Does a gas fireplace need a blower?

[FreshTressa]

Our new house has "blower" listed as an option on the options list for $250 per fireplace.

Do I need a blower? What does a blower do?

 

[poohandwendy]

I don't have a gas fireplace, but I do have a woodburning stove with a blower.

IMO, if you want the heat benefits and not just the asthetic ones, a blower is worth the additional cost.

You live in Washington state? I would definitely buy the blower, it makes a big difference.

 

[poohandwendy]

Oh, and to answer your question (sorry), without the blower, the room gets the heat radiated off the fireplace, much of the heat is lost through the chimney. On a very cold day, it wouldn't do much to heat the room. With the blower, air is forced through a metal tube that is heated by the fire and blows the warm air into the room.

 

[stauncie]

The blower is what moves the heated air through the room.
We installed a vent-free gas fireplace a few years ago when we re-modeled. we have a vent-free gas fireplace, and no blower. We put the wiring in the wall as it was being built for the blower, but did not install a blower at the time. Our room is fairly small (14 x 18) and has a ceiling fan. The ceiling fan does an excellent job of moving the air in the room, so we dont' feel the need for a blower.

 

[wdwmom2]

We have a vent free gas fireplace with a blower. Boy does it kick out the heat. Personally I wouldn't have one without the blower. I like to make full use of the heat that the fireplace creates.

 

[Lorix2]

We just installed a gas powered fireplace without the blower. My DH talked with alot of people in the business about them and we decided on one that had alot of BTU's enough to throw some heat without having to use a blower.

The blower was extra $$ and we were told they can be noisy/rattly too, that's something to think about too.

We got it with a damper I think it's called so if the room gets too warm, we can dump the heat to another room it's vented in to too and still keep the flames going as opposed to having to turn it off if it gets too stuffy. We liked this mainly because of get togethers when the room gets crowded and hot, this a great option to have in the unit.

 

[slo]

We did not have a blower and we could feel the heat just fine. Just keep in mind that a gas fireplace will make your gas bill go sky high. We took ours out this year and went back to wood.

 

[poohandwendy]

We just installed a gas powered fireplace without the blower. My DH talked with alot of people in the business about them and we decided on one that had alot of BTU's enough to throw some heat without having to use a blower.

The blower was extra $$ and we were told they can be noisy/rattly too, that's something to think about too.

We got it with a damper I think it's called so if the room gets too warm, we can dump the heat to another room it's vented in to too and still keep the flames going as opposed to having to turn it off if it gets too stuffy. We liked this mainly because of get togethers when the room gets crowded and hot, this a great option to have in the unit.

Good points made. Definitely see if you can check out the blower beforehand, ours is quiet, but it would be really annoying if the fan was noisy.

Also, it really does depend on the size of room you are installing it in. In a greatroom or a room with vaulted ceilings, I would think it would be more of a plus...if the room is small, it may be unnecessary.

 

[petrymom]

I agree with WDWmom2. The blower is SO worth the $250. We have a gas fireplace in our basement family room. The blower throws so much heat across the room. Before it kicks in I need to be almost on top of the fireplace to feel the warmth. I can't wait for it to kick in. To me, the idea of having the fireplace is that cozy warm feeling it gives. The blower is a MUST.

Don't make the same mistake I made when building our house. I was too cheap to mortgage A/c in our house. I was 7 months pregnant when we first moved in and it was to HOTTEST summer we had seen in a while. Needless to say, AC was in the next spring. In the scheme of a new house $250.00 is so minor.

Good luck!!!!

 

[poohandwendy]

I agree with WDWmom2. The blower is SO worth the $250. We have a gas fireplace in our basement family room. The blower throws so much heat across the room. Before it kicks in I need to be almost on top of the fireplace to feel the warmth. I can't wait for it to kick in. To me, the idea of having the fireplace is that cozy warm feeling it gives. The blower is a MUST.

Good luck!!!!

I would have to agree, I think I would rather end up being out $250 and hardly ever use the blower than be kicking myself for not making the investment.

Even if you don't use the blower all of the time, the times that you do feel the need to use it will be well worth it.

 

[FreshTressa]

I agree with WDWmom2. The blower is SO worth the $250. We have a gas fireplace in our basement family room. The blower throws so much heat across the room. Before it kicks in I need to be almost on top of the fireplace to feel the warmth. I can't wait for it to kick in. To me, the idea of having the fireplace is that cozy warm feeling it gives. The blower is a MUST.

Don't make the same mistake I made when building our house. I was too cheap to mortgage A/c in our house. I was 7 months pregnant when we first moved in and it was to HOTTEST summer we had seen in a while. Needless to say, AC was in the next spring. In the scheme of a new house $250.00 is so minor.

Good luck!!!!

I don't know anyone in this area with central A/C! I think we get like 4 hot days a year here, lol.

Yah...500 is not that big of a deal on a mortgage (2 fireplaces), but darn those upgrades add up fast!