Gas Fireplace Insert?

[threeboysmom]

Has anyone converted their wood-burning fireplace into a gas fireplace? I've been looking at inserts online, but can't seem to find any pricing.

Yeah, I could make the trip to several stores, but I'd like to have at least an idea of what this will cost. If it's in the thousands of dollars, it's out of my budget for now, but if we're talking one or two thousand, then it's doable.

I just don't see myself lugging in wood for fires this winter and then having to clean up all the ash afterwards. NVM all the work in trying to START a fire, lol.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Yes, we did this last winter and love it. We had a local company do this when they were running a special. It was expensive, about $4400 total.

 

[threeboysmom]

Arg, that's expensive then. Was that just the cost of the insert and installation or did you do a surround and mantle too?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

That was the complete cost of the insert and surround and all installation. We do not have a gas line to our house, so they had to cut through the wall behind the fireplace to run a gas line outside which is hooked up to a propane tank. Also, we got a ventless insert, which is more expensive.

This is ours; we have the 4 sided aluminum extrusion option with black flashing and trim (no brass):

http://www.napoleonfireplaces.com/products/gdizc/

 

[riley2008]

We have a woodburning fireplace that we added an insert - still wood burning. It was just over $4,000 too, but we don't have the smell anymore. That included all installation - including lining up through the chimney, two floors.)It has an electric fan and my husband did some wiring so the cord would show. We love it!

(I would have loved gas more, but the cost of propane, running lines, etc would have been too much.)

 

[jrw118]

We also got a wood burning zero clearance insert. This replaced the wood burning contractor grade standard fireplace. We went top of the line with one that could heat both upstairs and downstairs. We had the vent go through the chimney into the master and it effectively heats both floors. Our home is nearly 4000 sqft our cost was nearly $9000. The unit itself was over $4000. The rest was installation. I would be happy to email pictures. FYI it reduced our heating cost almost 70% for the year

 

[pigletto]

May I ask a few questions for those of you that have done this?

My husband is dead set on a wood burning stove or fireplace. We are looking at houses and we see a lot of gas fireplaces and he always mentions he would convert them back
He grew up with a wood burning stove and I think it's a nostalgia thing. My concern is if so many people are converting to gas I suspect there are good reasons that people prefer them. Is it mess, or the hassle of getting wood all the time?
Just curious

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

For us, it was several reasons. We had lived in our house for 5 years and never used the wood burning fireplace until we converted to propane. No mess, no buying, stacking and storing wood, no indoor/outdoor pollution from burning wood, etc. Now when we want a fire, we just flip a switch. It also heats the family room nicely (we have a blower, but don't always use it). I see the appeal of a wood burning fireplace, but I greatly prefer what we have now.

 

[jrw118]

May I ask a few questions for those of you that have done this?

My husband is dead set on a wood burning stove or fireplace. We are looking at houses and we see a lot of gas fireplaces and he always mentions he would convert them back
He grew up with a wood burning stove and I think it's a nostalgia thing. My concern is if so many people are converting to gas I suspect there are good reasons that people prefer them. Is it mess, or the hassle of getting wood all the time?
Just curious

We would have done gas if we could have. Wood is definitely messier. DEFINITELY! I am not sure but I think wood heats better.

 

[pigletto]

Thanks for the answers and sorry to take over the thread. I just thought of my own reason for gas over wood. I remember my MIL mentioning mice and spiders loved to live in the wood piles at the side of the house.

 

[threeboysmom]

That was the complete cost of the insert and surround and all installation. We do not have a gas line to our house, so they had to cut through the wall behind the fireplace to run a gas line outside which is hooked up to a propane tank. Also, we got a ventless insert, which is more expensive.

This is ours; we have the 4 sided aluminum extrusion option with black flashing and trim (no brass):

http://www.napoleonfireplaces.com/products/gdizc/

That one is beautiful! Did you do the same surround & mantle as in the picture?

Looks like I'm going to have to start visiting stores and getting an idea of price so I can decide if this is a fall 2012 project or fall 2013 project.

I have a wood-burning fireplace now, but just don't see myself using it at all. No idea if there's a gas line or not. I live on the 3rd floor of a condominium.

 

[threeboysmom]

Thanks for the answers and sorry to take over the thread. I just thought of my own reason for gas over wood. I remember my MIL mentioning mice and spiders loved to live in the wood piles at the side of the house.

THIS!!

Oh, and the mess.... and the work of starting a fire (I can do Duraflame logs, but that's about it, lol).... and the collecting of wood. Plus, a wood-burning fire always seems to get a fine black ash in the air no matter how well it's ventilated. I can do without that stuff on my walls and furniture....

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

That one is beautiful! Did you do the same surround & mantle as in the picture?

No. We already had a nice marble surround and white mantle, so we kept those.

As far as cleaning, occasionally you need to take off the glass front (held on by 2 screws) and clean the glass with a special cleaner. Takes about 5 minutes. Then once a year, we have the system checked and cleaned out. That costs about $80.00. That's it for cleaning and maintenance. No issues with bugs, mice or ash/smoke in our house.

 

[horseshowmom]

May I ask a few questions for those of you that have done this?

My husband is dead set on a wood burning stove or fireplace. We are looking at houses and we see a lot of gas fireplaces and he always mentions he would convert them back
He grew up with a wood burning stove and I think it's a nostalgia thing. My concern is if so many people are converting to gas I suspect there are good reasons that people prefer them. Is it mess, or the hassle of getting wood all the time?
Just curious

We had a regular wood burning insert that we changed over to gas. I got the logs at Walmart on clearance for $22 (had been a couple or three hundred or so though) and spent around $300 having the gas run to the fireplace (didn't have gas at all prior to that so had to get a line run to the house - think that may have cost $250 too, hard to remember).

Very little cost, and we love it! The wood burning fireplace was hard on my allergies and as we've gotten older, it wasn't worth the work. Too be honest, we always hated the mess. I wouldn't go back for anything.

ETA: Wood is probably a little warmer, but there hasn't been a big difference. We don't even have a blower on ours, and it really heats very well (and I have a large living room/kitchen area - also flows well the the rest of the house).