Ventless Gas Fireplace

[Daniel n]

We are thinking about installing a ventless gas fireplace in our house. Has anyone installed one in a home that doesn’t currently have a fireplace? Any suggestions or things to avoid? Any pictures of completed work?

 

[FTG-05]

I had one installed in my house in Madison back in the mid-90's. One of the best things I ever did for our house. 2 story, +3200 ft sq and we pretty much heated it with just the vent free logs. The only exceptions were when the temps got into the 20's or 10's, then we'd have to run the aux heaters upstairs (read electricity, read $$$).

One non-negotiable:

CO monitors and detectors. NO EXCEPTIONS!.

 

[Chaneylake]

I have a set in my home. I installed them underneath the steps going up stairs.
Installing a set in a corner always works great.

Just Google for many different ideas.

 

[eddie c]

I have a set in my house we haven't used in 15 years but I have gas central unit anyways.
My daughter thought it was neat to lay on the floor and read a book in front of it while in her shorts in the middle of winter.. My wife pulled that plug when she found out how much that ran the gas bill up.

I suggest getting a thermostat that will automatically shut off at certain temperature.

 

[bigtex]

We put one in when we built our house over 20 years ago. Unfortunately we don't have natural gas out here in the boonies. Ours run off propane.
We don't use ours much but they are a great source for when the power goes out.

 

[Tn_Va_Hunter]

We have a set in the living room and also a wall mount in the den to help heat in the winter. The wife’s uses it all the time. You can tell a difference. Either way your paying for electricity or propane. But the gas definitely warms
The house up better. The downside is the dry air causes my son a nose bleed here and there. So we run a humidifier in his room

 

[Snake]

We have a set in the family room but have never turned them on .

 

[Gravey]

We have 2 but they were done when the house was built by original owner. We bought it a year and a half ago and I can’t get either to light for nothing. I’ve bled the lines and bled some more with no luck. Had others try to. Thinking the regulator valve may be bad. They’re linked to a propane tank outside that runs nothing but them.

 

[TnKen]

I really like ours. Takes the chill off in the mornings and don’t have to turn up the heat. Also run them in the evening before bed, and the main heat doesn’t come on until around 2 in the morning.

 

[Chaneylake]

We have 2 but they were done when the house was built by original owner. We bought it a year and a half ago and I can’t get either to light for nothing. I’ve bled the lines and bled some more with no luck. Had others try to. Thinking the regulator valve may be bad. They’re linked to a propane tank outside that runs nothing but them.

blow the pilot light area out with a can of key board cleaner.
one little speck of dust will stop the pilot light from coming on.

I have cleaned the pilot light area before with a small diameter rubber hose and physically blowing throuth it

 

[Methane]

My house had one in it when we bought it. Didn’t use it for years, finally decided to start using it a couple years ago. Heats great, runs on natural gas. When I tried to get it to light when I decided to use it, I couldn’t get a good pilot light. Turns out that the Thermopile was bad (not the thermocoupler, just the thermopile). Super easy fix with a $10 part. As someone else said, I keep several CO detectors around and have never had an alarm. Good luck!

 

[BMan]

We have one downstairs, and it has saved us at least twice when our power was down for more than 24 hours and the temps were in the teens. Also nice for ambiance in the evenings.

Strongly encouraged.

 

[Antler Daddy]

We have one and never use it. It heats the house to hot for me.

Somebody on here once talked about a lifespan on the logs. I believe it was like 15 years and that if you used them after that, then your ceiling would be ruined. I have not turned on since that time.

 

[LanceS4803]

I really like ours. Takes the chill off in the mornings and don’t have to turn up the heat. Also run them in the evening before bed, and the main heat doesn’t come on until around 2 in the morning.

Check this guy's video out.

 

[41Magnum]

Love ours. Had ours for over 20 years. Just clean the pilot every year and vacuum out any dust that accumulates over the summer months or you can get the gas company to come out every year and service them for you.

 

[FTG-05]

blow the pilot light area out with a can of key board cleaner.
one little speck of dust will stop the pilot light from coming on.

I have cleaned the pilot light area before with a small diameter rubber hose and physically blowing throuth it

This. I probably had to do that maybe 4-5 times the 15 years I lived in the house with the vent free logs.

 

[Daniel n]

I appreciate the info! I’ve been doing a little research and plan to start it in the next month or two!

 

[jlanecr500]

I put a set of logs in my fireplace 25 years ago. Blocked the top of the fire box and mortared a stepping stone on top of the chimney. We use them occasionally.

 

[Hunter 257W]

blow the pilot light area out with a can of key board cleaner.
one little speck of dust will stop the pilot light from coming on.

I have cleaned the pilot light area before with a small diameter rubber hose and physically blowing throuth it

Have had same experience. Now if my pilot light won't stay lit at the beginning of cold weather I don't bother to try anything else and get the can of compressed air out and give it a few shots through the pilot light holes. Works every time. An amount of dirt that you can't even see will cause trouble so this is something you want to do if you are having this problem no matter how clean it might look.

 

[eightpointer]

Love ours.