Gas Fireplace installation

  • dank
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts: 1123
    #1279998

    Hello-

    We are looking at getting two gas fireplaces installed in our house in minneapolis. We have real fireplaces but don’t use them and would like to have a fireplace feel wihtout the work.
    What I am wondering is if you know of any companies that you would recomend to use or if there are any IDO guys that do this type of work.

    Both of our fireplaces connect to the same chimeny.

    thanks!
    Dan

    bigcrappie
    Blaine
    Posts: 4330
    #1124500

    We used Condor in Spring Lake Park, they also make the fake stone fronts you can pick out also.

    suzuki
    Woodbury, Mn
    Posts: 18621
    #1124501

    We love our gas fireplace at the cabin. Sooo easy to deal with. With a thermostat it is our main heat source. Only use furnace when we arent there.

    Brian Hoffies
    Land of 10,000 taxes, potholes & the politically correct.
    Posts: 6843
    #1124502

    Quote:


    We love our gas fireplace at the cabin. Sooo easy to deal with. With a thermostat it is our main heat source. Only use furnace when we arent there.


    Hey Mike, my wife has me talked into one for the basement. I’m a freeze baby so it would be cranked up pretty often. How are they on gas consumption? Are they rated like a furnace is as far as efficiency?

    suzuki
    Woodbury, Mn
    Posts: 18621
    #1124511

    I’m not sure. We run ours off a 250 pound LP tank and generally only have to have the tank topped off twice in the winter but with only weekend use of the gas stove. The majority is used by furnace. You can get different BTU units so that will impact use. I’m looking at ours as I type this msg. Here’s a pic I just took. Cant say enough how well it has worked out for us the past 6 years. I require temp control and you just cant get that with a wood stove.

    Brian Hoffies
    Land of 10,000 taxes, potholes & the politically correct.
    Posts: 6843
    #1124512

    Thank you!

    mike-g
    Bloomington,MN
    Posts: 556
    #1124531

    Quote:


    Hello-

    We are looking at getting two gas fireplaces installed in our house in minneapolis. We have real fireplaces but don’t use them and would like to have a fireplace feel wihtout the work.
    What I am wondering is if you know of any companies that you would recomend to use or if there are any IDO guys that do this type of work.

    Both of our fireplaces connect to the same chimeny.

    thanks!
    Dan


    I’m in the exact same boat. Would appreciate any solid reviews.

    swlund
    Cuba City, WI
    Posts: 395
    #1124532

    We have 2 gas stoves and a gas fireplace in our house. They are rated like a furnace. 2 of mine are direct vent and 1 is a b-vent. Furnace hardly runs and our gas bill for the year is about $720. That includes gas hot water heater. We love them.

    jon_jordan
    St. Paul, Mn
    Posts: 10908
    #1124538

    We did the switch over about 10 years ago. Best money we ever spent on the house! We had the retail shop do the install. Three part process. Couple guys came in, cleaned everything up. Tore out the flue and cap. Next day certified licensed pipe fitter came in and ran the new gas line. That had to sit for 24 hrs under pressure. City inspection after that. Then the first crew came back in and installed the stove new chimney liner and cap. Buttoned everything up.

    We use it to heat the house well into late Oct early Nov before turning on the furnace. Gets used just about every day during the winter. We call it the Butt Magnet!! Love it!

    -J.

    mossydan
    Cedar Rapids, Iowa
    Posts: 7727
    #1124547

    Plus just about any stove is good for drying gloves, boots, etc.

    browndog27
    Stacy, MN
    Posts: 21
    #1124628

    Suzuki,
    What is the brand of your stove? I am looking to put something like that in the family room in the basement. I have a corn stove now but corn is too pricey these days.
    Thanks
    Driz

    AllenW
    Mpls, MN
    Posts: 2895
    #1124632

    Are you thinking inserts or free standing units?

    If you go insert, try to find one that has a co-axial vent, so you don’t use room air for combustion.

    Neither are as efficient as a furnace but do offer the advantage of heating just one area, which could save money.

    Al

    bzzsaw
    Hudson, Wi
    Posts: 3480
    #1124647

    At the cabin we have a gas fireplace upstairs with cultured stone. We spend about 700.00 a year on gas to heat the cabin and that includes running the gas fireplace most weekends. We don’t have a thermostat but probably should because it gets too hot after running for a few hours. Our gas fireplace is direct vented through the same chimney the basement fireplace uses. I think there is an accessory you can add that will allow it to be used as a backup heat source if the power fails. It allows the fireplace to start off batteries.

    In the basement (manland) we have a traditional masonary fieldstone fireplace. I like having a real fire at the cabin, but would not want to deal with it at home. My dad is a bricklayer, so I got a pretty sweet deal on his labor.

    suzuki
    Woodbury, Mn
    Posts: 18621
    #1124694

    Quote:


    Suzuki,
    What is the brand of your stove? I am looking to put something like that in the family room in the basement. I have a corn stove now but corn is too pricey these days.
    Thanks
    Driz


    Hampton. Bought in Hastings.

    mbenson
    Minocqua, Wisconsin
    Posts: 3842
    #1124854

    Quote:


    Hello-

    We are looking at getting two gas fireplaces installed in our house in minneapolis. We have real fireplaces but don’t use them and would like to have a fireplace feel wihtout the work.
    What I am wondering is if you know of any companies that you would recomend to use or if there are any IDO guys that do this type of work.

    Both of our fireplaces connect to the same chimeny.

    thanks!
    Dan


    Dan:

    You would be looking for gas inserts. In most cases you are going to find them in either 30K BTU’s or 40K btu’s. You may find them smaller or bigger, these two sizes seem to be what every body is making.

    Dan, do each fireplace have its own flue??? I don’t know MN code, but in WI you need to have each vented into its own flue.

    It makes more sense to use inserts… you will get heat out of them and through the install, they should make air flowing out of your chimney more minimal, thus cutting the loss of already heated air.

    Freestanding stoves are ok like Suzuki has, but you are still allowing air to leave the house, that you paid to heat…

    There are ways to understand your usage and what it will cost, but that is a lengthy conversation for this subject.

    PM me if you want, I would be happy to pass my number along and we can talk about other things if you like

    Mark

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