Electric Fireplace Insert/Log Set - Your Ideas Please

[BBL]

Hello guys.....

Anyone out there have a Opti-Myst Electric Fireplace Insert/Log Set in an repurposed fireplace (water pan in back produces vapor resembling sparks)?

Example from eb: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dimplex-28-...Pf5g:rk:1:pf:0

Pros/Cons? My concern would be vapor adding to indoor humidity in my area of the country.


Your alternative recommendations for as close to natural burning logs as possible are welcome.
I have no chimney for two fireplaces. It is because the building contractor years ago took radical shortcuts for the fireplaces' exhaust, instead of building a traditional chimney, he installed metal pipes with no dampers for gas fireplace... unbelievable that this passed inspection 30 years ago. It appears that the fireplaces were not used for possibly a few minutes for obvious reasons.

Thank you. I value input from members.
DM

[superdog]

I wish I could help.

We are going ventless and just learning about the vapor issues now.

[mfer]

I had real fireplaces in my last two homes. This one has the instant on gas ones and they never get used. Nothing on the market compares to a real fireplace. I wouldn’t waste money one one and just keep your old fireplace as it is. It will always just look fake.

Seth, you are right about ventless. Vapor issues are real. Had one in a basement once. Could never use it for any amount of time before it felt like a damp towel.

[G8RDPM]

Wish I could help. We have 3 gas fireplaces,all vented. They give minimal heat.
Prior House was ventless. Much better for heat.

DM,you and Seth need carbon monoxide detectors!

[superdog]

Originally Posted by mfer

I had real fireplaces in my last two homes. This one has the instant on gas ones and they never get used. Nothing on the market compares to a real fireplace. I wouldn’t waste money one one and just keep your old fireplace as it is. It will always just look fake.

Seth, you are right about ventless. Vapor issues are real. Had one in a basement once. Could never use it for any amount of time before it felt like a damp towel.

Wow.

I wonder if a dehumidifier will help with that.

[superdog]

Originally Posted by G8RDPM

Wish I could help. We have 3 gas fireplaces,all vented. They give minimal heat.
Prior House was ventless. Much better for heat.

DM,you and Seth need carbon monoxide detectors!

Agree. Will def install extra to be safe.

[mfer]

Originally Posted by superdog

Wow.

I wonder if a dehumidifier will help with that.

It would, but there is always an annoying smell for me as well. Some people don’t mind it but it bugged me.

I have two vented ones now. No smell and almost no heat either (good and bad). My inserts are old and don’t look the best but even the new more realistic ones still just look to fake to me. Also nothing beats the smell of a real wood fire with hickory and oak.

[swils8610]

Have a gas vented fireplace. Love it. Has a remote control for it. Push of a button and it’s on! We can also set it to come on automatically if it drops below our desired temp. Had a wood burning fireplace in the old house...it was nice but gas is much easier.

[BBL]

Originally Posted by G8RDPM

Wish I could help. We have 3 gas fireplaces,all vented. They give minimal heat.
Prior House was ventless. Much better for heat.

DM,you and Seth need carbon monoxide detectors!

Hi there Doc:

My home, which I have only been in for 3 years, was built 30 years ago.

Family room has magnificent fireplace, with beautiful exterior red brick chimney, flue, liner, damper - everything well done and intact.

Front room and master bedroom have fireplaces that did not have venting through a brick/damper facilitated chimney. They are adjacent to each other through common walls. How the general contractor builder got away with putting in (illegal to my way of thinking) metal pipes (that were damaged in the hurricane BTW), for these two gas fireplaces, is unbelievable.

It's been an expensive journey correcting all the bad and sloppy work the builder slapped into this house. To the best of my knowledge, with my current contractor's guidance, I have conquered (with hard lessons) many of the issues. He has been in this house two years working in my project into his expansive list of clients, who wait for him for many months or year because of his honest and thorough reputation.

Anyway, I had all the makeshift metal pipes removed, and the pass through holes sealed at the attic floor. My fixed roof and new shingles took care of the roof line pipe passage holes. Gas has been turned off and lines capped. So now, all I have are two lovely brick lined fireplaces with no logs.

Pinterest has many ideas of how to repurpose unused fireplaces, but still am conflicted as to what to do to.

And Yes, I currently have CO detectors, just changed batteries.

Thanks for your support.
DM

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by superdog

Wow.

I wonder if a dehumidifier will help with that.

Any time you need another appliance to make the first one useful you are chasing your tail. It's a lot of moisture, and the more BTU, the more moisture.

There is an odor. Some people don't care, but I needed to be burning a scented candle when the fireplace was on.

If you're not needing heat, there are some fake fireplace inserts that make a nice effect with lighting tricks. You do have your fire pit outside when you want a nice fire.

[swils8610]

My gas vented unit also has a blower with various settings. It throws a lot of heat if you want it to.

[bdex75]

Wish I could be of more assistance. We have had wood burners and direct vents. I don’t trust an appliance that burns natural gas and doesn’t get it to the outside somehow. Don’t know why. And then there is the moisture issues.

We currently have a double walled stainless chimney attached to an insert box that we burn wood in. It has a fan that doesn’t seem to do much for heat but it is plenty warm as is. Squirrel cage fan picks up air below the fire box and blows it upwards towards a vent at the top. We go thru about a cord of wood a year between this and the outdoor pit.


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