Gas Logs for a Fireplace

For those who want the comfort of a wood fire, but don’t want to put up with the hassles of firewood, gas logs for a fireplace can be a great alternative. Most of these gas log fireplace inserts are equipped to use either propane or natural gas. This can be a simple and relatively inexpensive way to convert a wood burning fireplace to a gas fireplace.

Gas fireplace logs come in two basic types, vented and non vented.

Vented gas fireplace logs are made to be used with the flue damper open to vent the exhaust gasses outside, the same as you would with a wood burning fire. The advantage is that all exhaust gasses are vented outside instead of into your home. They also typically burn with a yellow flame that looks more like a realistic wood burning fire. This is done by having a flame that burns with less oxygen, which produces a less clean but more beautiful flame.

The disadvantage of vented gas logs is, not only does the exhaust get vented outside, so does much of the heat. This makes this type of fireplace inefficient for heating. Efficiency can be as low as 10% of heat actually radiating into your home, while the rest goes out the chimney.

Unvented gas logs are made to be used with the damper closed. Because they burn so clean, the exhaust can be vented directly into the home, the same as the flames in a gas cooking stove. Since the damper is closed, all the heat is retained, which makes this very efficient for heating your home. Efficiency rates can be up to 95%.

Although it may seem alarming to vent the exhaust into the home, the emissions produced are harmless water vapor and carbon dioxide in small enough quantities that they are well under federal guidelines. In some states they are banned (such as ban happy California) and some people may complain of odors, or triggering asthma. But compared to having a wood fire, or even a candle burning in a room, the emissions in the air will probably still be cleaner from this type of fireplace.

There can be concern with oxygen levels being depleted and carbon dioxide build up, but they come with oxygen sensors that will shut the system down well before levels of concern are ever reached. And this rarely if ever happens. It would have to be an extremely air tight room for dangerous levels to be reached. They are also designed to prevent any unburned gasses from entering the room if it is left on without a flame.

The main disadvantage to non vented or ventless logs for fireplaces is they don’t have the pretty yellow flames that the vented units do. These are traditionally used where heating is more important than looks. But some modern models are starting to have flames that look more realistic along with the glowing coals, while still burning clean. This is why this type of system is becoming increasingly popular now.

Gas logs for fireplace systems should be installed by a professional. They are easy to install into a fireplace, but they also require that gas lines be plumbed into the fireplace. This is where hiring a qualified plumber can save your home and the lives of you and your entire family. You might be able to save a couple hundred dollars by installing it yourself, but an improperly installed gas line that starts to leak could lead to a disastrous fire, explosion and likely both.

People sometimes ask me if you can still burn wood with the gas logs. Not if you value your life and your home.

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Wood Pool Heater

A wood pool heater will heat the water in your pool from a wood burning fire. This can be a great way to heat your pool if you have an abundant supply of firewood. With a wood fired pool heater you can save money since you won’t have to buy electricity or gas. It is also a relatively carbon neutral way to heat your pool.

Solar pool heaters are also a great and inexpensive way to heat a pool. But in many parts of the world, solar energy can be greatly limited in the colder times of the year, when more heat is actually needed.

A wood burning pool heater can be used as a supplement to your solar heater or as the only source of pool heating.

I am still looking for a good wood fired pool heater manufacturer. There are many videos on the net for home made pool heaters. Below is a video I found of a pool heater available in the UK. I am not sure if they are available in the US. The sound volume is poor so you will have to turn your sound up.

If you know a good source for wood burning pool heaters please post a comment below.

Fatwood Kindling

Fatwood kindling or fire starter is a name that comes form the South. It is made from the heartwood of pines that are naturally saturated with dried resin, also called pitch. Fatwood fire starter is much easier to light than regular wood, it even lights when it is wet. The resin in fatwood kindling will also burn much longer than regular wood kindling.

This wood often comes from stumps of trees or from logs from trees that died standing. Under the right conditions after a pine tree dies, the hartwood will fill up with resin, which eventually crystallizes and hardens. It’s also common in pine stumps. This wood is very resistant to rot and will usually last until it is burned. It is the same material that amber is made from. It is common for the sapwood to rot away from the fatwood and the fatwood will be all that is left of the tree or stump.

It only takes a small amount of fatwood kindling to get a fire started. You can light a piece of fatwood fire starter directly with a match or lighter, no paper is needed. Some people like to cut shavings off of it with a knife to make it even easier to light. I like to break a piece in half while twisting both ends in opposite directions. This sometimes makes it splinter and the splinters are even easier to light.

