Bob, Actually heating a 900 SQ ft ranch is pretty good with an open
fireplace. Im not sure how you manage it. I tried it with a 1200 sq ft
ranch and failed miserably but I had a prefab fireplace with loose
fitting glass doors. Maybe your unit had a heatilator or similar blower
that extracts the warm air?
I decided to plug the fireplace with a chimney balloon and just get a
power vent furnace. That suceeded in lowering my heating bill
significantly. And I am not spending so much of my free time chopping
and spliting. I still use the fireplace for ambiance occasionally but I
dont expect much from it.
German Jerry