Convert Your Wood Burning Fireplace to Propane
On a cold day, there’s nothing like a fire in the fireplace. It not only warms the home, it warms the soul, inviting you to leave the day’s cares behind and get cozy.
But having to set up and maintain a wood burning fireplace can be a time-consuming and expensive chore. And if your fireplace is in a state of disrepair, using it can be dangerous.
There are many people who have faced these situations who have found a solution. They have converted their old wood-burning fireplaces to safe propane gas-burning fireplaces.
Why not consider joining them and add a propane fireplace to your home? If you need an incentive, get started now and you’ll be able to enjoy your brand new propane fireplace in time for the holiday season.
You might be wondering how much propane a fireplace would use. Here’s a simple answer: A propane fireplace uses about one gallon of propane per 100,000 BTU. So, if you are getting a propane fireplace that is rated 50,000 BTU, you’ll be using one gallon of propane every two hours your propane fireplace is operating.
When you consider the time and money you spend on a wood fireplace, you may find that propane is a much better deal for your home and your lifestyle.
Propane hearths: heat without the hassle
Today’s propane hearths bring you all the cozy warmth and comfort of a traditional wood burning fireplace, without most of the drawbacks and with some benefits you’ll never get from a wood fireplace.
You can get propane hearths in many forms. They’re available as freestanding stoves, built-in fireplaces and sealed fireplace inserts that can be directly installed in your existing mantle. That kind of flexibility lets you enjoy all the benefits of a propane fireplace, whether or not you have a fireplace already.
What are the advantages of a propane hearth or fireplace? Here are a few:
Convenience: A propane fireplace gives you the warmth, glow and comfort you want on-demand. No need to lug in wood, build a fire, and wait for it to get started. Most of today’s propane fireplaces come equipped with thermostats that let you control the heat output and flame intensity from the comfort of your couch.
Health effects: Wood smoke smells good, but it’s not that good for you. Fine particles (also called fine particulate matter) are the biggest health threat from wood smoke. These microscopic particles can cause serious problems with your respiratory system, raise the risk of heart attacks, and more. Using a propane fireplace lets you avoid these health risks.
Environmental impact: Did you know that burning wood produces about 28 pounds of smog-producing particulate emissions — the soot and ash — per MMBTUs (million BTUs) of heat output? Meanwhile, propane produces less than 1% of that amount. Do some good for the environment by switching your wood fireplace to propane, and shrink the carbon footprint of your New York home.
Efficiency: A propane fireplace operates at around 80 percent efficiency. It’s about four to five times more efficient than a wood fireplace.
Propane fireplace insert trends
A propane fireplace insert gives you all the efficiency, ease and convenience of a propane hearth, inside the attractive framework of an existing masonry fireplace. Here’s what else you get:
More realistic flames: Improved gas technology has created flames that flicker and dance, looking more like a real wood fire.
Adjustable heat: With a wood fireplace, you can’t control its heat levels. With a propane fireplace insert, you can fire it up on a cold winter day, or dial it down so it’s just enough to feel cozy on a crisp autumn day, with multi-stage temperature controls.
More sizes: Is your wood fireplace opening too narrow or small for a typical fireplace insert? Propane fireplaces with smaller inserts are becoming more common, so you, too, can enjoy the benefits of propane.
Smarter fireplace inserts: Propane fireplace inserts not only give you a fire in the fireplace on-demand, but can also be programmed to turn on and off at set times. They even have an option to let you program temperature settings for specific times of the day or night.
High-efficiency backup heat: With today’s energy-efficient propane fireplace inserts, you can get a better source of supplemental heat for your home than a wood fireplace.
Fireplace inserts with blowers: Do you have an open-concept living space? Do you have a large space to heat, like a rec room? We’ve got good news for you. Some propane fireplace inserts now come with multi-speed blowers. They push warm air out from in front of the fireplace to the far corners of the room for more even and comfortable heating.
Masonry fireplace refinishing: By adding a propane fireplace insert, you have the chance to update your existing masonry fireplace’s look to anything from sleek contemporary to modern farmhouse a la “Fixer Upper” without breaking the bank.
How to light a propane fireplace
One of the biggest advantages a propane fireplace offers is how fast, easy and work-free it is to get a roaring fire going. All you have to do is simply use a remote control or flip a switch.
Sometimes, however, the fire does not appear. Problems such as this often occur due to a lack of maintenance. We’ve got some troubleshooting tips for you.
If your fireplace has a conventional pilot light:
- Is the gas turned on? Find out by checking the main valve.
- If the gas is on and the pilot hasn’t been lit in several months, purge the air out of the pilot tubing. How do you do this? Hold the pilot button down for about two minutes while the air bleeds out of the tubing.
- If gas is coming out of the pilot but still won’t light, use a can of compressed air (like what you’d use to clean your computer keyboard) to clear away any gunk between the thermocouple and the igniter. If it doesn’t solve the problem, you may have a bad thermocouple. At that point, call in your local New York propane professional to make any needed repairs.
NOTE: Some of the newer propane fireplaces have electric igniters instead of the standing pilot lights. They’re great for efficiency, but they are not easy to repair for a DIYer. It’s best to call in the experts if you have this type of fireplace.
Need advice on propane fireplaces? Reach out to your local propane company. They’ll be glad to help!