Soapstone Firebrick

For Fireplaces Wood Stoves and Cooking Ovens

Soapstone firebrick is an inexpensive way to transform your wood stove, fireplace or cooking oven into a more efficient and comfortable heating unit. Soapstone is not only a beautiful stone for carving, it also has properties that make it an excellent material for firebrick. Soapstone is a dense non porous stone that is resistant to heat and chemicals. It is very durable under high heat and is known for its ability to retain heat and radiate it over a long period of time even after the fire has gone out.

A firebox lined with soapstone firebricks will tend to reach higher temperatures than traditional ceramic firebrick. This high temperature environment creates a more complete and efficient burn which converts more of your wood into heat while producing less smoke and creosote.

Soapstone has an exceptional ability to absorb this intense firebox heat and slowly radiate it into the room over a long period of time. This heat can still be radiating into your room up to 12 hours after the fire goes out. This creates an even and more comfortable heat instead of the too hot one minute and too cold the next which is typical of wood heat.

Soapstone firebrick is also an excellent material for lining pizza ovens, cook tops, cook stoves, and all kinds of masonry ovens and wood fired cooking ovens.

Get soapstone firebrick and other soapstone products from Southern Oregon Soapstone.

The Purpose of Fireplace Firebrick and Wood Stove Firebrick

Fireplace Firebrick and Wood Stove Firebrick

Fireplace firebrick is used to line the firebox of steel and cast iron fireplaces and wood stoves. Over time, exposure to the heat and chemicals from combustion can erode the metal on the inside of the firebox. The bricks help to protect the metal walls from the intense heat from the fire. The firebrick lining also acts as an insulator which increases the temperatures inside the combustion chamber for more complete combustion. This increases efficiency and lowers emissions.

Over time the firebricks, also called refractory bricks, can wear down crack and eventually fall apart. Replacement firebricks can be purchased to easily restore the inside of your wood stove or fireplace, which costs much less than replacing the whole unit.

Also consider Soapstone Firebrick. Discover this natural stone’s exceptional durability and its ability to absorb and radiate heat over a long period of time.

What is the Purpose of a Chimney Cap?

There are several functions of a chimney cap. You may already know that an obvious one is to keep the rain and snow out of your chimney. But do you know why it is important to keep water out of your chimney? Chimney caps will cost a little money in the beginning but can save you a lot of money and potential headaches in the long run.

Keeping Your Chimney Dry

You may think there is no need to keep the rain and snow out of your chimney because the heat from the fire will quickly evaporate any water that gets inside. This can be true if you keep your fire hot all the time. But in most cases people don’t keep their fire going 24 hours a day 365 days a year and at some point it is going to get very wet inside a chimney.

Over time water can be damaging to a chimney, especially if it is masonry. Both brick or tile chimneys will absorb water. When you don’t have a fire the inside of a chimney isn’t exposed to the sun and wind so it can stay wet inside for a long time. This can start to damage the masonry over time with extreme temperature changes that happen inside a chimney. When you build a fire and get a sudden extreme temperature change a wet flue can be more likely to crack. In cold weather the water can freeze which can break apart masonry.

A metal liner may be less susceptible to water damage but with some materials like galvanized steel the water can lead to rust. The extreme heat and the chemicals in the smoke and creosote mixed with water can create an environment for corrosion. Not only for your chimney liner but your stove or fireplace can fill with water and the ashes inside can hold moisture for a long time. In one big rain storm I had a stove fill up with water and run out all over the hearth which made a wet ashy mess. The wet ashes and creosote can also produce odors.

Keeping Animals out of Your Chimney

Birds, squirrels, raccoons, rats, mice, cats, all these animals can find their way into an open chimney. Some of them can find their way in and then become trapped and die. In most cases you probably won’t know they are there until the odour pervades your home.

Sometimes birds will build a nest inside your chimney and that will plug it up and the nest will have to be removed before you can build a fire.

I knew a woman who had honey bees build a large hive inside her chimney. She figured that out after she noticed a constant buzzing coming from her wood stove and noticed swarms of bees flying in and out of her chimney. It was kind of funny, most people have smoke coming out of their chimneys but she had bees coming out of hers.

Spark Arrestors Could Save Your Home

Chimney caps with spark arrestors have a screen that is designed to block sparks from coming out of your chimney and starting a fire. Sparks can ignite a roof, walls, or nearby objects such as trees, shrubs and can start wildfires. In some areas a spark arrestor is required by local building codes. Spark arrestors come in different size mesh screens. Some areas like California require a minimum mesh size so check with your local building codes.

