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Nothing beats the warmth and charm of a fire on a raw, damp winter evening. That’s why propane fireplaces are so popular with our customers: They are a great option for supplemental heat that looks as good as it works.
One of the questions that people ask when they visit our showroom is whether propane fireplaces are expensive to run. And of course, the answer is that it depends on a lot of factors: if you use your fireplace every night, it will cost more than if you just light it on weekends. If your home is well-insulated, you may not need to turn it up as high. And of course, the price of propane can be a factor.
The real question is should be whether a propane fireplace is efficient to run.
And people love to learn that propane fireplaces run at about 80 percent efficiency—which makes them four or five times more efficient than a wood-burning fireplace.
A big reason a propane gas log is more efficient than a wood fire is the chimney—or lack thereof. A wood fire needs a chimney to burn safely, but as much as 90 percent of the heat is sucked up the chimney along with smoke and combustion gasses.
On the other hand, a propane insert using direct venting only needs a single dual-chambered pipe directly through a wall to the outdoors. The pipe simultaneously draws air for the fire from the outdoors, while it expels the fire’s combustion byproducts to the outside. Ventless models have a regulator that produces a fine gas-air mix that allows the gas to burn cleanly. You don’t even need a chimney or a flue. Either way, it means all the heat stays in the room, instead of going up the chimney.
With a wood fire, you need to pay constant attention, adding logs and poking embers, or your fire wil die down and your room will get cold. With today’s propane logs, a remote control and a thermostat lets you dial up the heat you want—which is great not only for controlling temperature, but for controlling your propane use. Those electric igniters are also more efficient than a standing pilot light.
Another feature you don’t get with a wood fireplace are multispeed blowers that push warm air into the room, providing better, more even heat—especially in larger spaces like great rooms.
Lastly, they let you spend time enjoying time with family and friends, not tending a fire—how efficient is that?
Converting a traditional fireplace to a maintenance-free, efficient propane hearth with a gas log insert is easy—and inexpensive. But thanks to minimal space requirements between the fireplace and wallboard or wood, a gas hearth can be installed almost anywhere. That means you can incorporate cozy charm into just about any room, including living rooms and family rooms, but also kitchens and dining rooms. Create your dream master suite or a spa-like bathroom escape, just by adding a gas fireplace.
Stop by our showroom and let the team at Midway show you how easy and affordable installing a gas fireplace can be. We service and install everything we sell, with stylish options from Heatmaster, Golden Blount, Empire and R.H. Peterson. Contact us for more information today.