# adding a fireplace / woodstove



## Road Guy (Apr 12, 2016)

So for whatever reason our house in _Colorado  _doesn't have a fireplace.  The people that built it opted not to put it in (&amp; it does make the Living room much larger) but the wife wants me to put in a gas woodstove in the corner.  Been doing some research on them and it seems in CO that ventless is not recommended due to the thin air, so I am looking at cutting a hole through the side of my house.   for the venting

I hate to hire people to do stuff but I am trying to see if anyone else has messed with this before?  I was contemplating hiring someone to run a gas line to the new location and then install some tile in the corner  and drill a gigantic hole in the side of my house and hope for the best?

Thoughts or ideas appreciated?


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## MA_PE (Apr 12, 2016)

I'd get prices for the stove installed.  The pipe outside will need to be higher than the roof line so downdraft won't push the exhaust back into the house


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## P-E (Apr 12, 2016)

yup.  do the tile yourself and have an installer and plumber do the rest.


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## Road Guy (Apr 12, 2016)

I thought I've seen these things on the side of the house that deal with the gas fireplaces? So u have to run the vent pipe all the way to the roof?

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## Supe (Apr 13, 2016)

I've got a gas insert stove in my living room.  It exits through a vent on the exterior wall.


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## kevo_55 (Apr 13, 2016)

I would recommend having some company put the thing in and you simply do the finishing.

In our house, we had a wood fireplace that we had converted into a gas fireplace. There is just something about grabbing a beer and watching football with the fireplace on. Plus, when you're done you just turn it off and there is no clean-up.


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## matt267 PE (Apr 13, 2016)

Make sure your CO detector is working too.


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## cement (Apr 13, 2016)

We had a gas fireplace put in on the basement level.  It just vents outside with no riser and all the work was inspected by the county for code.  The hood has "HOT" stamped on it, but I just looked and there are some pine needles on it so it must not be that hot.


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## Supe (Apr 13, 2016)

They recommend keeping the vent away from brush/leaves/combustibles.  Depending on local codes, there may be a certain height minimum.  Mine is somewhere around 8 feet off the ground, and that seems to be the standard.  Elsewhere, I've seen them at standing height, which would normally be a no-no for safety reasons.  I'm not sure how hot they actually get though, as mine is affixed to vinyl siding and there is no indicator of melting or softening of the vinyl.


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## MA_PE (Apr 13, 2016)

I believe local codes vary.  It might be different for gas versus wood also.

If you think about it, my gas heating burner and gas water heater exhaust out the roof, as does the chimney on the fireplaces, but the gas stove/oven doesn't.


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## Supe (Apr 13, 2016)

MA_PE said:


> I believe local codes vary. * It might be different for gas versus wood also.*
> 
> If you think about it, my gas heating burner and gas water heater exhaust out the roof, as does the chimney on the fireplaces, but the gas stove/oven doesn't.


Often is, and tied to the fact that gas fireplaces don't deal with creosote.


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## Ship Wreck PE (Apr 13, 2016)

We have a ventless gas fire place and it puts 100% of the heat in the house. My old house had a regular fireplace and we got no heat out of it.

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## Dexman PE PMP (Apr 13, 2016)

The vent for our gas fireplace can be seen just above my son's head in between the windows. It's probably 5' off the ground.







Instead of installing the fireplace, just buy our house. Here, it's already installed.


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## Road Guy (Apr 13, 2016)

yes that's the "thing I was referring too (in dex's pic)

I went to a fireplace store in town and the instructions didn't look too bad, but if I have to pull a permit I will probably just get some quotes.  It didn't really look that difficult to be honest. Other than tapping into the gas line.  Not putting in a real wood stove, just a gas one that will provide some heat

My in laws have a vent less (gas) wood stove and it provides a ton of heat, but from what the people at the fire place stores tell me you cant use the vent less ones hear at 5,400 feet.


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## Road Guy (Apr 13, 2016)

&amp; I cant afford your house, If I hadn't bought something 2 years ago I would either still be renting or living in Firestone


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## snickerd3 (Apr 13, 2016)

just build a mantle and put a flat screen in it and run a dvd of a fire flicker.


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## Road Guy (Apr 13, 2016)

it didn't get much above 15 degrees the entire month of January 

We bought an electric wood stove for looks, it puts out a little heat if your laying right in front of it..


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## Dexman PE PMP (Apr 13, 2016)

What do you mean you can't afford it? You make more than I do...


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## Road Guy (Apr 13, 2016)

I can afford it at the price you bought it for    just not what your going to sell it for


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## Dexman PE PMP (Apr 13, 2016)

lol, fair enough.


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## knight1fox3 (Apr 13, 2016)

kevo_55 said:


> In our house, we had a wood fireplace that we had converted into a gas fireplace. There is just something about grabbing a beer and watching football with the fireplace on. Plus, when you're done you just turn it off and there is no clean-up.


So ours is wood but with gas-starting.  Meaning there's a gas line that already runs to it and a valve nearby that I can turn it on/off with.  I wonder if it could be converted to strictly gas?  Because I agree, on those cold WI days it would be nice to turn on but not have to worry about stocking it first.  Plus LadyFox says there's that smoky smell whenever we use it. :dunno:


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## Road Guy (Apr 13, 2016)

we did that at our old house, its pretty simple, you can buy the gas logs at Home Depot (or similar) and put them in pretty quick like. The newer vent less ones are pretty sweet, that's what I had back in Atlanta and we could keep the flume closed and it heated the house up very nice like..

