have no idea what the costs are because I've never paid the heating bill, but I dont think it'd be outrageous.

Originally Posted by VKK3450

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What about the ones with gas that you use to start real logs?

I've never heard of that. It sounds like a great idea.

As for heating a home, I love a cold living environment. I like wearing robes and leaving the window open in the winter when I sleep.

Originally Posted by oneeightyseven

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yeah, but is heating a house with central heating really that much?

I seriously have no idea what the costs are because I've never paid the heating bill, but I dont think it'd be outrageous.

I can't speak for others, but our house had been built in the 80s and the entire front of the house was covered in windows. It was built with electric heating, presumably because it was super-cheap in quebec at some point. I don't know the exact amounts but i know the heating bill was in the hundreds in the winter. When we switched to wood, we could practically keep the thermostats turned off except for on the third floor because the fireplace radiated so much heat. The wood came from the forest out back so I presume it made a huge difference in the electricity bill. When they installed the radiating fireplace (or whatever they're called), I have to assume that my parents compared the cost with converting to gas/oil central heating.

this is the craziest argument ever. like real food or plastic food? sex or masturbation?

Originally Posted by thekunk07

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sex or masturbation?
Well, that's just it, isn't it? wood fire = sex = by far the best of the two, but there's all this secondary **** that has to happen around it to trigger and maintain the experience. gas fire = masturbation = you get most of the good effects, but not quite, however there's no attendant bullshit

^^^^
I like the analysis. Hardwork and time to be invested for the real stuff, whereas the fake-stuff is much easier. I guess you could say both involve the click of a button and enjoyment.

Originally Posted by JustinW

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Central heating for warmth. Open wood fire for occasional ambiance.

this is it right here men!

Originally Posted by Reggs

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I've never heard of that. It sounds like a great idea.

As for heating a home, I love a cold living environment. I like wearing robes and leaving the window open in the winter when I sleep.

Seems to me that our house had it when I was growing up, as did 2-3 apartments I rented in Atlanta. how is it not more known?

Basically, you have a normal wood fireplace, but underneath the grate / rack thing there are a set of gas jets. You throw some real wood in the rack, then turn a key which turns on the gas underneath and throw a match in. Gas lights immediately into a natural looking fire, and after about 10 minutes the real wood is going and you turn off the gas.

You still have to clean it out, but its not that hard.

K

Let's end this right here and now:

A real wood fire is bad for the environment. It contributes to deforestation, which in turn causes soil erosion. And the carbon footprint of millions of wood-burning chimneys is gigantic.

Al Gore hath spoken.

Anyone have experience with the alcohol-based mobile fireplaces such as this one?



We have a fixed gas fireplace on the main floor, but would like one of these buggers for master bedroom and occassionally on the deck.

Not much compares to the smell of a wood fire, although I have to admit that gas is really convenient.

You have to balance the allure of the wood burning fireplace with practicality. Sure it is great to have but how often are you going to use it? If you use it all the time then you either have to buy wood or cut, split and stack it yourself, which is fine if you have the time and inclination. The open hearth is romantic but as someone said it is an energy drain. An enclosed stove is more efficient. then there is maintenance so your wonderful wood stove doesn't cause a chimney fire. Want to sell your house? Better get a WETT inspection because the skag from Vancouver just has to know how functional the fireplace is.

You want real fire? Start one. You want a real fire with convenience, get a pellet stove. Otherwise go gas.