Homeowners tend to prefer gas fireplaces today more than any other heat source. This is because they are attractive, and they offer an appearance of sophistication into one’s living room. They are similar to the wood burners with chimneys from the old days, and they offer warmth to the house’s occupants without the need for them to chop wood.
Another plus side with them is that you don’t have to install a chimney over the fire, and proper ventilation will be more than enough to let you save more money and space. With this said, you can essentially install these types anywhere inside your home.
However, before going out and assembling a gas fireplace, you need to know what you should be looking for in the first place. Before you buy the best gas fireplace, you need to know its advantage over other sources and how you can benefit from it. Other things to keep in mind are the following:
1. A Better Choice over Wood Fireplace
There’s the easy installation that you can do with these, especially if you have a vent ready. You just need to have a gas line without the chimney. Most of the gas types are safe when it comes to houses that are constructed with wood, and they can be safely placed against materials that would usually be considered red flags if they are around fire. However, you need to keep your thermostat away from the fireplace since this would throw off your heat cycling and your entire system off the bat.
Another attractive thing about them is that they are made up of clean and real flames. There’s nothing that can beat the smell of fragrant wood burning inside the house. However, know that the smoke from natural wood is usually filled with tiny particles, which is often a pollutant.
Meanwhile, the gas types are burning much cleaner, and there are no particulates to worry about. The flames are often combusted in an indoor unit, which won’t affect your air quality. Know that they are also eco-friendly options, and they emit less carbon monoxide compared to others.
They don’t need wood, so they are not contributing to illegal logging and destructive forestry all around the country. After all, you’re essentially not cutting any wood in these processes. Get more info about choosing a fireplace on this site here.
More Convenience
You don’t need to gather wood, build a fire, or tend to coal. You just need to push a button, and you can feel the warmth indoors on a cold winter morning. These instant operations are more common in gas fireplaces, and they also offer remote-controlled operations. There’s no need to get off the couch.
Low-Maintenance
You’ll not just save energy and time, but you won’t also maintain this. There’s no need to clean up any wood chips, soot, ash, and bark from the fireplace. Chimneys are out of the question, too, since you don’t need them in the first place. They are an efficient heat source on a cold day, and you can count on them to keep you warm.
2. Flexible Options
You should know about gas inserts that can be one of your options if you go with the gas varieties. The inserts are helpful if you have an existing chimney and masonry.
There’s a need to reline the vents when you have the chimney and the large metal box, called the gas insert, where you can see the flames. They are commonly made up of glass fronts so that you can see the fire dancing.
If you have a built-in fireplace, you can consider a full built-in gas called zero-clearance varieties. They don’t need to have a chimney installed on top, and they can be built into a new hearth or wall.
Most of these built-ins consist of fireboxes with burners and ceramic logs, and they have an outer and inner shell with glass fronts. They can be better when it comes to transferring infrared heat, and they will withstand higher temperatures.
3. Features to Consider
Heat output is measured in BTUs, and this is an output that should match the room where you’re going to install the fireplace. You can read more about BTUs in this article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_thermal_unit. The area should be well-insulated, and there should be a ceiling. Based on the measurements of the heat output and the climate in your area, check with an expert about the BTU of the fireplace that you should get.
Generally, small rooms will require lower BTUs, and larger ones need higher energy output. Otherwise, you are at risk of overheating your home, wasting fuel, and getting higher electricity bills for the month. Ideally, if you rely on the gas fireplace to heat your home, you should be able to adjust the temperature and make sure that it’s safe. There are appliance and decorative varieties, and it’s best to research which ones are good for you.
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