I think you disconnect the gas starter and hook the gas log (feed line) into that, just take some soapy water and rub on after you install it and if it doensnt bubble up then there are no leaks.. even a caveman can do it


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## jeb6294 (Apr 14, 2016)

Our house has a fireplace but it never got used.  This past summer I finally had the chimney inspected and the guy told me it was fine so we used it quite a bit this winter.  My only gripe is that it does a decent job of heating the family room but it doesn't really go any further than that.  The fireplace was already here and we've got a yard full of dead ash trees so the wood is free so it's still free heat.

If we decide to stay we may see about getting a wood burning stove with the fan built in or there are some forced-air contraptions that you can use with an existing fireplace...basically just a metal pipe that wraps around the back of the firebox with a fan at one end.


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## snickerd3 (Apr 14, 2016)

^that's how my ILs built the fireplace in their now not so new  house.  it was a huge metal contraption they encased in brick that has a fan feature to blow the heat farther.  That is what they use to the house heat in the winter months.


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## jeb6294 (Apr 14, 2016)

I've seen stuff like that before.  Would be a really good way to heat the house because it's a good sized fireplace but that would be a giant PITA to retrofit.


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## Audi Driver P.E. (Apr 14, 2016)

matt267 PE said:


> Make sure your CO detector is working too.


If you live in CO does it go off all the time?


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## matt267 PE (Apr 14, 2016)

:facepalm:


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## csb (Apr 14, 2016)

Thought of just getting her a blast furnace and a shed off the side of the house?


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## wilheldp_PE (Apr 14, 2016)

Audi driver said:


> If you live in CO does it go off all the time?


I have that problem all the time when I try to use my stud detector.


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## Audi Driver P.E. (Apr 14, 2016)

wilheldp_PE said:


> I have that problem all the time when I try to use my stud detector.


Stud detector?  Isn't it easy enough to tell if your tires have them or not?


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## Supe (Apr 14, 2016)




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## knight1fox3 (Aug 26, 2016)

knight1fox3 said:


> So ours is wood but with gas-starting.  Meaning there's a gas line that already runs to it and a valve nearby that I can turn it on/off with.  I wonder if it could be converted to strictly gas?  Because I agree, on those cold WI days it would be nice to turn on but not have to worry about stocking it first.  Plus LadyFox says there's that smoky smell whenever we use it. :dunno:





Road Guy said:


> we did that at our old house, its pretty simple, you can buy the gas logs at Home Depot (or similar) and put them in pretty quick like. The newer vent less ones are pretty sweet, that's what I had back in Atlanta and we could keep the flume closed and it heated the house up very nice like..
> 
> I think you disconnect the gas starter and hook the gas log (feed line) into that, just take some soapy water and rub on after you install it and if it doensnt bubble up then there are no leaks.. even a caveman can do it


I'm finally getting back to this project as the fall season approaches. Thinking about getting this:  https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Real-Fyre-24-inch-Natural/dp/B00N5CLOJQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Seems pricey but then again I have no reference as to what things like this cost. Plus it would be nice to have some type of electronic ignition I think?


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## Road Guy (Aug 26, 2016)

I would just go to Home Depot or Loews and get one, I think the better ones are around $350.00?? But they really go in very easy

If you get one that's has to be vented then 90% of the heat goes up the flume so I would try and get one that is ventless to save some  dough..


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## knight1fox3 (Aug 26, 2016)

The ones I'm seeing at Home Depot are around the $350 price range you mentioned but are 30k-40k BTU. The Amazon one is 75k BTU and $100 cheaper. Does that matter?

Also, reading a bit up on it, I already have an existing wood burning fireplace with open chimney and venting system. It seemed like vented gas logs were better suited (i.e. more realistic) for that? For the ventless it seems I'd have to install some sort of insert. Having an actual open chimney fireplace, I don't think I'll be getting much heat gain, will I?


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## Road Guy (Aug 26, 2016)

no you shouldn't have to install an insert, they basically look the same as vented gas logs, they just have "better efficiency" so you don't have to vent the flume on your chimney ( although we always cracked ours somewhat)


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## MA_PE (Aug 26, 2016)

My wife wants to put a gas log into our fireplace (for the atmosphere and not necessarily the heat).  I could not care less but I don't want to pay for it.


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## Dleg (Aug 26, 2016)

The house I bought in AK has a propane fireplace with a wall vent like the one in Dex's picture, but I haven't been able to get it started yet.  After a lot of research, I determined that the electronic valve is powered by a thermopile that gets heated by the pilot flame.  Once it is energized, the whole thing runs off a remote control. Flame height, fan speed, timer. Pretty sweet.  The only problem is I can't get the pilot to stay on, because the valve unit never energizes.  I've left the pilot burning for a couple minutes at a time, but power LED on the valve unit still doesn't light up.  All I can figure, from reading up on it, is that the thermopile is either dirty or not working.  I haven't had a chance to try cleaning it yet, but i need to because winter is coming, rapidly here in AK.

So if you get one, be prepared for issues like this down the road...


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## NJmike PE (Aug 26, 2016)

I'm considering getting a pellet stove. Many of my friends who have them, swear by them. Very efficient to heat the house.


