Bainbridge II Dual Fuel Freestanding Vent Free Stove Model GSD3033

Product Features

• World #GSD3033 25K Black Gas Vent- Free Stove
• WORLD MKTG OF AMERICA/IMPORT

Bainbridge II, 25,000 BTU, Black Gas Vent Free Stove, Dual Fuel, Accepts Natural & LP Gas, Thermostatic Heat Control, Hand Painted Logs With Vivid Details, Built In Safety Sensor, O.D.S. Hidden Side Mounted Controls, Heats Approximately 1,200 SQFT, Optional Blower #20-6030 must be purchased separately.


What People Are Saying About This Vent Free Stove

Instruction Problems
I tried to order a different stove from Home Depot, but they were out of stock online. While searching for that same stove from a retailer online, I came across this stove and decided to try it because of the cost.

Some of the instructions for setup are not clear. For example, removing the grill to get the logs out. Simply adding the first step of removing the screws on the top left and right of the grill would have been helpful. With a product of this nature, a consumer does not want to do anything in unpacking that would make the product not work.

Another problem with the instructions is that they do not give any indication of where to put the battery. The instructions say, "This heater is equipped with an electronic piezo control system. This system requires AAA batteries (provided)." The first problem is that only one battery is included, so where are the other batteries if needed? The second problem is that the instructions don't give any information as to where the battery should be installed. I called the 800 number for the manufacturer four different times and received a voice message and also sent a message on their web site. The last time that I called, I selected a different option instead of technical support with the "leave a message and we will call back." Technical support did call back and confirmed the battery installation instructions below.

Fortunately, I read in these reviews that another customer (Nice Guy) had the same problem. "This one looks nice and sets up easily - except that the instructions didn't say where the battery for the electronic starter went. A phone call answered that question easily (you unscrew the starter button)." Without this information, I would have been lost until the manufacturer called back. To expand on this information:
1. Unscrew the ignitor (behind the small door at the bottom of the unit on the front).
2. Insert the battery with the + side facing toward the front. When you insert the battery, it doesn't seem to fit. I learned from trial and error.
3. Screw the ignitor back on and push the ignitor button in. You should hear a clicking noise.

My heater is supposed to be installed tomorrow, so I am waiting to see how everything else works. I'm hoping for a better experience using the stove than I had with the instructions. 


Nice product but not as efficient as regular heating
I have forced hot water radiaters in my house so it takes a while to get the house warm in the cold weather. Though economical, it takes a while to warm up on a cold winters day. I found this gas heater to be a welcomed addition to the house. It is not economical to run 24-7 but its really great when we have company over and want a special effect or to heat up the house fast when we come home at night or first thing on weekend mornings. 


Looks & Heats Great
While this unit is a touch tricky to get fired-up, it works very well as a backup heater for my home. Plus it makes for a cozy atmosphere. The logs don't look too terribly fake. The overall look of the unit is very nice compared to most that I've looked at in retail stores, and this unit is affordable.

I wouldn't leave the room with it on
I have three propane fireplaces in my home. I love being able to warm up a room quickly and watch the fire dance. This one looks nice and sets up easily - except that the instructions didn't say where the battery for the electronic starter went. A phone call answered that question easily (you unscrew the starter button). If you are looking for a reasonably priced stove that puts out a lot of heat, it does. Unfortunately for me, the room I put it in is only 13x16 and it heats up so fast that I can't sit and watch the fire for very long. So if you like to sit and watch flames dance, consider getting a smaller stove. My other concern is that when it kicks on, the gas comes out for several seconds before it catches fire with a big "whosh." My other fireplaces don't do that. As long as it is in a big room and far from any curtains or fabric, it is probably perfectly safe, but where I have it, I turn it off when I leave the room just to be safe.
If you are deciding between a vent-free and direct-vent stove, first make sure you have enough space to support a vent-free stove. If you do, I found the look to be much nicer than the direct-vent. The flames dance more, and they put out lots more usable heat.

Beautiful Product
After I decided to do away with my woodstove, I looked at several options...in stores and online. This product was exactly what I wanted and Amazon.com had it at the best price including shipping. It arrived in a very timely manner and it works wonderfully. It is also very attractive and makes the room feel just as cozy as the woodstove....without all the mess.

Heats the entire house!
My husband wanted to buy one of these last fall, and I was unconvinced. We had a power outage last winter when it was -30 degrees outside and suffered for three days with no heat in our house. After that, I was persuaded to go along with his "crazy" idea. We are using this as a natural gas heat source. The great part about it is that if we lose electricity again this winter, we will still be able to stay warm and comfortable. One of the things I like about it is the moisture that is put into the air by the gas burning. The humidity in our house is staying around 60 degrees when we have the stove running. We are going to get rid of the old humidifier, as it is no longer needed. We are both very pleased with our purchase.

We had a professional run the gas line and hook it up for us, and bought a CO2 alarm for the house, for safety.      

A Vent Free Gas Fireplace is a Great Alternative Heat Source

No matter what the occasion may be, there is no other place that the people at a family event seem to gravitate to then the fireplace.  But not all people have the luxury of having a fireplace in their home.  While most modern built or even century old homes have fireplaces as the focal point of many rooms, lots of homes built during the middle of the last century do not.  However, thanks to modern technology, a vent free gas fireplace can be installed without having to bust out a wall or install a flue through the roof.  With these limitations removed, a fireplace can be installed most anywhere in the home that is accessible to a gas line.

