by: Daniel Gipe
Since the start of using gas to fuel the fireplaces instead of the standard wood fuel, there has been many obstacles to over come with this fairly new view on fireplace technology. Maintenance is the most important reason to go with this type of fireplace fuel, because the furnace primarily is fueled by natural gas around the metro of Minneapolis and St Paul of Minnesota. The furnaces are burning much cleaner and more efficiently than the fuel oil or coal sources of the past. Like the furnaces, wood burning fireplaces have also given way to a much cleaner and more efficient way of burning. But, with this newer fuel available, obstacles have kept the fireplaces from becoming more common until the later part of the last century.
Price is one obstacle. Wood was the standard and was very plentiful and cheap to get and use. Not the case now. Besides having to hire maintenance on your existing wood fireplace, which has to be done on a yearly basis, which will reduce chimney fires, repair of old chimneys that are built with brick and mortar can be very expensive to repair. You then have to address the draft issue in the winter, those Minnesotan nights in January that yield the –20 degree temps and that wind-chill factor that makes it feel colder that it has to. Where does the draft come from? From that out dated fireplace chimney. Costing you up to 40% or higher on your heating bill. Even if you insist on not using the fireplace you will spend the money to heat your home very inefficiently year after year. And you can’t go out to the back 40 unless you live out in the rural parts of Minnesota to get your wood to then cut a cord of wood and transport your fuel to that leaky fireplace that you just got fixed and cleaned to burn this inefficient fuel again just to have a nice glowing fire. There is a better way, a gas fired insert.
Installation of an insert can be a challenge, but the benefits out weigh the possible headaches that may arise in the installation. Unless you have a finished ceiling in a basement installation and you have no way to run a gas line, which is no more than a ¾” round pipe (you might have to tear into the ceiling or add a soffit), there is simply no existing fireplace that can’t be fitted for an insert or install a new gas fireplace with a direct vent, gas line, and a draft free fire with a thermostat that can be turned on and off at a moments notice. No stoking the fire, very little maintenance, no chimney cleaning, and savings on you heating bill. Now there is a product that can even be direct vented at any direction to the out side instead of through the roof.
The Central Fireplace CF-42 Positive Vent was developed unlike any other gas fireplace to meet the requests of prospective gas fireplace owners. The design makes it the safest and most efficient gas fireplace and allows you the choice of placing the CF-42 gas fireplace anywhere without the need to vent through the roof of your home. The CF-42 is available as a freestanding, bayfront, gas fireplace insert or zero clearance gas fireplaces. Central Fireplace's gas fireplaces are manufactured in Greenbush, MN. This fireplace is available at Yours By Design Heating and Cooling. Call 763-546-7377 or go to http://www.ybdhc.com/ to order.