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## knight1fox3 (Aug 26, 2016)

Holy hell! The ventless are even more expensive than the vented variety! And also require that a CO detector be installed. Decisions decisions.


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## Road Guy (Aug 26, 2016)

with ventless your paying not to send money up the chimney and the CO detector isn't too bad (like $85 bucks)


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## wilheldp_PE (Aug 26, 2016)

My suggestion is to get a professional installer.  It will be pricey, but size of the fireplace, size of the room, and available make-up air (i.e., how tightly sealed your house is) make a BIG difference in choosing a gas log burner.  I get somewhere on the order of 40 gas logs in my lab every year with people reporting soot losses in their house due to improperly installed gas logs.  Also, be sure to clean the burner and make sure the logs are oriented exactly per the manufacturer's instructions because any change in air flow near the burner will result in sooting.


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## willsee (Aug 26, 2016)

We had a ventless fireplace in our old house and we never ran it as my wife complained about the gas smell all the time.


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## Ship Wreck PE (Aug 27, 2016)

Our dog really likes our ventless gas log fireplace.


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## Supe (Aug 29, 2016)

I've got a gas with a vent.  Zero maintenance in the 16 years the home has been standing and works just fine with the flip of the light switch.  It doesn't feel like it puts off a lot of heat, but it does a pretty good job of augmenting the furnace in the winter months if you flip it on.  I'll sometimes use it in the morning to give the room a "boost" while I'm getting ready.

Mine does have the fake log, and they will never look real.  The lack of embers/glowing red and flame front just always make them look fake.


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## csb (Aug 30, 2016)

wilheldp_PE said:


> My suggestion is to get a professional installer.  It will be pricey, but size of the fireplace, size of the room, and available make-up air (i.e., how tightly sealed your house is) make a BIG difference in choosing a gas log burner.  I get somewhere on the order of 40 gas logs in my lab every year with people reporting soot losses in their house due to improperly installed gas logs.  Also, be sure to clean the burner and make sure the logs are oriented exactly per the manufacturer's instructions because any change in air flow near the burner will result in sooting.


I find when the burny guy says something, it's best to listen.


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## Road Guy (Aug 30, 2016)

Well usually “professional” for these type installations means some high school dropout hick, who can’t keep the one job he has, who if doesn’t cancel, will be at least an hour late..

 

Now if you can’t turn a wrench call someone, but these are pretty easy to install (easier than changing the oil in your car)


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## csb (Aug 30, 2016)

You bought me a car?!


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## knight1fox3 (Aug 30, 2016)

Although the install doesn't seem too involved, to @wilheldp_PE's point, it would give more peace of mind to have a professional do it I think. I spoke to a local retailer and gave them all the specs. They quoted me $750 for everything including the install. I also asked about vented vs. non-vented and he said since I already have a traditional fireplace with a chimney, I wouldn't realize the benefits of non-vented. This isn't something I plan to use all winter either. Probably only have it on weekends we are home and when people are visiting.

In addition to the concerns above, there's also some parts I'm unfamiliar with (see photo below). I assume this is some sort of regulator/diffuser? Can that just be taken off and then connected to whatever inlet assembly there is for the gas log? Assuming I can even remove it to begin with. It's looks pretty worn. Or do I leave the large part and just remove the gas tube? :dunno:

View attachment 8573


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## Road Guy (Aug 30, 2016)

Yeah you take that off (lol, looks like it's had a hard life) and then you would connect the gas feed to that.

I'm

Assuming the large part near the hole in the wall (filled with great stuff?) Comes off leaving a thread to attach too...

You can buy a lot of firewood for $750 republic credits!


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## knight1fox3 (Aug 31, 2016)

Road Guy said:


> Yeah you take that off (lol, looks like it's had a hard life) and then you would connect the gas feed to that.
> 
> I'm
> 
> ...


Yes, I'm just hoping that the threads are mostly intact. Will try to clean them up with something to remove the corrosion. The part with hose clamp looks to be "fixed". So I also assume that is my threaded hook-up point. In the basement, I have access beneath the fireplace and can see the yellow gas line that runs up to that point through the floor. So I suppose if I had to replace something in the supply line, I could. And I agree, $750 is quite a bit. But not more than what some of those non-vented gas logs cost! If I go with vented, I'm looking at $230 plus my time to install and hope nothing else breaks or needs to be replaced. What have I gotten myself into?


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## wilheldp_PE (Aug 31, 2016)

knight1fox3 said:


> I can see the yellow gas line that runs up to that point through the floor.


Make sure that CSST is electrically bonded.  It wasn't required prior to 2009, but a series of house fires caused by lightning strikes caused a change in plumbing codes and CSST manufacturer's installation instructions.  If your gas line isn't bonded, a lightning strike can cause an arc to jump from any grounded metal surface to the CSST.  This blows a hole in the gas line, and it has plenty of fuel to take it from there.


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## Supe (Aug 31, 2016)

I want your job, wilheldp.


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## knight1fox3 (Aug 31, 2016)

You'd like this one too @Supe. Especially when we do arc fault testing on motor control centers. Some times in the control room, the resulting concussion knocks coffee cups over. :thumbs:


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## Supe (Aug 31, 2016)

Yeah, but you guys only get to blow things up _electrically._


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## Audi Driver P.E. (Aug 31, 2016)

knight1fox3 said:


> You'd like this one too @Supe. Especially when we do arc fault testing on motor control centers. Some times in the control room, the resulting concussion knocks coffee cups over. :thumbs:


We've done some fun stuff like that, like using collapsing electrical fields to crush pop cans and shrinking quarters to the size of a nickle.


