How To Get More Heat From Gas Fireplace [7 Pro Tips]

The question of how to get more heat from gas fireplace will pop up in your mind if it doesn’t heat your room fully.

You don’t get enough heat output from your gas fireplace if you choose the wrong type of fireplace or if it has a lower BTUs rating. 

To get the most heat output from your gas fireplace, you can go for a fireplace blower, a fireback, or a heat exchanger to optimize the heat coming out from the fireplace. 

However, in today’s article, besides telling you a few tricks for getting more heat from your gas fireplace, we will also break down the following queries.

The questions below will educate you on whether your existing gas fireplace is suitable to heat your entire room or not. 

Plus, the answer to the below questions will let you know if you need to optimize the heat or change the gas fireplace.

• Why Your Gas Fireplaces Won’t Heat the Room
• Does A Gas Fireplace Actually Heat A Room
• Can A Gas Fireplace Be Used As A Primary Heat Source
• How Much Heat Does A Gas Fireplace Put Out

Before heading over to the point directly, let’s first discover why doesn’t your gas fireplace put out heat efficiently. So, let’s get started right here. 

Why Your Gas Fireplaces Won’t Heat The Room

Your gas fireplace won’t heat your entire room if you choose the wrong type of gas fireplace, your room is not well-insulated, and the unit is not functioning properly.

Therefore, the following reasons are responsible for not getting sufficient heat output from a gas fireplace. 

• The BTUs rating of your gas fireplace is insufficient for heating your home.
• Most of the heat may go out of the flue. 
• You may have a decorative gas fireplace or a fireplace that’s not perfect for your situation. 
• Air circulation is not good. 
• The shape of your home makes it challenging for the fireplace to distribute heat evenly throughout your home. 
• You may set the thermostat too low. 
• The flame won’t stay lit. 

How To Get More Heat From Gas Fireplace [7 Simple Ways]

You already know why your gas fireplace doesn’t deliver sufficient heat to boil the frigid condition of your room.

Now, it’s time to know how to maximize the heat output of your gas fireplace. 

1. Check Out The Dampers

A damper is a type of metal plate that is placed in your chimney. It is used to regulate airflow. 

Inspect the damper of your gas fireplace and ensure you install it either inside the chimney or mounted to the chimney cap. Installing the damper in either of these places will reduce heat loss. 

However, make sure you don’t keep the damper opened too wide. If the damper is open, it allows the hot air to travel up to the flue and draw out.

At the same time, it lets the cool outside air draw inside the room. 

Consequently, heat loss will happen, and you don’t get the desired heat to warm your room. To get rid of this issue, make sure your damper remains slightly open. 

2. Get A Fireback For Your Gas Fireplace

Secondly, you can install an iron plate or a fireback into your gas fireplace. Open fires from your gas fireplace insert are unable to flow heat into your room.

Most of the heat escapes through the chimney. Installing a fireback will absorb that heat and reflect it into your room, which will maximize the efficiency of your gas fireplace.

3. Get A Fireplace Blower

Don’t you install a blower into your gas fireplace? Then, grab it from your local store and place it inside your firebox. 

The blower pulls your room air and forces it to travel through a channel of the fireplace’s exterior. As the air moves around your hot fireplace, the surrounding air gets hot, and it releases into your room.  

In simple words, a blower pulls the air from your room, warms it up, and distributes the warm air throughout your room evenly. In return, your freezy interior environment turns into spring and provides you with the ambiance. 

Plus, if you discover your fireplace mantel gets hot, the blower will also help to keep the mantel cool. Here we recommend you get the blower from where you purchase the burner insert. 

4. Maintain The Fireplace Blower

We already told you how a blower increases the efficiency of your gas fireplace. But if you leave it for months and don’t clean it, dust & dirt make the blower their home.

As a result, your blower starts losing its ability to distribute hot air, which also decreases your gas fireplace efficiency. That’s why we recommend you inspect the blower every six months and clean it.

