"Michael Daly" wrote in message
ble.rogers.com...
On 1-Feb-2004, "Buck Turgidson" wrote:

I have a wood-burning fireplace in my basement. I don't use it because
it
sucks all the warm air out. Does a gas fireplace offer more efficiency
than
wood, i.e. is some of the combustion heat retained, such that I could
use it
to heat up the basement while watching TV down there?

If you go with a gas insert, it will be more efficient than wood. You can
have
the gas insert rigged to draw its combustion air from the outside, so it
doesn't
draw warm house air out. This will get rid of the drafts associated with
most
fireplaces.

As far as efficiency goes, most gas fireplaces are about 70% efficient,
with the
best models (that I've found so far) up to about 85% efficient. This is
still
poor compared to the best gas furnaces, so using the gas fireplace may be
good
for the "look and feel" of the room, but it is not the most economical way
to
heat. IOW, if you want to heat and keep costs/pollution down, use the
furnace
instead of the fireplace.

Mike

Installing a separate direct vented gas space heater might be reasonable
alternative to upgrading the fireplace. It takes outside air and vents
exhaust air through a single through-the-wall pipe. It must be installed on
an outside wall for that reason. No drafts and no combustion products to
worry about. It can provide reasonable efficiencies, easily better than a
fireplace but I'd guess not as good as a furnace, and is thermostatically
controlled. I've read about at least one small unit which doesn't require
electrical power, so these might make excellent backup heating systems. No,
it doesn't provide the ambiance of a fireplace.