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## Audi Driver P.E. (Aug 31, 2016)

makes a nice pop


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## wilheldp_PE (Aug 31, 2016)

Supe said:


> Yeah, but you guys only get to blow things up _electrically._


My two favorites so far were:

- Delayed ignition of a vented fireplace (soft of a natural gas fired pot belly stove).  We filled the firebox up with natural gas, then hit the igniter.  Blew a fireball about 10 feet out the top and front of the fireplace.  The loss we were trying to re-create was a personal injury where the glass front of the fireplace blew out when the user was trying to light the fire.

- Pouring water on a grease fire.  We built a room out of 2x4's and drywall outside, put a stove in it, put a pan on one of the burners, put vegetable oil in the pan, heated the oil, ignited the oil, then poured a cup of water (attached to a long stick) into the pan.  The fireball was absolutely insane.  It went to the ceiling, then rolled out of the front of the room.  Everything above about 5 feet high would have been singed.


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## knight1fox3 (Aug 31, 2016)

@Road Guy, looks like the state of WI decided for me what type of gas logs to install. There are exceptions, but only for homes that were built prior to 1980 (ours was built in 2000). So vented is the only option at this point. Thanks for all the other helpful feedback. If I research a home improvement project enough, I get more comfortable doing the work myself.

(b) Unvented furnaces and space heaters. The use of unvented furnaces and space heaters fueled by natural gas, kerosene, alcohol or other fuel shall be prohibited due to concerns about oxygen depletion; contamination from carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde and other combustion related contaminants; and water vapor buildups.


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## kevo_55 (Aug 31, 2016)

Newer homes are too air tight......


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## NJmike PE (Aug 31, 2016)

wilheldp_PE said:


> Pouring water on a grease fire.  We built a room out of 2x4's and drywall outside, put a stove in it, put a pan on one of the burners, put vegetable oil in the pan, heated the oil, ignited the oil, then poured a cup of water (attached to a long stick) into the pan.  The fireball was absolutely insane.  It went to the ceiling, then rolled out of the front of the room.  Everything above about 5 feet high would have been singed.


Yeah I've seen this during many demonstrations. The grease on the walls is additional fuel to that fire. You can use water, but you have to inundate the seat of the fire with it in order to overcome the fire.


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## Road Guy (Aug 31, 2016)

ahh that was probably written by some gubernment employee who has never made a real decision in their entire life..

For vented they really are a simple install, but that gas supply lines looks a little iffy though....


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## matt267 PE (Sep 1, 2016)

Road Guy said:


> written by some gubernment employee who has never made a real decision in their entire life


I didn't write it....


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## csb (Sep 1, 2016)

wilheldp_PE said:


> My two favorites so far were:
> 
> - Delayed ignition of a vented fireplace (soft of a natural gas fired pot belly stove).  We filled the firebox up with natural gas, then hit the igniter.  Blew a fireball about 10 feet out the top and front of the fireplace.  The loss we were trying to re-create was a personal injury where the glass front of the fireplace blew out when the user was trying to light the fire.
> 
> - Pouring water on a grease fire.  We built a room out of 2x4's and drywall outside, put a stove in it, put a pan on one of the burners, put vegetable oil in the pan, heated the oil, ignited the oil, then poured a cup of water (attached to a long stick) into the pan.  The fireball was absolutely insane.  It went to the ceiling, then rolled out of the front of the room.  Everything above about 5 feet high would have been singed.


But I'm still okay to grab the pan and huck it out onto the driveway, right?


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## knight1fox3 (Sep 1, 2016)




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## wilheldp_PE (Sep 1, 2016)

csb said:


> But I'm still okay to grab the pan and huck it out onto the driveway, right?


Good luck.  I had a deposition with an ambulance chaser whose client did something like that.  She was claiming that the microwave somehow malfunctioned and ignited the pan of grease on the cooktop.  Turns out, the microwave still works like a champ and her insured is an idiot.


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## Dleg (Sep 2, 2016)

knight1fox3 said:


>


Good God.


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## Supe (Sep 7, 2016)

Dammit!  I keep getting banner ads for gas logs now thanks to this thread.


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## Audi Driver P.E. (Sep 8, 2016)

knight1fox3 said:


>


They needed to do something about those curtains anyway.


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## Dleg (Sep 29, 2016)

I got my propane fireplace working!

Following what I learned from Youtube and the internet, I cleaned the two thermopiles but that didn't do it.  I was getting ready to replace them, when I ran into the former owner of my house.  He asked me if I had gotten it working yet (it was called out on the engineering report, but I waived it in exchange for a price reduction). He said he had wanted to talk to me about it and a number of things but the realtors kept us separated the whole time.  The trick was to turn the gas control knob from the pilot to the on position very slowly.  That did the trick. When I would pop the knob out and turn it quickly, the pilot would go out, but when I did it slowly, it stayed lit and the main burner valve was then activated.  Works great now using the remote control, and just in time - first snow was yesterday.


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## kevo_55 (Sep 29, 2016)

^^Nice!!!

No snow here, but it is getting colder. I'm not ready to turn on the furnace just yet but we have been using our gas insert fireplace quite a bit already.

So worth the install!!