Chimney Caps Can Help Prevent Downdrafts

Some chimney cap models are designed to keep air from sinking down your chimney which is called a downdraft. A downdraft can bring cold outside air into your home when your stove or fireplace is not in use. Or when it is in use it can cause smoke to flow into your home instead of out the chimney.

Wood Burning Soapstone Stoves

Wood burning soapstone stoves are not only beautiful, they also last longer and radiate heat longer than stoves made from traditional materials like iron or steel. Soapstone has been known for centuries for its ability to retain and radiate heat, this makes soapstone a perfect material for wood stoves and fireplaces.

Soapstone has a high thermal capacity so it absorbs heat from the fire and can continue radiating heat for hours after the fire has gone out. Some soapstone stoves can still radiate heat up to 12 hours after the fire has gone out. With a wood burning soapstone stove you will be able to let the fire go out at night or while you are away and the stone will still be radiating heat.

Soapstone radiates an even comfortable heat that you can sit next to. Soapstone eliminates the constant fluctuations in intensity of heat that you get from a traditional stove where one minute it is too hot and the next it is too cold.

Soapstone is a natural metamorphic rock created deep in the earth through intense heat and pressure. Soapstone is unusually stable and can withstand the intense heat from fire and sudden temperature changes. Soapstone stoves will last for many years without eroding and corroding from the heat the way a metal and ceramic fire brick in a traditional stove will.

Wood burning soapstone stoves are made of thick slabs of this natural stone that directly form the firebox. The stone lasts much longer than metal or fire bricks and directly absorbs the heat from the flames to slowly radiate it into your home through its beautiful polished surface.

Wood burning soapstone stoves not only radiate heat into the room, they also radiate heat back into the fire box. The inside of the fire box of a soapstone stove reaches much higher temperatures than a metal stove. This high heat creates a more efficient and complete burn. This converts more of the wood into heat and also makes for a cleaner burning fire. Smoke is unburned fuel particles and when they go out your chimney it is wasted energy. With the intense heat inside a soapstone stove, the smoke and organic gases are burned before they can escape. This way the smoke is converted into heat to heat your home instead of being released out the chimney to pollute the air.

Soapstone is a beautifully grained rock with naturally formed patterns. Unlike metal stoves which deteriorate over time, soapstone will maintain its natural stone look.

Learn more about soapstone and buy raw soapstone from Southern Oregon Soapstone.

 

Ecofan Heat Powered Wood Stove Fan

Here is a great device that is is both useful as well as a great conversation piece. The Ecofan heat powered wood stove fan uses the heat from your wood stove to power its fan. The heat powered fan can move up to 100 cubic feet per minute of warm air from your stove throughout the room to help evenly distribute heat. By circulating the warm air away from your stove and into your living space, your stove will be more efficient because you won’t have to keep it as hot in order to make your room feel comfortable. This will save you money by burning less firewood or gas.

Ecofan heat powered wood stove fan comes already assembled. Simply place it on the top of your stove and when the stove reaches at least 150ºF (65°C) it will automatically generate its own electricity and start circulating air. This temperature is easy to reach since wood stoves typically operate well above that temperature. The hotter it gets the faster the fan will operate. Ecofan is 100% self contained, has no power cord and uses no batteries.

Ecofan heat powered gas stove fans are also available.

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How Ecofan Works

Ecofan works by using a thermocouple to generate electricity. In order to work, its base which must be in contact with the top of your stove at a minimum of 150ºF (65°C) and the top of the fan must be cooler than the base. This is easy to accomplish by placing the fan close to the back or side of the stove where cooler air from the room can circulate over the top of the fan.

As heat from the base travels through the Ecofan to the cooling fins on top, it passes through a semiconductor thermocouple device that generates an electric current. When two dissimilar conductors or semiconductors are joined together they can create an electric current as heat passes from one to another.

This electric current is then used to power the motor that turns the fan. As the heat powered fan blows hot air away, cooler air moves in to replace it and passes over the cooling fins on top of the fan. This continues to maintain the temperature difference between the base and the top.

What are the Advantages of Ecofan?

  • Saves energy and money by making your stove more efficient
  • Makes your room feel more comfortable by circulating warm air away from the stove and into your living space
  • Ultra quiet operation
  • 1 year manufacturers warranty
  • Zero operating cost, generates its own electricity
  • Comes pre-assembled and ready to use
  • Comes with carbon neutral shipping
  • Makes an excellent conversation piece

The FTC will get very angry if we don’t inform you that if you purchase any product from any of the Ecofan links above, we will receive a commission.