Gas(LP) fireplace

D

DaleT

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 16, 2002
Messages
469
Well here's my situation. I recently purchased a new home. The square footage is appx 2200. Of that about 800 is heated using a small furnace and 2 vented gas log fireplaces. Marco model 792850. I can't for the life of me find an owners manual for these online anywhere. So I guess that my first problem. Anyone have any ideas where I could find one? The best I can tell Lennox now owns Marco.

Second, from what I have been able to glean from searches is model 792850 is a wood burning fireplace, obviously with a gas insert (if that info is true). My current debate is whether to convert it back to wood burning or leave it as a gas burning unit. I know the obvious work involved in hauling/chopping/stacking firewood. What I'm curious to is what I would need to do with the firebox itself. Are there any clearance/construction issues to be concerned with? If this unit was installed originally as a gas unit could the chimney have been constructed not to support the use of wood as a fuel?

Any and all opinions would be extremely helpful.

Thanks,

Dale
 
dr_bowtie

dr_bowtie

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 4, 2009
Messages
281
Re: Gas(LP) fireplace

if you are considering burning wood then replace it with a boiler...

with burning wood you have to burn a lot to get it hot enough to heat a larger space....

with a wood burning water boiler...you dont need as much wood and water temps only in the 160-180deg range and it will heat the whole house on less than a wheel borrow of wood a day...

I built my own boiler and I heated a 4,800sq ft home for 40.00 per month this way...dont have the home but still have the boiler.very simple to build if you can get the steel and can weld..
 
R

rbh

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 21, 2009
Messages
7,939
Re: Gas(LP) fireplace

A couple of things come to mind, first check you chimney, they may have put a liner in it for the gas insert.
we burn wood all the time except if we go away for the weekend then its the electric baseboards, I do love the heat you get from wood "dry and hot"
as well as you are in the detroit area, you probably remember a few storms that took out the power for a few days and with wood unlike the new gas furnaces/fireplaces, you dont need no power.
but you will need a good old kettle to put some moisture back into the air
and if it is an air tight style make sure you have a good cold air feed to it:)
rob
 
Tubingluvr

Tubingluvr

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 23, 2007
Messages
426
Re: Gas(LP) fireplace

DaleT said:
Well here's my situation. I recently purchased a new home. The square footage is appx 2200. Of that about 800 is heated using a small furnace and 2 vented gas log fireplaces. Marco model 792850. I can't for the life of me find an owners manual for these online anywhere. So I guess that my first problem. Anyone have any ideas where I could find one? The best I can tell Lennox now owns Marco.

Second, from what I have been able to glean from searches is model 792850 is a wood burning fireplace, obviously with a gas insert (if that info is true). My current debate is whether to convert it back to wood burning or leave it as a gas burning unit. I know the obvious work involved in hauling/chopping/stacking firewood. What I'm curious to is what I would need to do with the firebox itself. Are there any clearance/construction issues to be concerned with? If this unit was installed originally as a gas unit could the chimney have been constructed not to support the use of wood as a fuel?

Any and all opinions would be extremely helpful.

Thanks,

Dale
Click to expand...

First thing you need to do is verify that what you have WAS originally a wood burning fireplace.
Free standing wood burning fireplace are double wall construction and most gas burning models are not or there is not much space between the 2 walls.
You also need either double wall stovepipe or an insert designed for wood burning.
Also note that free standing wood burning fireplaces are relatively inexpensive.
I just installed a used one in my living room last year and bought both for $150, the guy told me "buy one and get one free"
The second one didn't have the mesh curtain or glass doors and I turned around and sold it for $80.
 

Attachments

  • fireplace.jpg
    fireplace.jpg
    5.5 KB · Views: 0
W

wajajaja02

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 21, 2008
Messages
667
Re: Gas(LP) fireplace

an OUT door wood boiler is great, but probably not allowed in city limits. i live on a farm and grandfathered or it would not be allowed. a propane fireplace way too expensive to use for heat , only good for romance. same for wood fire place. you might want to bring in a heating contractor and get a opinion and learn what you got and how to use it best.
 
D

DaleT

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 16, 2002
Messages
469
Re: Gas(LP) fireplace

Thanks guys.

Moved about 45 miles north of Detroit now, back in a more rural area, so nights are a little cooler. Just trying to figure a way to save a little cash on the operating expenses. Still looking at options on the whole scenario so all ideas are certainly welcome.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top