Propane vs. firewood?

Question

Just moved into a house with propane heat, which I have been told is cheaper and cleaner than the electric heat I had in my last apt. But we also have a fireplace..so wondering which is more environmentally sound for heating our house? Any ideas?

Answer 1

A fireplace yields about 70% efficientcy (30% of the heat goes up the flue). A propane furnace is 100% efficient.

As far as environmentally sound, I support Propane over wood everyday. Wood yields smoke which leads to smog. Propane is clean burning and yields CO and water.

For maximum savings, place a ventless firelog system in you fireplace and then close the flue. 100% of the heat will stay in your home and you will not need a blower to operate the furnace, saving your pocketbook on electricity.

Answer 2

First off, a fireplace is not very heat efficient. You have to store the wood, you have to keep it dry @ pack it into the house. A woodstove or insert would be much better. I burn presto type logs (no mess), the company I buy them from stores them there and I go pick up however many I need. By burning presto type logs, I am burning sawdust that's an afterproduct of a mill, so what I'm doing is ok. Most of the time buring is fine, but when there is a burn ban you cannot burn. To burn would be very bad evironmentally at that time. Since there is a burn bar, the little particles you fire sends out the chimney can't disperse, because there's no wind. Thus, its very hard on asmatics.

Propane heat. I gather its fairly inexpensive and it is clean, but I'm frightened by it. It is so unpredictable. I don't believe that propane heat is bad environmentally for heating your house.

Electric baseboard is expensive. I believe it is very environmentally sound for heating a house, but it will cost ya.

I also have Natural Gas. I love it. With it the gas company puts in a rotten egg smell so that if ever there is a break in your gas, you will know it and get it fixed right away. It also is environmentally sound.

Answer 3

I think you've may have been given some bad information. Propane is not cheaper or cleaner than electricity, if you live in an area where a heat pump will work.

Propane is pretty expensive but wood is really a hassle. I grew up in a home heated by fire wood. It's not very convient. I complained once to a friend that the wood heat was hard on my sinuses, he replied its hard on my back.

I'd use a heat pump with propane back up. Install a gas log in the fire place and don't deal with the mess and hassle of wood heat.