We want to have a fireplace in our house. From the beginning, we planned a traditional wood-burning fireplace. Since it will be a KfW55 house with mechanical ventilation, the last stove fitter we consulted strongly recommended a gas fireplace instead.
Basically, he made some valid points, and we are seriously considering choosing a gas fireplace now.
My question is how to supply gas to the fireplace. Essentially, I see two options.
Maybe someone has a gas fireplace and can share some insights about these options.
Basically, he made some valid points, and we are seriously considering choosing a gas fireplace now.
My question is how to supply gas to the fireplace. Essentially, I see two options.
- Have a gas line installed from the street into the house and connect the fireplace directly. However, we will have a heat pump ventilation system, so the gas connection would only be for the fireplace. I don’t have any prices yet, but I expect it won’t be cheap to have the connection installed inside the house. What I’m also wondering about is the gas tariff. I would essentially be a small consumer. How much gas does a fireplace typically use over a year? Can you even get a contract with a supplier for that? Does it make sense with the fixed charges?
- I’m thinking of placing gas bottles, about 33 liters (are those the largest available?), behind the garage and pipe the gas from there to the fireplace in the living room. Is this cost-effective? How long does one bottle last? Do you replace them yourself, or do you get deliveries? What are the costs involved with this bottle option?
Maybe someone has a gas fireplace and can share some insights about these options.
Yes, I can follow the argument as well. However, in my opinion, the "rustic charm" of gas heating is overlooked, and the burning of wood is portrayed more negatively than it actually is. I would say the argument reads like a marketing brochure.
I consider it excessive to install a gas line just for a fireplace; the main reason clearly tends to favor a wood-burning fireplace.
Regards
I consider it excessive to install a gas line just for a fireplace; the main reason clearly tends to favor a wood-burning fireplace.
Regards
@andimann
Thanks for the calculation. I was a bit off with my estimate after all.
I don’t think it helps much if the fireplace ends up running for 5-6 hours straight. Although I can’t really predict how often and how long it will actually be on. But considering my wife… it will probably be on quite often.
According to the fireplace installer, the costs for a wood fireplace and a gas fireplace are almost the same, so that is not a deciding factor. Regarding heating, the expert says gas is cheaper than wood if you also have the wood delivered. Plus, I’m pretty clumsy and would likely hurt myself chopping wood.
@ypg
He definitely spoke very favorably about gas fireplaces. But he also kept emphasizing that he actually comes from a background in building wood stoves and sells both types equally. If we want, of course we can get a wood fireplace as well. But for our house with our specific “requirements” and conditions, he says he would definitely choose gas. That wasn’t on our radar before, but now it’s really got us thinking.
I also have an appointment with another stove builder. Curious to see what they say.
The one who recommended gas was the second we saw. The first strongly advised against a fireplace with three-sided glass because it would get way too hot and those three-sided models tend to get dirty very quickly. But we rejected that first installer. He was too unpleasant.
Looking forward to hearing from the next one, though I have no idea if they even offer gas fireplaces.
Thanks for the calculation. I was a bit off with my estimate after all.
I don’t think it helps much if the fireplace ends up running for 5-6 hours straight. Although I can’t really predict how often and how long it will actually be on. But considering my wife… it will probably be on quite often.
According to the fireplace installer, the costs for a wood fireplace and a gas fireplace are almost the same, so that is not a deciding factor. Regarding heating, the expert says gas is cheaper than wood if you also have the wood delivered. Plus, I’m pretty clumsy and would likely hurt myself chopping wood.
@ypg
He definitely spoke very favorably about gas fireplaces. But he also kept emphasizing that he actually comes from a background in building wood stoves and sells both types equally. If we want, of course we can get a wood fireplace as well. But for our house with our specific “requirements” and conditions, he says he would definitely choose gas. That wasn’t on our radar before, but now it’s really got us thinking.
I also have an appointment with another stove builder. Curious to see what they say.
The one who recommended gas was the second we saw. The first strongly advised against a fireplace with three-sided glass because it would get way too hot and those three-sided models tend to get dirty very quickly. But we rejected that first installer. He was too unpleasant.
Looking forward to hearing from the next one, though I have no idea if they even offer gas fireplaces.
markus270323 Jan 2017 13:13One more point: Having the gas line installed by the supplier also means there will be a gas meter that must be visible – so if the gas connection enters the house through the utility room, the piping inside the house must already go under the screed/into the wall to the stove, otherwise you will end up with a gas meter in the living room.
You are right about that. The connection would then run from the street into the basement. There, I would need a gas meter and would have to run the pipe across the house to the other side to connect the fireplace.
As I said, I’m not happy with the effort involved. I’ll have to see what we end up doing.
As I said, I’m not happy with the effort involved. I’ll have to see what we end up doing.
C
Caspar202023 Jan 2017 14:46McEgg schrieb:
So, it will probably be running for a few hours fairly often during winter. Let's say about 6 hours a day.At the moment, we don’t even have a house close to KfW55 standard yet, and we have a sealed wood stove from Contura. If I ran it for 6 hours a day (starting with kindling and two logs, then adding firewood about twice more), I could switch the house to sauna mode.
According to the manufacturer, it has an output of around 3-7 kW. The instructions say I could add three logs when refueling; however, then I would have to open several windows...