While a vent free gas fireplace is not meant to be used as the primary heat source for a building, they do make great supplemental heat sources for rooms that may be difficult to heat or for just adding to the beauty of any room.  Since there is no flue, there is no heat going up the chimney and being wasted.  In addition to these benefits, this type appliance is also much cheaper to operate than say an electric space heater or one that burns kerosene.

The first thing people tend to question when you speak of a fireplace being vent free is what about the toxic gases produced by a free burning flame.  A vent free gas fireplace has a high efficiency burner that burns with a much hotter flame, thus consuming all the usual products of combustion before they are emitted out in to the room.  These units are required to have an oxygen depletion sensor installed to detect a lack of oxygen near the burner that will shut the burner off if the proper mix of air and fuel is not maintained.

With proper installation and maintenance, a vent free gas fireplace can be a good alternative to the traditional fireplace.  And, with the many styles and sizes available, you are sure to find one that works well for your situation and also compliments the decor of any room.

A Ventless Heater Can Be a Great Supplemental Heat Source

There are many ways to provide supplemental heat to those cooler rooms in a home.  You can use a fireplace if it happens to be in the room where the extra heat is needed.  An electric space heater is an option if your space is relatively small or if you need something that will provide a greater amount of heat, you could use a kerosene heater.  Each of these options are useful in certain situations, but one option that can be adapted to work in almost any situation is a gas fueled ventless heater.

A ventless heater can be turned on for just a few minutes to take the chill off in a room, or can be set on low to provide a steady flow of heat.  Where a kerosene heater needs a steady circulation of air for ventilation, vent free heaters can be burned without a vent as long as the heater can draw air from other rooms of your home.  Otherwise, do not place the heater in a confined space that is shut off from other parts of the house.  If the heater does not have proper air circulation, carbon monoxide can build up and could result in death with prolonged exposure.

The modern versions of these vent-free heaters do come equipped with an ODS (oxygen depletion sensor) device that is designed to shut the unit off if the oxygen level near the burner drops below the proper levels.  However, if you are using any type of gas burning device in your home it would be in your best interest to acquire and maintain a carbon monoxide detector for an additional safeguard.

You should also keep in mind that these devices are meant to be utilized as supplemental heat.  While they can be used as a short term primary heat source in the event of a power outage or some other emergency, they should be shut off for a while every 5-6 hours to insure the prevention of a build up of carbon monoxide or excessive moisture.

Ventless heaters come in a variety of sizes and you should have no trouble locating one that will serve your needs no matter what size room you need to heat.  By following a few well publicized safety precautions and having the unit installed and maintained by a qualified professional, your ventless heater should provide you with many years of safe and efficient operation and most of all, keep you warm and toasty regardless of how cold a punch Mother Nature chooses to deliver.

Gas Logs - A Convenient Alternative to Wood

I was never very impressed with the thought of having gas logs in my fireplace.  I always felt like they looked exactly like a bunch of fake logs that flickered and glowed and gave the appearance of, well, a fake fire.  If you want the appearance of real wood burning in your fireplace then put real logs in the firebox and light 'em up.  If you want a gas heater in place of your fireplace, then by all means, install a gas heater.  Why try to make it look like logs burning.  Well, as with so many other things in my life, my wife had a different take on the subject and as is so often the case, my theory proved to be wrong in her eyes and we now have a beautiful set of gas logs in our fireplace.

After having a gas line run to our fireplace and spending a couple of hours unpacking and installing our new gas logs, I must admit they look more realistic than I would have imagined.  Not like the real thing, mind you, but close enough to pass for real with a fleeting glance.  This is my first experience with this modern convenience and I now will confess to the fact that they are growing on me.  I have always been around and used wood burning fireplaces and was always mostly satisfied with the result of a rip-roaring fire.  While I would not put this gas fireplace I now use quite in the same category as a real fire when it comes to producing heat, it does emit enough heat for you to stand in front of and warm up on a chilly day.

I still miss a real fire sometimes.  I kind of liked the slight smell of smoke and burning wood that always seemed to be so welcoming when arriving home on a cold winter evening.  I also enjoyed stirring the coals with a poker to get the logs free burning again and still miss the crackling and popping of a real fire.  No matter how realistic those gas logs may appear to be, they can never replace the nice feeling that always appealed to my senses of smell and hearing.

However, there are several things I do enjoy about my gas logs.  It is nice to walk over and turn the dial and have the fire instantly lit.  Not quite the same satisfying feeling I used to get with starting a real fire, but definitely convenient.  No more cutting, splitting, stacking and hauling wood.  Wow, that part I definitely do not miss.  I will confess that I have mostly purchased my wood in recent years so it wasn't quite as much work as I made it sound, even though I was still stacking and carrying it into the house.  There is also no mess from traipsing through the house with a pile of wood in my arms and no more cleaning ashes from the fireplace.  After it is all said and done, the gas logs in my fireplace are nice, but, to be perfectly honest, they are not as enjoyable as a real live honest to goodness rip-roaring wood burning fire.