For Nat. gas consumers....what per therm rate are you finding?

Any opinions on propane fireplaces? Or the cost efficiency of converting traditional fireplaces into propane/gas? We don't have gas lines in the area, so that's why I've thought of propane. We could put a tank in the crawl space under the family room.

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Current:
2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles.

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's).

Past:
2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13.
1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07.
1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06.
1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver.

I think it depends on the fireplace. We have two fireplaces, both wood-burning, but fitted with gas logs. They're mostly decorative, as I'm guessing a majority of the heat goes up the flue.

I would explore running a gas line prior to having a propane tank.

Yeah, most of the heat in ours goes straight up the chimmney too. Plus it sucks the rest of the heat out of the house.
We don't have gas in the neighborhood, so running gas lines isn't an option. So I think our two best options are a wood burning stove insert or propane.

__________________

Current:
2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles.

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's).

Past:
2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13.
1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07.
1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06.
1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver.

Most modern type fireplaces are highly inefficient. Rumford style fireplace are the probably the most efficient and maybe you can convert yours to that style , many people have. In the long run you may be right though and get some type of insert. http://rumford.com/ Rumford fireplaces are tall and shallow to reflect more heat, and they have streamlined throats to eliminate turbulence and carry away the smoke with little loss of heated room air.
Rumford fireplaces were common from 1796, when Count Rumford first wrote about them, until about 1850. Jefferson had them built at Monticello, and Thoreau listed them among the modern conveniences that everyone took for granted. There are still many original Rumford fireplaces - often buried behind newer renovations-throughout the country

Converting: http://rumford.com/rumfordization1.html

performance: http://rumford.com/performamce.html
An open fire radiates at about 16 times more energy than the same fire would produce behind glass doors.

I've been heating with wood for the last 20+ years. 'Course "heating" here in Tucson is a lot different than you Northerners experience.

Double glazed windows, 2" foam sheeting under an inch and a half layer of stucco, 12 inches of insulation in the attic does make a bit of difference.

We have a DutchWest wood stove which is probably the most efficient and cleanest stove available (uses a catalytic element in the flue) and a cord of wood lasts about three years.

We've got a natural gas furnace which was last turned on in 1984.

Our house is very well insulated which helps. The original owner of my house was an electrician. Our house has 42 light switches for some reason.

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For the unSaved, this world is the best it will ever get.

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If you are burning wood you might want one of these. The Bobcat one is pretty impressive.


http://55tools.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-01-06T04%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=1

My dad used to, not totally but he had a good wood furnace that would do about 70% and it made hot water too.

Its a PITA though, my job when I was little was to fill the basement every Saturday from the wood pile with the wood needed for the following week. Which I hated, than you had to feed it.

IMHO its nice to know it can be done if you had to, and its not the end of the world.

We used to carry about a 1/2 cord in his F150 all the time with no ill affects. The truck would be loaded until it just about ran out of suspension travel.

__________________
2006 CL500
2009 C300 4matic
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Around $1.01 a therm currently....pretty cheap. Thats not even half the price of heating oil!

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Does your provider allow you to lock the rate cheaper? (12, 18, 24 mo.) Natural gas retailers were deregulated some years ago here, competition is finally kicking in (it seems).

I was paying what you pay two years ago. When I signed up for a 12 mo. deal, they dropped it to $.819/therm. My new rate of $.599 took effect in mid-Dec. after I re-upped.

You can use this to compare the cost of different fuels , just plug in your numbers: http://www.blaschakcoal.com/heating_home.htm

Sounds familiar! My 2 boys are tasked with keeping the wood crib filled and I hear the PITA comment quite often. It builds character though

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1984 300TD 1981 240D

I suppose this is showing my age but I remember having to stoke the coal furnace in the mornings (grew up in Indianapolis). Hated it at first until I realized the first place to get warm was standing right in front of the furnace door. That lasted for just a few minutes until the dreaded voice from upstairs (the furnace was in the basement, I wasn't receiving messages from "on high"), "Close the door, the draft isn't pulling"!