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## Dleg (Sep 29, 2016)

It is nice, even if it doesn't add all that much heat.  Last night we had it on, and to go between watching the flames indoors and the Aurora outdoors (at 33 degrees) was pretty nice.


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## jeb6294 (Sep 30, 2016)

I suppose it's time I head out back and start splitting the huge stack of wood in the back yard. A fireplace isn't the most efficient thing in the world, but it's kind of hard to argue when the fuel is free.


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## knight1fox3 (Nov 22, 2016)

knight1fox3 said:


> Although the install doesn't seem too involved, to @wilheldp_PE's point, it would give more peace of mind to have a professional do it I think. I spoke to a local retailer and gave them all the specs. They quoted me $750 for everything including the install. I also asked about vented vs. non-vented and he said since I already have a traditional fireplace with a chimney, I wouldn't realize the benefits of non-vented. This isn't something I plan to use all winter either. Probably only have it on weekends we are home and when people are visiting.
> 
> In addition to the concerns above, there's also some parts I'm unfamiliar with (see photo below). I assume this is some sort of regulator/diffuser? Can that just be taken off and then connected to whatever inlet assembly there is for the gas log? Assuming I can even remove it to begin with. It's looks pretty worn. Or do I leave the large part and just remove the gas tube? :dunno:


Just in time for Turkey day.


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## Supe (Nov 22, 2016)

Gas fireplace doors that OPEN?


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## Road Guy (Nov 22, 2016)

So did you install it yourself or puss out and pay some high school drop out / "professional" to do it?


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## knight1fox3 (Nov 22, 2016)

A little bit of both. The valve/regulator was easier than I thought. Just a #$%#@$ to initially crack loose.


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## Dleg (Nov 22, 2016)

knight1fox3 said:


> Just in time for Turkey day.
> 
> View attachment 8834


Do those doors close?  They look too big for the space.

Awesome, though.  Looks more "realistic" than my propane logs.


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## knight1fox3 (Nov 22, 2016)

Yep they close. This was originally a wood burner with gas start. I got sick of the wood and we don't use it as a primary source of heat so it was never getting used. This way I can at least turn it on and off and not have to mess around with it much anymore.


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## FLBuff PE (Nov 22, 2016)

Looks very similar to my setup. Watch your fingers on the open/close valve if you've had the fireplace on for awhile. That MF'er gets hot.


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## Ship Wreck PE (Nov 22, 2016)

Did you get it with the circulation fan under the box?


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## knight1fox3 (Nov 22, 2016)

Ship Wreck PE said:


> Did you get it with the circulation fan under the box?


Negative. This particular fireplace already has a circulation fan. Though the fireplace people told me that doesn't really do much. Similar to the external fan on an over-the-range microwave. LOL


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## Audi Driver P.E. (Nov 23, 2016)

Ship Wreck PE said:


> Did you get it with the circulation fan under the box?


I used to own a house that had one with no fan.  I always thought "WTF were they thinking?"


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## Ship Wreck PE (Nov 23, 2016)

I added a fan to mine.

There was a place directly under the fake logs for a fan.


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## Road Guy (Jul 21, 2017)

So we finally got around to crunching some numbers on these and getting quotes

Anyone want to guess what it costs to tap into the gas line and cut a hole in your house for the vent?

…….$800 bucks. Not as bad as I was expecting given the cost of other residential work.

The Gas Wood Stove is like $3 grand though (or at least the one the wife wants)

I’ve got to do some painting and put in some tile in the corner of the room where were adding this so I am hoping to have some pics for you all in a month or so. Wife is going on typical scope creep, now wants to add that barn wood stuff to the corner where the stove is going to go L


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## cement (Jul 25, 2017)

^ that barn wood looks nice, but isn't it sort of like kindling?


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## Road Guy (Jul 25, 2017)

at least home depot sells faux barn wood so maybe its slightly less flammable!

What sucks is that now I get to spend all weekend painting


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## Road Guy (Nov 5, 2017)

#soon..........


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## Dexman PE PMP (Nov 6, 2017)

Why does your fireplace need coax?


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## knight1fox3 (Nov 6, 2017)

Dexman PE PMP said:


> Why does your fireplace need coax?


In case they run out of wood, then they can stream a digital fire.


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## Road Guy (Nov 6, 2017)

That was already there-there's like one on every wall in the LR . Guess the previous owners were indecisive..

We're gonna put the stove in and see how it looks and figure out what to do behind it afterwards. So eventually it will get covered up...........

Wife (who is notoriously cheap) picked out like the most expensive one we looked at  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20">


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## kevo_55 (Nov 6, 2017)

^^LOL.


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## Road Guy (Nov 6, 2017)




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## Road Guy (Nov 6, 2017)

site is acting weird today... ^ -- but I think that's close to the one we bought, its cast iron but has a bronzed / look (extra$$)

They don't have these Bluetooth / wifi yet, but they have a remote thermostat so you can take it upstairs and turn the thing on before you get out of bed in the AM and have the room already toasty for biscuits and gravy


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## leggo PE (Nov 6, 2017)

Road Guy said:


> site is acting weird today... ^ -- but I think that's close to the one we bought, its cast iron but has a bronzed / look (extra$$)
> 
> They don't have these Bluetooth / wifi yet, but they have a remote thermostat so you can take it upstairs and turn the thing on before you get out of bed in the AM and have the room already toasty for biscuits and gravy


I'm still waiting for that biscuit recipe...


