# Faux Fireplaces and Wood Stoves.



## Remy (Jan 13, 2021)

I read mixed reviews on these. Some people say they go out in a year or two. I owned a house with a fireplace and never used it. They scare me actually. 

I know the actual fire part is just ambience and they are essentially a heater which blows out of the units. But it would be my alternative as I don't have and never would use the real thing. 

Speaking of ambience, I searched the TV for the "Yule Log" on Christmas Eve and didn't find it. I usually have it on for a time..


----------



## Ceege (Jan 13, 2021)

I have a faux fireplace in my living room and a faux wood burning stove in my dining room.  I use the one in the living room so I can keep my gas heat turned down a little in the winter.  The one in the dining room came in handy a couple of years ago when my gas furnace quit and needed a new part.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jan 13, 2021)

We have real fireplaces up and down, our upstairs is gas, the one downstairs is still wood, but we plan on converting it to gas sometime this year or early next year.

I've seen some really wonderful faux fireplaces that look real and cast a lot of heat. I don't know how reliable they are (as in built to last), but some sure do look pretty.


----------



## MarciKS (Jan 13, 2021)

One of the nursing homes I applied to here once had a faux fireplace. I sat down and next thing I know the boss had to wake me so I could get to my FT job. LOL


----------



## Jeweltea (Jan 13, 2021)

We have a faux fireplace in our sun room (which doesn't have central heat). I like it. It really heats up that room and looks nice.


----------



## Keesha (Jan 13, 2021)

We have a real wood stove that uses real wood that needs to be cut and split. Yes it creates a lot more dust in the house but the smell and comfort of a REAL fire is like nothing else.


----------



## Jeweltea (Jan 13, 2021)

We also have 2 regular fireplaces that use wood. We don't use them much.


----------



## Don M. (Jan 13, 2021)

We had a wood fireplace when we lived in the city.  It was nice, but a bit of a mess when cleaning the ashes.  A pellet stove "insert" would be a better option, IMO.  Now, living in the country, with a huge forest, we have an outdoor wood furnace which cuts our winter heating bills by half or more, and all the mess stays outdoors.


----------



## officerripley (Jan 14, 2021)

I'd love to have one of those faux fireplaces instead of the pellet stove insert we have (the insert is a lot of work, you have to constantly clean the darn glass door of it, almost as much dust as a regular fireplace, etc.). Unfortunately, I've heard that only the gas faux fireplaces really put out enough heat to make it worthwhile and we're only electric or "bottled" gas in our area and the "bottled" gas is even more expensive to use than electric.


----------



## Remy (Jan 14, 2021)

Thanks for your replies everyone. I don't think anything heats like real wood as long as you have the wood stove or insert. But it's not practical for me. I appreciate hearing other's experiences and perspectives.

When I moved into that house, it had ashes in the fireplace so I know it worked. I shoveled, swept, then vacuumed it out and never used it.


----------



## squatting dog (Jan 14, 2021)

Keesha said:


> We have a real wood stove that uses real wood that needs to be cut and split. Yes it creates a lot more dust in the house but the smell and comfort of a REAL fire is like nothing else.


Bingo.


----------



## old medic (Jan 15, 2021)

The main reason we didnt just burn this place down was the fireplace and chimney


----------



## Happy Joe (Jan 23, 2021)

I really like the ambience of a fireplace;
Received a (large) fireplace insert (free from a commercial rehab job; couldn't find a place where it would fit the wall space... recycled it.
Received a quite nice cast iron Franklin stove from a home renovation job; needed a remodel of our main floor to install it; recycled.
Got a table top alcohol fireplace; worked fairly well, fuel is relatively spendy and sometimes gives off fumes... It wil likly go to the thrift shop after the last case of alcohol runs out.

Recieved a couple of cases of free, gelled, fake fireplace fuel; it makes a great fire starter for camp fires (one teaspoon is enough...)

Thought hard about a small fake fireplace for the tent (camping) , but got a propane heater instead.   Might make a wood surround/facade so that it looks more like a fireplace; someday).
Picked up a portable propane firepit to use camping during light-intermediate fire bans... it works ok... faked out a passing Ranger; made him feel & look silly

...Still (mostly) fireless at home...

Enjoy!


----------



## dobielvr (Jan 23, 2021)

I have a big brick fireplace.  Wood and gas needed.  I've been smoking up the house...I realized I  need a chimney sweep guy.  They're kinda expensive.  Last time I used one they charged me $80.  Now I've seen where they want between $100-300.


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jan 23, 2021)

dobielvr said:


> I have a big brick fireplace.  Wood and gas needed.  I've been smoking up the house...I realized I  need a chimney sweep guy.  They're kinda expensive.  Last time I used one they charged me $80.  Now I've seen where they want between $100-300.


Invest in a quality chimney flue brush and have a family member scale a ladder and do it for you, Dob.

I'm sickened by the atrocious dollar figures I'm seeing lately. Blatant theft.


----------



## Jules (Jan 24, 2021)

We bought a fake fireplace for the basement.  High quality.  Used it a few times for three years and then it quit.  DH bought the part to fix it and couldn’t do it.  At least it looks nice sitting there.


----------



## Remy (Jan 29, 2021)

Jules said:


> We bought a fake fireplace for the basement.  High quality.  Used it a few times for three years and then it quit.  DH bought the part to fix it and couldn’t do it.  At least it looks nice sitting there.


That's terrible and what I'm worried about. I've read such mixed reviews on them. I'm sorry you had this experience.


----------



## JonDouglas (Feb 6, 2021)

We had a wood burning fireplace in the den and master bedroom of our last house.  After 30 some years of chasing, cutting and splitting firewood, we converted the downstairs fireplace to gas, which is what we have in our current, downsized place.  The one we have now, though, is suffiently realistic to fool some people until they get up real close.  I miss the smell of a real wood fire but not the dust, dirt and work.







I should note that we sold a lot of stuff when we downsized, some of which helped pay for the fireplace addition to the new place.  It was/is worth it in the winter and should last longer than we will.


----------



## Lewkat (Feb 6, 2021)

My parents had a walkin fireplace in the kitchen and my mom kept her stock pot on a ledge that was built on the side of it.  It was thoroughly cleaned every summer and the chimney sweep did a marvelous job keeping it immaculate.


----------

