Heat from a fireplace insert?

[s219]

My favorite cleaner for fireplace glass when it gets sooty is damp wood ash itself. When I 1st heard about this 20 years ago- I found it hard to believe. Take a a paper towel and fold it over into fourths. Dip it into water and then wring out the excess- leaving it damp, but not dripping. Touch the dampened towel to some of the "clean" gray ash from the stove. Rub this moist ash right on the glass like it was scouring powder- in a sense it is! The soot will scour away and leave the glass sparkling clear. After all of the soot has been 'cut' by ash, the remainder can be wiped of the glass with a clean, dry paper towel. I have not used oven cleaner or other harsh cleaners on our stoves in years.

I can confirm this works like a charm. And it's pretty cool the first time you try it.

 

[dragoneggs]

We have an open fireplace. Been here 4 years and never had a fire...because....past experiences just ain't good. Needs to be enclosed. Previous owner had a propane gas line run to the fireplace, never used. I checked on cost of a decent propane insert....$6500 once you add in proper flu piping/install/etc.

I'd love to have it, but cannot find anything reasonable. What's everyone else experience.

Whoa! That seems high. Consider buying the insert on your own and hiring an experienced contractor. I think you could save $2500 off your estimate. Course I don't know your situation but my unit (Avalon brand propane gas) in 2007 was under $2200, with 1 story flue, gas line, etc. and install ended up with tax at $3260. This was a brick fireplace conversion. The rough in and finishing of the wall not included. I think if you get it pretty much ready to install you can do better. Our unit is that fancy and huge but it puts out plenty of heat for our living room and on it's own thermostat. Love it!

 

[jk96]

Beautiful fireplace there JK... thinking your house must be quite beautiful and grand as well. :thumbsup:

Thank you. Started our build a little over 2 years ago and finally tied up the rest of my loose ends a month or two ago. Finally getting to relax without feeling like I should be working on something.

 

[Deere Dude]

Incorporating cleaning techniques from other I just cleaned my glass. After dampering down the fire for a day or two the glass was filthy.

I sprayed some Rutland fireplace and hearth cleaner on one door and let it sit while I shoveled out the ashes. Then I sprayed a little more on and got a cool whip bowl with water and some newspaper. Dip the paper in water a little bit to get damp, dip in ashes and apply to glass. The smoke covered glass cleaned great on one light pass.

Then Windex and a couple paper towels finished the job perfectly.

 

[Deere Dude]

Incorporating cleaning techniques from other I just cleaned my glass. After dampering down the fire for a day or two the glass was filthy.

I sprayed some Rutland fireplace and hearth cleaner on one door and let it sit while I shoveled out the ashes. Then I sprayed a little more on and got a cool whip bowl with water and some newspaper. Dip the paper in water a little bit to get damp, dip in ashes and apply to glass. The smoke covered glass cleaned great on one light pass.

Then Windex and a couple paper towels finished the job perfectly.

 

[buickanddeere]

A high efficiency wood insert in the fireplace heats my house . The one scrawny fan was replaced with two of the largest computer cooling fans that would jam in in under the covers. Now one can almost fly a kite in the blast off hot air blown from the fireplace .

 

[crackerjack222]

I have a Regency wood stove in our cabin in Northern New Mexico (altitude 8800'). It gets cold there. The wood stove heats the 1800 sq. ft. house as long as I maintain the fire. I have been cleaning the glass door with a homemade lye solution. I bought the Lye (sodium hydroxide) on fleabay and mix it with warm water then put in a spray bottle. I tried to get the cleaning lady (aka wife) to use the ash method but that did not go far.

 

[check]

We have an open fireplace. Been here 4 years and never had a fire...because....past experiences just ain't good. Needs to be enclosed. Previous owner had a propane gas line run to the fireplace, never used. I checked on cost of a decent propane insert....$6500 once you add in proper flu piping/install/etc. I'd love to have it, but cannot find anything reasonable. What's everyone else experience.

How about just a gas log set, for ambience? Ours cost $650. It doesn't really throw a lot of heat, so you don't cook your room. No liner or anything need ed. You just plunk it down and hook up the gas line. You just need to clamp the flu permanently open. At least that's the law here in Ontario.

 

[teejk]

Whoa! That seems high. Consider buying the insert on your own and hiring an experienced contractor. I think you could save $2500 off your estimate. Course I don't know your situation but my unit (Avalon brand propane gas) in 2007 was under $2200, with 1 story flue, gas line, etc. and install ended up with tax at $3260. This was a brick fireplace conversion. The rough in and finishing of the wall not included. I think if you get it pretty much ready to install you can do better. Our unit is that fancy and huge but it puts out plenty of heat for our living room and on it's own thermostat. Love it!

At first glance I agreed but then started thinking...we installed an Empire propane unit. That was new construction so I planned on the gas piping and electrical in advance. I think the unit was about $2m, chimney piping (ain't cheap @ $60+ per 4 Ft section but double wall for intake air and exhaust) and installation another $1,500 or so. I suppose full gas piping would add a few $ dollars if needed and they do need electric for the blower so that's another cost. And then there is the "finishing" aspect with a retro-fit...being new construction I was able to use some leftover J-channel from my shop construction that I painted to flat black and we (yeah..."we") installed faux stone around that. And I forgot...I had to rent a lift since the roof is so steep (meaning the chimney box goes pretty high on the peak side) and I didn't want anybody up there. I guess all and all, I can see the total climbing pretty high depending on what it involves.

 

[lennyzx11]

We have a fireplace and found it to be inefficient. I tore the fireplace down and rebuilt it inside though in good shape in order to start using this stove which was a bit too tall to fit inside the arched opening.
I love it and though a lot of work, I enjoyed it and have been stacking rock walls ever since.


With the cast iron heated up and extending out in the room. It radiates heat passively and the heat pump only comes on early in the morning about an hour while I'm building the fire up and warming it up.

Fell asleep many nights watching it!