Why You Should Consider Gas Fireplace Inserts
Author: David Karlson
Gas fireplace inserts also come with a remote control, wall mounted thermostat or a wall switch for easy control of the gas. Inserts are more effective than vented gas logs. The fact that the inserts use a sealed glass front makes these units safer as well. A good insert will provide BTU output that ranges from ten thousand btu's to forty thousand btu's.
Modern gas fireplace inserts are usually direct vent systems. This means they use a two-pipe system, which by design will bring combustion air into the insert. The second pipe will vent the exhaust. Another important point to note about this type of fireplace unit is that you must line the chimney with two flexible steel or aluminum pipes. This will allow for intake and exhaust to be properly balanced and safe as well.
If the gas fireplace insert uses a one-pipe system then it is a B-vent system. Since there is only one pipe, this system is not as efficient as a two-vent system. A gas insert is not an inexpensive project. The insert itself will cost between twelve hundred and three thousand dollars. The installation costs could add another thousand dollars.
The main reason for installing gas fireplace inserts is the energy savings homeowners should encounter. These types of fireplaces are much more efficient than a wood burning fireplace for heating a room. For better results, install a fireplace blower to help disperse the heat around your room.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/why-you-should-consider-gas-fireplace-inserts-463423.html
About the Author
We provide information on all things related to fireplaces such as a fireplace heat exchanger, ventless fireplaces and fireplace rugs along with many other items concerning your fireplace.
By D. Karlson
Is there material on the web for a Gas engine to Gas generator-electric wheel motors hybrid car?
I was thinking about turning my car significantly more green, and would like to convert my car from a Regular Gasoline Engine into a car that uses four electric wheel motors (instead of a single electric motor and transmission), a semi-large li-ion battery pack, and a gasoline generator with good efficiency. Is there material on the web to help me understand the process? Is there a company that does these kinds of conversions? How easy is it to find electric wheel motors?
Yes, thats genius, replace my non-hybrid with a hybrid that costs TWICE as much, and gets the same fuel efficiency! Thats FREAKING GENIUS!!! No, seriously, why would I go for an expensive hybrid that gets worse fuel efficiency than my car. How about, instead, you say something productive, like “I can’t find any”. In all reality, it would be easier to make a car 100% green if it already had all the right parts, but was powered by a gasoline generator. At any point, I could charge it in any number of different ways, but for now, baby steps.
http://www.energy.gov/energysources/electricpower.htm
It doesn’t work in practice. The trolling motor may require four or five times the 12 V output of a little gen set like that just to run at half output. The current limiter will be lucky to give you 5 amps of supply from the low voltage unregulated output (typical output is well over 22 V without load). If you need to run a converter between the AC output and the trolling motor then you will find the expense and complication – and the losses – make it pretty well not worth it. In fact for many years the Battery only option has proven to be reliable and dependable if done right. An observation is that to smooth out the power supply to the motor from an unregulated suppy you would use a battery as a damper…..which kind of defeats the purpose.
If you buy a cheap gen set and it is rated at 1000W – that is the maximum short term capacity. In practice you will only reliably achieve a load around 700 watts continuous without pushing the alternator windings into overheating. To use a direct coupled alternator @ 12V will still require 6 hp at least to give a maximum output of less than 40 amps – so you are looking at a gen system that may need to be several models larger to be able to provide the power you need, and you are creating a lot of expense and complication to get a lesser result than sticking to the original battery idea.
The theory is good – but the details tend to reduce it to impractical real world levels.
And for those who wish to tell me they run 2500 watt loads off these little Chinese throw-away gen sets – sorry it can’t happen. I can show you the burnt out panel saws and drills caused by ignorance on basic physics.
No, you lose efficiency anytime you convert energy from one form to another. To convert the energy from the engine from mechanical energy to electrical energy you lose some of that energy in the process. Then when you use an electric motor to convert the electrical energy to mechanical energy you lose additional energy in the conversion back to mechanical motion.
On top of all this you would need a large generator to handle the power needed to get a stopped vehicle up to speed if you take the batteries away. The main reason the generator setup works in a car is because of the batteries. They give cars like the Volt the extra power needed for short periods of acceleration. The reason it is more efficient is the use of a small generator that uses less gas and provides enough energy to keep the car going at cruising speed with a little extra power left over to keep the batteries charged up. That stored energy kicks in when you step on the gas pedal from a stop. If you take the batteries out of the system it makes it a lot less efficient then a regular gas powered car.
where can i get the best price on a gas or LPG electric generator and which is the best ?
i agree that is how hybrids should have been built. use a large enough electric motor to motivate the car, and small gas or diesel engine to power a generator to run everything else. this way you can tune the gas engine to run extremely efficiently at one or two rpms, say 1500 and 2500 rpm, and very likely easily record 75-100 mpg if not more.
If you used a gas engine attached to a generator to power an electric drive motor to drive thewheels on a car?
similar to how locomotives work, would that type of drive system setup be very efficient? also, similiar to the setup in the chevy volt, but without the batteries. would the gas mileage be better with an engine running at a more constant speed?
if you used a gas engine attached to a generator to power an electric drive motor to drive thewheels on a car?
similar to how locomotives work, would that type of drive system setup be very efficient? would the gas mileage be better with an engine running at a more constant speed?
what I am trying to describe it the chevy volt, but without the batteries.
Has anyone used a gas generator with an electric trolling motor?
I have a 12′ jon boat and an electric trolling motor but no battery. I’m thinking of 2 options to power the trolling motor:
1) DEEP CYCLE BATTERY
- conventional option
- expensive (need to buy battery, charger, battery monitor)
- heavy (long lasting battery weigh 70lb+)
- limited time of use (should only use battery up to 50% of charge)
- quiet
2) GAS GENERATOR
- unconventional
- not as expensive (less then $130 for 1000W generator)
- not as heavy (around 50lb)
- unlimited time of use (just add gas)
- noisy (60db – same level of noise as normal conversation)
Any thoughts, comments, opinions?