Chimney replacement program - what to get

[Psilan]

Hi,

I have a golden opportunity to either rebuild my old chimney, or replace it with an approved heating source.

After the Canterbury earthquake EECA is offering a clean heat replacement, instead of rebuilding your chimney.
You can choose between heatpumps, gas fires, wood fires, and pellit fires.

List of appliances: http://www.eeca.co.nz/sites/all/file...s-24-09-10.xls
You can choose any appliance you want from that list.

Anybody have any experiences with the Gas fires?

I already have a 6.25kw heatpump in the same room. In the dead of the Christchurch winter the heatpump has to be turned up to 26C for short periods.

I want a nice inbuilt gas fire, primarily to increase the house value and create atmosphere - rather than a heating source. They probably just the fanciest one

Thanks.

[eri]

some good stuff here

http://energyadvice.org.nz/?page_id=9

[Ahar]

Are you on gas already?

Daily line charges for gas can be expensive...and you have to pay them 365 days a year....even when not using your heater.

And who pays for the installation and connection costs?

[graemeh]

Personally I'd go for the 30kw pellet boiler but that's probably overkill

[Tan]

Personally I'd go for the 30kw pellet boiler

Pellet fires are not so great if the power goes off a bit at your place. Should be fine in town.

[Psilan]

I just wanted something flash looking, with a bit of atmosphere. I am in Avonhead. No real earthquake or power issues here.
Our chimney was very tall and brick with zero reinforcing.

I heard it was about $90 per year? I have no gas currently, but it is a possibility that I would go gas for hot water sometime in the future.

All installation and setup costs are paid for by EQC/EECA.

[graemeh]

Our gas line charge in Wellington is around $1 a day. It's possible to get it for half that if you find the right supplier. The actual gas usage is on top of that.

$90 per year seems rather cheap but you can obviously confirm that with one of the gas suppliers in Christchurch.

[Psilan]

Contact (Rockgas) prices;

$98.14 rental per year.
2 cylinders.

$108 to refill one.

-$163 per year discount if you are already a contact customer (yes I am).

Not too bad.

[Kaye]

Call me and I'll talk the options over with you gas is ok but exp and still needs power!

Hm 322 4741

Mobile 021 613 391

Kaye

[graemeh]

Contact (Rockgas) prices;

$98.14 rental per year.
2 cylinders.

$108 to refill one.

-$163 per year discount if you are already a contact customer (yes I am).

Not too bad.

Ohhhh, I forget not everyone has piped gas. I guess the question then is running costs, i.e. how much gas do you actually get for your $108.

[Psilan]

I think they are 45KG containers. No idea how long that lasts.

[Kaye]

Hmm depends on how cold it gets I'm only heating living areas and can manage 2 weeks during full blown winter

[Psilan]

After painfully searching all the gas fires (still can't find a few of the strange brands) it seems these might be the only good looking gas insert type;

http://www.gasandplumbing.co.nz/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_23_45_68&products_id=237

The rest look like portable gas heaters :/

[Kaye]

Hi here's the one I have

http://www.rinnai.co.nz/product_12_rinnai_timberflame_centrum_etr.html

[Psilan]

Unfortunately for something like that I will have to do a big lounge shuffle, couch TV table etc.

Here is a quick mock up of my lounge. I have data cabling and power all around the current TV already.
Getting something like that would require my to redo some cabling and place the TV in another area. Those thigns either side of the fire are massive windows also. Which would blind a television.