BristolUK

I've cobbled this from another thread.
We have a woodstove. To me it's unsightly and we've not used it in 10 years or more. A recent clean/inspection revealed many aspects not to code. Fixing it all means several thousand $$ and a different stove or spend less but lose additional floor space. So...

I've been in touch with Enbridge, the gas people and even though I mentioned we had a new heat pump/air con system installed less thann 5 years ago, the guy was still talking gas furnace.

Eventually he talked of a NG gas fire either with a generator (in which case why not just a generator to run something electric without the other costs) or one with no blower. That sounds about what I'd want.

Except that for Enbridge to run the gas to the house they require a minimum which includes renting their water heater and that's $15 monthly. I'm not clear right now if that is a requirement for free connection or if you don't take the water heater you then pay for connection.

This may just be a language thing but it also sounded like the heater is on top the fire. Is that in addition to but placed elsewhere or literally above the fire which would mean the fire being built into something?

I just want a fire - probably a corner one - standing on the site of the existing woodstove. It need only cost a few hundred $$.

It sounds like I'd have to pay $15 a month for water heater plus $18 a month service, so almost $400 a year just so I might turn on gas heating occasionally...which then costs when I use it.

Is there something I've not considered? Is this just restrictive practice for NB?

dbd33

That doesn't sound right. We've just removed our woodstove and the ugly exposed brick hearth behind it. We've replaced the hearth with drywall, as there's no longer a code requirement for anything more, and are in the process of setting the tiles for a new hearth. A new stove is on the way. The new one requires less space, can have shorter clearances, and will chuck out more BTUs per log, as one would expect given 30 or more years of technological improvements.

bats

Ill check with the gasman when he gets home. I can't recall what our gas stove cost but it was more than I thought it should be even with a staff discount.
Enbridge didn't charge anything to put our gas line in, it depends on how far you are from the road. We did replace the oil furnace with gas though so maybe they want you to use a minimum amount of gas? Are the conditions not on the website?

bats

Some responses

Enbridge now charge to connect gas in Ontario so no doubt do in NB.
So is the water heater rental instead of a one off fee? If so what is the one off fee compared to the rental.

What do you mean by gas "fire" a gas version of your wood stove? A gas insert is a gas fireplace. A gas fire is a log effect thing.

I'll take a photo of our gas stove. It has a fan which doesn't work when the power is out but we still have heat. The fan is worthwhile as when on the stove heats s fairly large area.

Heater on top of the fire makes no sense so must be language.

You don't have to get your stove from Enbridge.

BristolUK

That's part of the more expensive fix - a different stove, ie new, that needs less clearance. The alternative is the same stove but more clearance than it has currently which means extending the space occupied. There are also flue issues and the surfaces behind the wall and the height of the chimney clearing the roof surface.

I daresay I could look up the codes somewhere - the chimney sweep listed them for me - but I've just never liked the thing. In any case, if I have a steel roof next year, on top the existing shingles that's going to reduce the clearance of the existing chimney further.

I can still use it for the sort of power outage we've not had in 12 years but a nice gas fire would be nicer.

Yes, 30m the guy said but he mentions a "minimum load" of renting the water heater. I'm waiting on whether the minimum load is a requirement for the free connection or whether I can pay connection and not have the water heater.
I've only browsed it so far. I'll get around to it.

It has also occurred to me that it might be worth renting the water heater and no longer rent one from the power company. That would partly offset the cost and, who knows, maybe heating water by gas could be cheaper than electrickery.