Well, before cleaning the blower, make sure the unit is cold. Plus, it will be better to check the owner’s manual for the exact location of the blower in your unit, if the fireplace already has a blower.

5. Invest In A Fireplace Heat Exchanger

You can also spend your money on having a heat exchanger to boost the efficiency of your gas fireplace.

The heat exchanger will draw the heat generated by the gas fireplace and distribute the warm air into your room with the help of a fan blower. 

6. Set The Thermostat To The High Position

Maybe you set the thermostat too low, which gives insufficient heat output to warm your room evenly. First off, check the thermostat to see its position.

If you set it too low, turn it to the high position to get more heat from your gas fireplace. 

You can turn the thermostat dial-up to 90°F to maximize the heat output. But remember, setting the thermostat to a higher position will not be friendly to your wallet as it will trigger the electricity bill. 

7. Choose The Correct Type Of Gas Fireplace

All of the tips we mentioned above will go in vain if you have the wrong type of gas fireplace. You know two kinds of gas fireboxes are pretty popular- direct vent and vent-free. 

Among them, direct-vent is the most efficient, and there occurs a minimum heat loss. It uses outside air for combustion.

This means cold outside air can’t come into your room through windows or doors. As a result, no heat loss will happen & interior air remains warm which makes the room friendly in ice-cold conditions. 

Does A Gas Fireplace Actually Heat A Room

Most gas fireplaces (whether it’s vented or ventless) can evenly heat your room due to their higher efficiency.

Indeed, vented or ventless gas fireplaces are designed to produce heat and allow you to warm your room thoroughly. On the other hand, decorative gas fireplaces don’t generate enough heat to make an entire space equally warm. 

Indeed, what type of gas fireplace you have will determine whether it can heat an entire room efficiently or not. 

For example, you can feel the warmth or heat if you sit directly in front of the decorative gas fireplace. In contrast, you can’t get the heat if you go to the corner of the same room.

It’s because the decorative gas log set uses the chimney for ventilation. In other words, all the heat it generates goes up via the chimney, instead of distributing the heat around your room. 

On the other hand, vented or ventless gas fireplaces are designed to generate heat and are self-contained. It means they don’t use chimneys like the decorative gas fireplace.

So, there is no way for the heat to go outside of your room. In short, they can heat your room optimally as they release the heat directly into the room. 

Keep in mind that a ventless gas fireplace is more efficient than a vented fireplace. A vented fireplace has a flue that allows the by-products as well as the heat to go out. Indeed, you will lose heat. However, it can warm every corner of your home despite losing some amount of heat.

In contrast, a ventless one doesn’t require a chimney. As a result, no heat loss will occur. However, it will release fumes into the air. So, it is better to open the window if you use it for an extended time and make sure the carbon detector is working properly. 

BTUs rating of the gas fireplace also determines how optimally it can warm a fireplace. So, while picking your gas fireplace, it’s wise to know how many BTUs you need in your fireplace to heat your room perfectly.

However, it will be better if the fireplace is fan-forced. The fan inside the unit will distribute the heat evenly to warm every corner of your room.   

Therefore, how insulated your room is will also determine the heating ability of your gas fireplace. The gas fireplace will struggle to heat your room if your room is not well insulated as the inside will remain colder. 

In short, multiple factors come into play to determine whether a gas fireplace can heat the entire room or not. We recommend you use a regular gas fireplace instead of the decorative one.

Also, make sure your room is well insulated. Lastly, use a gas fireplace with a large BTU rating if there are walls or doorways in the room. 

Can A Gas Fireplace Be Used As A Primary Heat Source?

No, a gas fireplace can’t be used as a primary heat source due to its inability to offer sufficient coverage across your entire house.

If you have a multi-level home, the gas fireplace fails to warm other floors of your home. So, we recommend using a central furnace to keep your entire property warm. 

However, you can use the gas fireplace as a central furnace to zone heats your home. It’s a heating system that focuses on only a few areas of your home to heat instead of warming the areas that are barely used. 

