Why We Choose a Kozy Heat Fireplace for Our New Home
Back in the old days, a fireplace was made of brick or stone and generally had a brick firebox which opened into the chimney. They looked gorgeous but were quite inefficient since most of the heat went straight up the flue and into the icy outdoors. In high end homes, brick fireplaces are still being built, but are now outfitted with a fireplace or wood stove insert. These inserts prevent the wood heat from escaping up the chimney and send it back into the home.
With more modestly priced homes, sealed gas fireplaces are becoming standard options. These fireplaces have the look of a real fireplace with the convenience of a gas flame. And like a fireplace insert, these units are quite effective in keeping your home warm. With all the products on the market today, it was hard to decide which one was the best product for the price range we could afford to spend.
Why Kozy Heat
Our search for a fireplace brought us to a wholesale fireplace store which carried an incredible line of fireplaces and inserts. The store had every brand currently being manufactured, and the salesmen were quite knowledgeable about the various product lines. It was the sale rep who convinced us to forgo a Major Name in fireplace systems and consider the Kozy Heat line of products instead.
Kozy Heat is a privately owned, family business based out of Minnesota, which have been making fireplace systems since 1976. They emphasize quality instead of quantity, and have an established reputation for their high quality and energy efficient fireplaces. According to the sales rep, Kozy Heat offered a superior line of products at a price that was quite a bit lower than the competition.
Features
Because the fireplace would be a focal point in our cottage, it needed to make a strong statement and not look like an afterthought. The Minnetonka line seemed to be just what we were searching for. This product was 40 to 42 inches wide with a deep firebox and realistic hand painted log set. Standard options included an exterior controlled heat dump feature, refractory brick lining, a quick latch glass front, high-low regulator, and a lifetime warranty.
The Minnetonka also came with all sorts of options, including remote controls, different face fronts and an assortment of finishes. The basic price of the Minnetonka was $1612; the door face we choose added another $316 to the cost. How did this compare with the competition? The Minnetonka was nearly $800 less expensive that a comparable model by a Major Name manufacturer.
This Kozy Heat gas fireplace puts out 40,000 BTU per hour, and is 80% efficient. Kozy Heat gas fireplaces are independently rated as high efficiency furnaces and can be used to heat the home during a power outage. It’s certainly been our experience that it is amazingly effective in heating the house! Another strong feature of this Kozy Heat product is that the control module can be quickly and easily removed for replacement. We haven’t had this experience yet, but it’s nice to know that the fireplace can be quickly disassembled instead of being a long, drawn out ordeal.
The best feature of the Kozy Heat brand of fireplaces is the flame. The gas flame produced by the Kozy Heat products is more realistic than any other gas fireplace on the market. They call it the dancing flame because of the height variance and movement; we were amazed to discover it looks like the real deal, and even fooled out friends.
Great price, great service, realistic looking flame, and the ability to heat a house during a power outage is why I’ve been recommending Kozy Heat to my friends who are in the market for a new fireplace. For more information about the Kozy Heat brand of gas fireplaces, visit www.kozyheat.com.
