A friend just a Hampton gas stove at http://www.houseneeds.com/shop/atop/gasfireplaceindex.asp They love it...

I think a free standing gas stove in a fireplace is a great idea if you don't have access to free wood to burn. In my situation I would be more inclined to install a free standing wood burner. Gas is very little maintenance but it also costs $! Municipalities are constantly looking for ways to discard wood. How many times have you seen cut trees lying on the side of the road? If I needed them for myself, (I have plenty of my own), I'd be out there in a heart-beat with a chainsaw and a trailer.

If you have a free standing gas stove in your fireplace I don't see any reason that you can't use the existing chimney. The only consideration is if it's lined with a material that is resistant to gas type flue gasses which can attack the masonry in unlined chimneys. You can run stove pipe up the chimney to avoid the expense of having the chimney relined. The only problem is if it's a straight run or not because free standing gas stoves that are considered direct vent are typically 80% efficient, or better, which means using a double walled vent pipe that intakes outside cold air in for combustion as well as venting exhaust. I have a stove of this type in my kitchen and I love it, but it is vented to the outside without the need for a chimney. I still burn wood in a stove in another room which is vented up a chimney with a ceramic tile liner. This is a real money saver and I really don't mind the work associated with it.

Jim

Thank you biker! I guess what I want to know is can I use a stove rather than an insert? I just love how the stoves look!
In the spring I will have the chimney checked.