Therefore, some gas fireplaces are rated as primary heat sources. Their efficiency is in the 85%+ range though AFUE numbers will indicate lower.

You may use them as your central heating source. But, still, the heat coming out from the fireplace would have to travel long distances. So, it’s not efficient enough to heat every room of your home. 

Of course, you can practice zone heating and use the gas fireplace as a central heat source to cut down utility bills. 

Keep in mind; you can’t use all gas fireplace types as your primary heat source. For example, a decorative gas fireplace can hardly warm an entire room evenly, let alone the entire house. 

Technically, unvented gas fireplaces are more efficient than other fireplace types in heating a room. Because all the heat it produces stays in the room.

But, it’s not safe for continuous use as it creates by-products and affects indoor air quality. 

Indeed, it’s not practical to use gas fireplaces as your primary heat source. However, you can use them to practice zone heating and warm specific rooms evenly. 

How Much Heat Does A Gas Fireplace Put Out

Typically, gas fireplaces can generate between 5000-50000 BTUs of heat output, depending on their models. However, the average heat output you will get from a gas fireplace is between 25000-30000 BTUs. 

Therefore, the size of a gas fireplace also affects the heat output. For example, a small gas fireplace can produce up to 20000 BTUs of heat output. On the other hand, a medium gas fireplace unit delivers up to 30000 BTUs. 

Lastly, a large gas fireplace can generate up to 50000 BTUs of heat output. 

FAQ:

Do gas fireplaces produce heat?

Yes, gas fireplaces generate a lot of heat to warm you on the chilly days of winter. Generally, gas fireplaces give off between 7000-60000 BTUs of heat output depending on the models. 

How efficient are gas fireplaces?

Yes, gas fireplaces are efficient. They burn at about 50% to 90% efficiency compared to wood fireplaces. So, you don’t need to worry about the heating efficiency of a gas fireplace. 

Are gas fireplaces energy efficient?

Yes, gas fireplaces are energy efficient. The reason behind it is the low price of gas. Indeed, you don’t need to count extra bucks to warm your home if you have a gas fireplace. 

How many BTUs does a gas fireplace put out?

The BTUs output of a gas fireplace depends on its model. Typically, a gas fireplace gives a heating output ranging from 7000 to 60000. 

Do gas fireplaces use electricity?

If a gas fireplace has a blower or fan, it requires electricity to operate the blower. However, you can get heat or run the gas fireplace without electricity. 

Do vented gas logs produce heat?

Yes, some vented gas logs produce heat up to 25000 BTUs. However, most vented gas logs don’t give off sufficient heat output. 

Do direct-vent fireplaces provide heat?

Yes, direct-vent fireplaces deliver sufficient heat to warm almost every house efficiently. 

How make gas fireplaces be more realistic?

Invest in hand-painted ceramic logs to make your gas fireplace more realistic. Then, purchase antique fireplace accessories and keep them around your fireplace to give it the look of a wood fireplace. You can also add a mantel to decorate your gas fireplace. 

Can you add a thermostat to a gas fireplace?

Yes, you can add a thermostat as an alternative to the switch on your wall to control the temperature with ease. 

How many hours can you run a gas fireplace?

You can run a gas fireplace for two to three hours.

What should the flame look like in a gas fireplace?

The flame effect you get from a gas fireplace will look blue.  

How can I make my gas fireplace look better?

Do the following things to make your gas fireplace look better.

• Install a decorative fireback against the back wall of your gas firebox. 
• Improve the look of your gas fireplace by installing a burner bed.
• Install beautiful ceramic logs

Conclusion

Nothing can change our mood on a winter night unless we light on our fireplace. But most of the heat a gas fireplace generates is lost through the chimney. 

However, you can fix this issue and get more heat from your gas fireplace. In this case, follow the tips we have provided above to make your gas fireplace efficient. 

Well, if still you face any problems resolving the issue, let us know in the comment box. We’ll be happy to help you with a solution.

Good Luck!