Wood to Gas--A short comparison
Wood is a renewable fuel. It is relatively costly to buy at about $350.00 or more per cord. It has to be cut, split, transported, and stored in a dry place. Then it has to be loaded into the stove, and a fire started. Every time the stove door is opened, there is soot, ash, and smoke that is released into the rooms. It can be a charming way to partially heat your home, and lots of people love the smell and crackle of a real wood fire.
Natural gas as a fuel is plentiful and relatively cheap and is likely to be so for the near future. The advantages of a gas fireplace are:
No fuel to load or ashes to remove.
Instant fire, starts heating immediately.
No lag time before and after the burn.
No smoke, soot, or ash enters the room.
Closed combustion burners bring in outside air, and exhaust flue gas directly outside.
Heating is thermostatically controlled from a remote.
There is a close resemblance to an actual wood fire.
The disadvantages of the gas fireplace are:
Cost, The units start at $2000.00 and average more after the fireplace mantle box, mantel, and tiles or decoration are installed.
A gas line also needs to be installed to the unit.
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