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## Road Guy (Nov 6, 2017)

get a large bowl, some self rising flour, and a stick of Crisco, and about a cup of water

you have to play with it @csb until it gets to a dough like consistency (start off with minimal water and use a fork to mix the flour and the Crisco)

paddy them out in your hands like you are making small hamburgers and put them on a cast iron pan in the oven @ 450 deg for around 15 minutes

after a dozen or so tries you will get the hang of it

&amp; that's the honest recipe my wifes grandma passed down (my moms was a Damn Yankee so she never made them)


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## Road Guy (Nov 6, 2017)

this method also works:


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## Dexman PE PMP (Nov 6, 2017)

From a heat output standpoint, I'd be worried about melting that coax box/wire/faceplate. Would definitely need some sort of heat shield over the top of it.


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## Road Guy (Nov 6, 2017)

I thought so as well but the specs say it only needs 5 IN of clearance to anything.. we plan to bury it whenever the wife gets through going through 10,000 ideas on pin interest to find the style she wants (for what goes one the wall eventually)

were having a "pro" install the stove and cut the hole in the side of the house, hopefully before turkey day..

I did win a small battle, we plan to 86 the carpet in this room but doing the basement I ran out of time / $$$ so she had wanted me to do all the floors and the tile for the stove before the stove came, but I was able to talk her into enjoying the stove for winter and well put in the 'wood' in the spring..


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## Dleg (Nov 6, 2017)

That looks nice. We stopped using our gas fireplace, because no one (WTF) delivers 100 lb propane cylinders in this town, and I don't want to risk running out of gas in the middle of winter and then having to borrow someone's truck to go get it replaced.

I'm going to make another attempt to get someone to deliver the propane. Holy crap is that too hard for Alaskan businesses??? Sometimes this place confuses me.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Nov 6, 2017)

You're in Alaska. Only foreigners need "heat", and real locals don't need anything beyond a good set of gloves.


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## User1 (Nov 6, 2017)

Road Guy said:


> I thought so as well but the specs say it only needs 5 IN of clearance to anything.. we plan to bury it whenever the wife gets through going through 10,000 ideas on pin interest to find the style she wants (for what goes one the wall eventually)
> were having a "pro" install the stove and cut the hole in the side of the house, hopefully before turkey day..
> I did win a small battle, we plan to 86 the carpet in this room but doing the basement I ran out of time / $$$ so she had wanted me to do all the floors and the tile for the stove before the stove came, but I was able to talk her into enjoying the stove for winter and well put in the 'wood' in the spring..


Wood. 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## knight1fox3 (Nov 7, 2017)

Dleg said:


> That looks nice. We stopped using our gas fireplace, because no one (WTF) delivers 100 lb propane cylinders in this town, and I don't want to risk running out of gas in the middle of winter and then having to borrow someone's truck to go get it replaced.
> 
> I'm going to make another attempt to get someone to deliver the propane. Holy crap is that too hard for Alaskan businesses??? Sometimes this place confuses me.


Have you tried Amazon.com for that? Don't forget to use the EB.com link if you do. 

:thumbs:


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## matt267 PE (Nov 7, 2017)

thejulie_PE said:


> Wood.


Morning.


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## csb (Nov 7, 2017)

knight1fox3 said:


> Have you tried Amazon.com for that? Don't forget to use the EB.com link if you do.
> 
> :thumbs:


Um...while Amazon will deliver 55 gallons of lube to your house, USPS prevents them from delivering 100 gallons of a flammable, explosive product.


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## Road Guy (Nov 7, 2017)

cant you have one of those "yuge" propane tanks installed at your house they refill?


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## csb (Nov 7, 2017)

I've had propane delivered via helicopter to a mountain top. 

(It was for a mountain AWOS. It just sounded cooler if I said it like that first.)


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## Dleg (Nov 7, 2017)

Road Guy said:


> cant you have one of those "yuge" propane tanks installed at your house they refill?


Yeah, I actually talked to someone about that, but I haven't pulled the trigger. It's a bit of an investment, and I am weighing how much i want to put into this house vs. how long I expect to be here.


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## Road Guy (Nov 7, 2017)

what does the rest of your house run on? (heat wise)  I wouldn't do it for just a fireplace.. I guess no Natural Gas there?


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## Dleg (Nov 7, 2017)

No natural gas. Our heating system runs off Number 2 heating oil. We have two 100# propane tanks that are used for the fireplace and our range. We went through one entire 100 pounder between the middle of October 2016 and August 2017. That included a modest amount of fireplace use. We're on the reserve tank now and I don't want to use it up before spring due to the delivery issue. The first time we ran out, I attempted to haul them to the propane place myself, horizontal in my 4 Runner. I won't do that again - plus the propane guys refused to fill them if I was transporting them that way (illegal).


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## Road Guy (Nov 7, 2017)

id put an actual wood stove  or convert the fireplace to an insert  that can burn pine and stock up on wood. probably be cheaper?


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## Dleg (Nov 7, 2017)

Cheaper money-wise but labor wise it's like another job. Nothing beats a real wood fire, though. I just won't spend the money on the retrofit that would be required - our gas fireplace install just wouldn't cut it for a wood burner.


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## knight1fox3 (Nov 7, 2017)

csb said:


> Um...while Amazon will deliver 55 gallons of lube to your house, USPS prevents them from delivering 100 gallons of a flammable, explosive product.


