Are gas fireplaces an efficient way to heat your home?

Question

I really just want to be able to heat the main living area in the winter. We like it cool upstairs. But, I have this feeling I am just wasting gas with this thing.

It doesn't currently have a fan but I was thinking of buying one. The unit is 1 year old.

Answer 1

very inefficient - even with a fan. You loose a huge amount of the heat you produce up the flue. A customer was heating a large family room with a unit because it had no heat run over a months time he accumulated an extra 250.00 on his gas bill. He ran it off a thermostat and let it operate to maintain a 70* temp.

Answer 2

My gas fireplace works just fine, and it heats the main room and the adjoining rooms to it. It won't heat my whole house, although it just may if I turned it to high and left it there all night. I converted from a normal wood-burning fireplace and the change was awesome. No more wood-hauling, cleaning etc. The wood was inefficient probably due to the vent construction. Most of the heat exited up the chimney. With my gas, I can completely close the vent, so I get 100% of the heat distributed into the room. I use natural gas so venting isn't required. A fan would definetly help circulate the heat if you're not getting much now. Good luck

Answer 3

Fireplaces are not a good source of heat as they just heat the area right in front of the fireplace. I have used fireplaces, pellet stoves and wood stoves as I live in the North Woods of Michigan, very cold winters here. A wood stove would heat your entire house. Fireplaces are mainly for looks and atmosphere in a room.

Answer 4

If it is a so-called 'living flame' fire, then, as you've guessed, you really are wasting energy, since the units are only around 20 to 25 percent efficient.
I had one, and every time I used it I pictured lots of money going up the flue for very little warmth coming into the room!

Answer 5

Not efficient. Stoves are better.