re: Ventless vs. vented gas fireplace

quote:

---

Mine smells awful as well. Gives everyone in the house a headache. Really frustrating because I’d love to use it.

---

Mine only smells when I first start using it when cold weather season hits.

quote:

---

That smell is probably dust burning off that has collected on the logs all summer

---

I pulled all my logs out this fall and washed them in the sink. You wouldn't believe how nasty they were.

Our ventless also had a strong gas smell too. We found that about 4-6 of the holes was not lighting due the rock wool covering them. We rearranged the wool and it made a difference.

quote:

---

My best friend swears his vented gas fireplace takes heat out of the house

---

He's probably dead on. Our houses aren't that weather-tight and cold air is being pulled in from the outside around doors, windows, every electrical outlet and switch box to feed a vented gas fireplace. You have negative pressure and cold air is definitely going to be coming in. Not much different that a traditional fireplace. Rooms with an outside wall can get really cold.

Solution is to bring in outside air to feed the fireplace. We have a wood burning fireplace and it has a brick sized outside feed with a metal swing door.. Just open it when we have a fire and we don't have any issues. Start a fire without opening it and walk into one of the exterior rooms and you get reminded very quickly to go open the feed vent.

I lost power last week for several days in the winter storm in Tennessee and my ventless fire place kept the 3,800 sq ft house warm enough to live in it when it was sub-freezing outside, dropping to well below 0 wind chill at times.

Things are beasts at heating. In the main area by the fireplace, which includes the kitchen and dining room, it was keeping the space above 60 degrees. Absolute beast.

quote:

---

Mine only smells when I first start using it when cold weather season hits.


Same. Dust/hair from dogs, etc. burning off.

---

Just before I start to use my fireplace next year I plan on removing the logs and cleaning them.

Mine looks more like the bottom and I'd imagine it would put off more heat. It's recessed in firebricks (or whatever you call them), etc. The top one looks more like a decorative fireplace moreso than a heat generator. But I'd ask an expert in your area. I'm sure there's a heat output metric.

I put a nice Restoration Hardware screen in front of mine and it makes it look much nicer. And you can't really tell it's a fake fire as much through the additional layer.

We're adding on to our house and I'm going to put a wood burning fireplace in the new addition, but just for nostalgia/fun. Our ventless will continue to be the heat workhorse.

quote:

---

Just before I start to use my fireplace next year I plan on removing the logs and cleaning them.

---

I recommend cleaning them every year with compressed air. Remember, they have to be stacked back again the same way, so take a picture before you disassemble the pile.

quote:

---

Any ideas who does this work in Baton Rouge

---

You’re gonna have to get a number of different companies to complete all of that. Your local chimney sweeps seem to have a good bit of local knowledge..I would call one.

I see a business called Woodburners Inc. that is a Monessen gas log dealer, so they can probably sell, install, and service the logs. You’ll have to get a local bricklayer to do all of that masonry work,

I converted wood burning to ventless gas logs by just closing the flue and having logs installed. A couple of years ago I had a cap put on my chimney, because some birds were nesting in there.