Ha! I remember that!

And it depends on the size of the canister you are purchasing/looking to ship. I've purchased butane canisters from Amazon before.


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## Road Guy (Nov 8, 2017)

Dleg said:


> Cheaper money-wise but labor wise it's like another job. Nothing beats a real wood fire, though. I just won't spend the money on the retrofit that would be required - our gas fireplace install just wouldn't cut it for a wood burner.


I have been talking to too many stove salesmen, but even if you have the cheapo builders grade fireplace, they can add a wood stove to it with basic modifications that in itself are not that expensive.  But the stoves seem to start at $2500 and then go up, the wood ones are actually more expensive than the gas ones..  I would think you could get it done for less than $3 grand. Of course you can buy a lot of propane for that.  I would probably just buy two of those 100# tanks..


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## Dleg (Nov 8, 2017)

Yeah, I'm stupid and until you mentioned it I hadn't thought about buying additional tanks to hold me through winter. Right now the two I have are actually piped in with a valve to switch between them. All I would have to do is put down a few blocks for a spare or two to rest on, then a strap or chain to keep them secure in an earthquake (had one of those last night!)


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## mudpuppy (Nov 8, 2017)

Dleg said:


> Yeah, I'm stupid and until you mentioned it I hadn't thought about buying additional tanks to hold me through winter. Right now the two I have are actually piped in with a valve to switch between them. All I would have to do is put down a few blocks for a spare or two to rest on, then a strap or chain to keep them secure in an earthquake (had one of those last night!)




My wife ran into this same issue with getting 100# tanks in Georgia and I had the same thing with the one I had for the garage heater in my old house.  I think the extra 100# tank idea is a good one, or you could look into getting a setup to hook up a 20# tank if you needed in a pinch.  We ended up doing that at my wife's house so they could do the inspection when we sold it.  Had to buy a separate regulator, though.  But it's a lot easier to fill/replace a 20# tank.

Now I have a 500 gallon tank that's only used for the clothes dryer, fireplace and garage heater.  I might have to get it filled every couple years at most.  The company only charges $10/year rental fee, but I have no idea how much they charged to install it.


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## Dleg (Nov 8, 2017)

Yeah I have 3 or 4 20 gallon tanks (inherited from people leaving, mostly) and those are easy to get replaced or refilled. That's another good idea - I could just replace one side of the dual tank valve system with a longer hose and a regulator that would fit the smaller tank. The only drawback is that I would run out more often and get that end-of-tank odorant smell in the house, which is always a little alarming.


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## jeb6294 (Nov 13, 2017)

Has anyone put any thought in to making a fireplace fan before? You can buy them but they’re $500+ for, what is basically, a fireplace grate made of hollow tubes with a fan on one end. The idea is that the fire heats the tubes and then the fan blows the hot air out into the room making your fireplace more efficient.  The fireplace does a good job of heating the family room, but it doesn’t do much for any of the rest of the house.


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## MA_PE (Nov 13, 2017)

I believe that most gas fireplaces have fans.


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## mudpuppy (Nov 13, 2017)

MA_PE said:


> I believe that most gas fireplaces have fans.


We've been in our new house for almost a year, and just yesterday I discovered our propane fireplace has a fan.  I took the grate off the front of it and saw the fan, but there's no control for it.  Just a cord to plug it into an outlet.  I think I'm going to buy a remote control outlet for it.


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## Supe (Nov 13, 2017)

Now I'm thinking I need to pop the grate off mine and look...


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## Dleg (Nov 13, 2017)

Ours has a remote that controls the fan as well as the flame -  three settings for each plus on and off.


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## Dexman PE PMP (Nov 13, 2017)

The one we had back in CO didn't have a fan. Several neighbors put in aftermarket fans on theirs to boost the output and they said it made a big difference.


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## Ble_PE (Nov 13, 2017)

Our gas fireplace evidently has a fan that automatically turns on once the fireplace has been lit for a period of time and it will stay on after you turn it off for a little while. I assume it's a thermostat controlled fan, but I really don't know. We had no idea it had a fan and my wife called me at work freaking out because the fireplace started making noise after it had been on for about 5 minutes. She was about to call 911 until I got her calmed down.


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## kevo_55 (Nov 13, 2017)

^^ Mine does the same thing. I think that it is a thermostat controlled.


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## snickerd3 (Nov 13, 2017)

Two big no-nos in my book...a fireplace of any kind, then a gas one if absolutely unavoidable.  I can't stand the smell of the gas fireplaces, fire pits, etc...


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## jeb6294 (Nov 13, 2017)

Because I said “fireplace”, not indoor gas grill.  Like a real live hole in the wall where you burn wood.  Apparently there are plenty of gas grills fireplaces that don’t have fans built in because almost all the DIY stuff I’ve found is putting together some old computer fans to add a blower to an existing fireplace.

There’s one guy trying to sell plans for $8 that is just some duct with a ‘puter fan on one end.  1) I’m not sure how much heat hvac duct can stand up to. 2)Since it’s routed through the fireplace, it’d have to be sealed up tight so it isn’t blowing CO and smoke into the room.


