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See-through or dual room natural gas fireplace

Charley
Charley Member Posts: 9
Hi,

We have a 350 sq foot efficiency apartment/stand alone cottage. The old millivolt gas dual wall furnace's pilot generator has died and its so old that no parts are available (we cant even find identifying info on the furnace except that the valve is ITT Central Controls B60). We want to replace it with either another dual wall furnace, or a dual wall gas fireplace. Given the size of the place, I think the wall furnace was overkill. A few questions:

1. If we do replace the dual wall furnace, what brand is recommended: At this point I am aware of Cozy (#W505) 50K BTU, Empire (#GWT50) also 50K BTU, and Williams (#5009622) also 50K BTU. Are there others I should look at?

2. Am I correct in that 50K BTU is way more than necessary for this small cottage?

3. If we go with a see through/dual wall gas fireplace (for asthetics and ambiance), what size/BTU should we be looking at? And what brands are recommended?

With much appreciation.

Charley

    

Comments

  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    Where are you located?

    And when was the cottage built?  I'd probably suggest one of these http://www.rinnai.us/direct-vent-wall-furnace
  • Tim McElwain
    Tim McElwain Member Posts: 4,612
    The pilot generator

    for that heater is replaced by a Honeywell Q313A 750 millivolt pilot generator. Just make sure they give you the spacer for fitting it into the General Controls PG9 Pilot. The General Controls PG9 generators are also available distributed by White Rodgers.
  • Charley
    Charley Member Posts: 9
    See-through or dual room natural gas fireplace

    Thank you Mr. McElwain. The thermopile generator from our furnace does not look like the pilot and generators you refer to - where the pilot and generator are side by side. The old one we have has the 8 or 10 thermocouple "fingers," surrounding - encircling - the pilot nipple, and held together by a white ceramic ring (which is cracked). The pilot nipple, which can be unscrewed and withdrawn down through the middle of the ring and thermocouples, is therefore not next to, but surrounded by the generator. Perhaps you know this and you may know that the parts you recommend can somehow be fit up into the small support ring that holds the pilot generator. But it looks like the side by side approach would not fit up in the support ring and I think, if it did, it would take some jerry-rigging that I would not be confident about doing myself.

    I did take the old wall furnace out, and am now shopping for a replacement, and a heating specialist is coming to give estimates tomorrow. It seems like another wall furnace would be much cheaper than a gas fireplace (either see through or one sided). Although I would rather replace it with a see through gas fireplace, this may be cost prohibitive. The wall furnace that Cozy sells (W505) would fit perfectly into the framing that is there. I havnt gotten a price from Cozy yet. Home depot sells a dual wall furnace for under $600. (the Williams 5009622A).

    But with such a small space, do you think a dual wall (50 btu) is necessary? Perhaps a one wall 25 btu would be adequate. We are in Colorado's front range where winters are usually mild (not this winter). BRRR.

    With much appreciation for any advise.

    Charley

     
  • Charley
    Charley Member Posts: 9
    See-through or dual room natural gas fireplace

    Dear SWEI,

    Thank you for the referral to Rinnai. I had not looked into them yet.

    Charley
  • Charley
    Charley Member Posts: 9
    See-through or dual room natural gas fireplace

    SWEI,

    Woops. forgot to answer all of your questions. The cottage was built in the 40s or 50s, and we are in Colorado's front range. Any further ideas are much appreciated.

    Charley
  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    Where in the Front Range

    If you give us a city, we can look up your winter design temperature.



    How is the place built, specifically with regards to insulation?



    Those Rinnai wall furnaces cost more than a Cozy or anything in the big box stores.  There's a reason.
  • Tim McElwain
    Tim McElwain Member Posts: 4,612
    That is a PG1

    General Controls Pilot you are describing. It is available from White Rodgers as a replacement General Control adaptation. I wish you well with what ever you decide to replace your existing wall furnace with.
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