Here’s some questions I get almost on a daily basis.
- Wood VS. Gas
- What kind of gas installations are available.
Here’s some info found on the Natural Resources Canada website.
Gas VS. Wood
Gas fireplaces, when compared to traditional wood burning fireplaces, offering homeowners many benefits as secondary heat sources:
- They are easier and less work than traditional wood-burning fireplaces.
- They offer the convenience of an on/off switch and a steady fuel supply. With a gas fireplace, when he gas supply is shut off, the fireplace goes out immediately.
- There is no need to clean your hearth, only the glass, and the home doesn’t get the same mess – ashes, wood chips, bark, smoke and other residue – that it would get from a wood fire.
- Because direct vent gas fireplaces are sealed combustion units, there is little chance for toxic combustion gases to spill into the home, and efficiency is improved because they use no room air.
- When vented to the outdoors, they produce much less carbon monoxide and particulate emissions than wood fireplaces.
What types are available today?
Much progress has been made in gas fireplace technology in recent years. What you choose will depend on your situation and personal preferences.
Three basic types of gas fireplaces are widely available in Canada: inserts, zero – clearance units and free standing designs. Your biggest challenge will be sorting through the wide range of models available to select a unit that is as efficient as possible that suits your particular needs.
- Gas fireplace inserts are meant to be installed in an existing fireplace cavity, to convert a wood-burning fireplace to use natural gas or propane. The gas burner and simulated logs are contained in a special metal housing that fits into the existing fireplace cavity. The unit has a glass front for viewing and a decorative metal trim. Existing chimneys must be relined with an approved vent when a gas insert is installed.
- Factory-built (zero-clearance) gas fireplaces are installed when there is no existing fireplace, typically during new home construction or as part of a renovation project. The simulated logs and burner are inside their own firebox, around which is an inner and outer shell. This type of gas fireplace can be installed inside the house envelope, even against an outside wall. The manufacturer’s instructions must be followed carefully in regard to proper clearances from combustibles and approved venting materials.
- Free-standing fireplaces resemble wood-burning stoves. All surfaces are exposed, so these fireplaces tend to be more effective in supplying heat to a home since heat is not lost up the chimney or in wall cavities.
The glass fronts on all of these gas fireplaces can be manufactured from tempered or ceramic glass. Ceramic glass is slightly better at transmitting infrared heat into the room. However, it’s principal benefit is that it can better withstand higher temperatures associated with sealed units.