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## Dleg (Nov 14, 2017)

We had one of those blower tube fire rack things back in the 80s for a while. My Dad used it for maybe a year and then bought a real wood stove after that, and used me as labor to haul and split wood. After I was gone he switched over to a gas fireplace


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## jeb6294 (Nov 14, 2017)

When I was a kid, we had a Buck Stove fireplace insert.  That thing would crank out some serious heat.  The only problem is that the family room was only connected to the rest of the house by one 36" door.  Walk around in flannel in the whole house until you get to the family room and then strip down to shorts and a tee shirt.  I've seen a few of them for sale locally on CL or FB sites for a few hundred $$$.  Wonder how much someplace would charge to install one?

Fuel is no problem.  There are always plenty of trees down in the woods behind the house and the lawn tractor/wagon make hauling split wood up to rack pretty easy.  At mom's house, she got rid of the insert several years ago and put in gas logs.  I don't like it...stinks like gas in the family room all winter long now...but she can turn the fire on with a button so I guess I can't blame her since it's just her now.


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## Dleg (Nov 14, 2017)

^That's right!  It was a Buck Stove insert that we had. I forgot the name. 

Splitting firewood is awesome exercise and a manual skills builder for older kids.  Perhaps a little hazardous.


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## Road Guy (Nov 14, 2017)

If there was an actual supply of trees here I would totally get a wood stove (&amp; a log splitter) - gas is around .25/ hr and pellets is $1/HR. You can get wood here but it's pretty pricey and most of it's pine.

If I ever make it to the mountains then we'll do the wood stove...

Install is on the 23rd- just in time for turkey day and am looking forward to it!

Some days I think my wife is doing this just so she can put the little cast iron kettle on the stove with water to add smelly "things" and add moisture in the house during winter when it's 09% humidity (we have the gizmo on our HVAC that adds humidity also)


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## Dexman PE PMP (Nov 14, 2017)

Road Guy said:


> You can get wood here but it's pretty pricey and most of it's pine.
> 
> If I ever make it to the mountains then we'll do the wood stove...


With some planning, the wood is dirt cheap. If you have access to a truck &amp; trailer, a short drive up to a national park forest and you can get a chord of wood for $5-20 (varies by national park forest).

https://www.fs.fed.us/visit/know-before-you-go/tree-cutting

https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/psicc/passes-permits/forestproducts  (Pike National Forest is the one my parents use for firewood) 

Some areas allow you to take the beetlekill wood for free. 

You're correct in that it's all pine or aspen. Once dry the stuff burns like paper, so a traditional open-faced fireplace isn't very effective for heat. You'll burn through a chord in 24 hrs. You have to go with a woodstove that is almost fully-enclosed where you're effectively burning charcoal (fast initial flame burn, but then let the embers slow roast).


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## Dleg (Nov 14, 2017)

it's illegal to get firewood from a National Park, so I assume you mean a National Forest?


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## Dexman PE PMP (Nov 14, 2017)

Yep, meant forest. At least my links were correct. lol

post edited accordingly


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## Road Guy (Nov 14, 2017)

yeah pine burns so fast you almost need twice as much compared to oak. Plus then you have to clean out the chimney several times a year. Ill just pay the .25/ HR for now 

I used to be able to get a cord of oak split and delivered for around 100 bucks in Atlanta, but we have _too many_ trees...


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## Road Guy (Nov 22, 2017)

I have just now spent $4G's to ensure we will have global warming this winter- 

Now onto the wood floors!


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## Dleg (Nov 22, 2017)

Nice!


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## knight1fox3 (Nov 23, 2017)

Like it!!


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## Bot-Man (Nov 23, 2017)

I love my wood stove. Here in Syracuse wood is relatively cheap around $180 a cord for hardwood. Cut, split and delivered. I'm sure Colorado it would cost a small fortune. 

Don't forget the CO detector. Read a story about a guy that bought a CO detector, took it out of the box and started reading the instructions. He ended up just sticking the battery in it and leaving it on the kitchen table. He figured he would put it up in the morning. That night it went off and saved him and his family. Tragedy avoided.


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## MA_PE (Nov 23, 2017)

Very nice.  Looks toasty


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## Road Guy (Nov 23, 2017)

This is going to be worth its weight in gold- heats up almost all the downstairs and roasts the upstairs -we had to run it for10hours once it was turned on and had to open every window.....


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## Road Guy (Apr 23, 2018)

this shouldn't have taken an entire weekend? I failed to grab a pic once we moved the stove back, but I had to move a bunch of electrical and cable outlets so you didn't see them as much as before. ended up looking really nice!  we bought the mantles from a guy in Wisconsin that makes them out of old barnwood (so trendy!   ) they give it a nice touch... got started on the hardwood floors late sunday but was totally out of energy by then.... were going to stain them dark to match into the mantles and try and offset the light color stone some..

This is the 9th circle of pinterest hell!

These stone tiles are a major PIA, especially cutting the inside corners, have to match them up so there are not many gaps, they break easily and are generally categorized as level 3 FTS !

supposed to snow again tonight so defin needed the stove back in operation!


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## YMZ PE (Apr 23, 2018)

That looks fantastic!!


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## kevo_55 (Apr 23, 2018)

RG, when you're done with your whole engineering gig can I hire you to work on my house?

That looks great!


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## MA_PE (Apr 23, 2018)

looks very nice.  Did you get a cookie?


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## Ble_PE (Apr 23, 2018)

MA_PE said:


> looks very nice.  Did you get the nookie?


Fixt.


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## Road Guy (Apr 23, 2018)

clam


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