Use of Gas Logs during the night? and as a sole heat source..

[Stevey Sandlin]

I was thinking of getting some gas logs since my utility bills are so high. I have some gas logs that look good but give out little to no heat.

I was wondering if anyone used VENTLESS GAS LOGS to heat their entire home and if so, did they go to sleep with it on? I guess I am a bit paranoid, even though my grandparents use to use an open flamed heater for their only heat source. I am sure it was not ventless, but they never had a window open and it didn't kill them.

However, I have taken care of people that had CO2 poisoning or respiratory distress from using Kerosene.

My plan was to use the Ventless logs to heat up the den which is the main room in the house. It is at the base of the stairs so the heat should flow to the upstairs. I don't know if it would work or not. My current set of logs uses a lot of gas with little heat output. I compared them to a set of Ventless logs (at a FOAFOAF house) and their ventless logs heated a room the size of my den in under 3 mins. My logs will not even heat the room ( but they do look nice.)

I also have an air intake in the side of my fireplace. Would it be a good idea to keep it open with ventless logs or is it not needed.

Any advice, both practical and academic would be most appreciated.

SS

[Edwin Pawlowski]

What does the manufacturer say about them? You certainly won't hear me give you the OK not knowing the specifics of the logs and their ratings.

Any advice on using a product we know nothing about is dumb and potentially dangerous. Refer to the manufacturer.

What is going to take pace that will save you money? What is the fuel for your central heat now? Why will this save anything? It may end up costing you more.

There are a few reasons to use the gas logs. They look pretty They heat the room you are occupying while the rest of the house is kept cooler They can usually still be used if there is a power failure

Gas logs are not designed to heat an entire house. Ventless are usually very efficient compared to a furnace, but they have drawbacks, like uneven distribution. They are not designed for the use you intend.

[kevin]

Maybe this is a silly question... but how will getting *gas* logs help with your utility bills? Do you get free gas?

If not, then just get a gas furnace. It will be safer, easier to use, more convenient, and more comfortable. Not to mention your primary goal: much much more efficient use of your utility bill than a gas log will ever be.

If your gas bills are too high, then throw out that horribly inefficient, decorative gas log, and look into local prices for kerosene, fuel oil, firewood, coal, etc. You may find by asking around that, for example, firewood or coal could be cheaper, and you could look into getting a woodstove or coal furnace.

=Kevin

[hallerb]

saving money is awesome, but you must keep all parts of the home with water and sewer lines above freezing.

plus frozen plaster can fall apart bad.

if you try heating with ventless do buy a couple carbon monoxide detectors and low oxygen alarms.

plus you need fresh air intake at all times.

might be better to upgrade homes insulation...........

[Joseph Meehan]

Note: modern gas furnaces are very efficient, I don't think you could call whatever those logs could do as very efficient compared to a modern high efficiency furnace.

I would not be comfortable using them for that use.

[spamTHISbrp]

I have ventless gas logs (propane) and consider them to be relatively safe for a fuel burning appliance that vents into the room, but I will not use them while sleeping or while no-one is in the room, or no one in the house.

They are finicky enough that I would not recc. using them as the sole heat source.

What's nice is that they are 100% efficient, and in our case the mosture they put in the air is desirable.

Give me a few years to make the house airtight and better insulated, and my opinion might change a bit though.

Dave