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SmokeAndGnomes t1_j5swg8b wrote

Reply to comment by rettuhS in Can I convert my traditional fireplace to gas? by Elegant_Amphibian

To add to this:

Modern gas fireplaces are typically ventless and directly dump heat into your home. That will result in you heating your living room and sweating some people out but it’s not really a heat source to heat your home (like the above comment stated).

Your traditional fireplace should have a vent leading out of the home through either a chimney or metal pipe. Turning this into a gas burning fireplace would work but all of your heat is going to vent straight out of your home. (Again, just reiterating that it would be an even less effective heat source than a ventless, gas fireplace already is.)

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dododoob t1_j5sz1as wrote

To add to this: modern gas fireplaces are usually not ventless. This both sucks oxygen out of the room and expels CO. This is why ventless fireplaces and stoves require you to have an open window when it’s on. Modern gas fireplaces are usually DV (direct vent) which means they take in air from outside and vent gasses back outside. They will still heat your room, just not too efficiently.

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SmokeAndGnomes t1_j5szpqn wrote

You’re not “adding to” but directly contradicting my statement. That is completely fine and I’m not stranger to criticism but you should probably do some more reading on the subject:

(1) Modern gas fireplaces in the US are more likely to be ventless than vented.

(2) ventless fireplaces do not require an open window when in use. That’s absurd. Imagine opening your living room window because it’s 15 degrees out and you want to warm the living room while you watch a movie on the couch with your family or because you want an ambience on Christmas Day.

It’s all based off of efficiency which results in cleaner burning and less fumes.

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dododoob t1_j5t0jap wrote

You’re right it is absurd to open your window when you’re trying to heat your room. That’s why ventless fireplaces are silly. No contractor worth their salt should be installing them. They’re banned in California for good reason. It’s functionally identical to trying to heat your home with your stove.

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No_Carpet7125 t1_j5t71vy wrote

Ventless fireplaces are dumb. I installed a direct vent gas fireplace about 15 years ago to replaced a ventless model. It provides a ton of heat with no need to open windows or funky smells like the old one had. When we've had power outages it is capable of keeping our entire first floor warm.

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ArtOfWarfare t1_j5tg7i7 wrote

I have a brand new house in Maine with a gas fireplace. You can definitely heat the house with it. You don’t need to open the windows for it and there’s no smells from it.

But gas is expensive and I have a giant solar array and Minisplits, so I mostly just use those to heat the house since there’s no fuel costs with them.

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pumblesnook t1_j5u823x wrote

Of course there's no smell. CO is odourless. And deadly.

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