I am the original poster. As I said in my post, the fireplace is mainly decorative and we are NOT relying on it for heat. However it is our plan B/C if shit hit

I am the original poster. As I said in my post, the fireplace is mainly decorative and we are NOT relying on it for heat. However it is our plan B/C if shit hits the fan, in which case huddling the family in front of the radiant fire is a much preferable alternative to dying of cold, efficiency aside.