Well, I can say they are not that noisey. Hardly noticeable really. The dealer is probably right though about not needing one in central FL. If you are really trying to supplement your heating system, I say get one. I think they only cost around $200. If the FP is mainly for looks then skip it.

Thanks, Jasper. Although we will have a heat pump in our new build my goal is to never use it for heating as I absolutely loath forced air heat and it's such a waste to heat the whole house when only a few rooms are in use. Where we live it gets cold and damp enough about 30 days a year to have the heat on but I was hoping to use heat lamps in the bathrooms for those cold minutes when you jump out of the shower and the fireplace to warm my creaky bones when I'm sitting reading in the evening. (For sleeping I just believe in a good warm comforter.) Does this sound like a plan that can work without the blower?

The blower turns on when the fp reaches a certain temperature (not right away). So, the blower should help heat the space faster. If you're planning on sitting near the fp, it probably won't make any difference.

One thing I said in my previous post was an error. The blower will require electricity, so in addition to cost of a blower unit, it will also require a electrician to run a line to the fireplace box. So adding a blower may significantly increase the cost of your install.

Thank you Jasper. The electrician is working on other things in the house right now so it won't be a significant cost for him to run the line now before the dry wall goes up. Is the blower something we can add later if we decide we need it?

The electrician is working on other things in the house right now...

Oh, well in that case might as well do it now. I'd hate for you to regret it later. A blower can be added later, but probably cheaper to do it now.

We have a blower on our DV gas insert, not a Lennox, but we haven't used it yet. At slow speed, it's not too noisy, but I would not want to use it at high speed.

A word about using a ceiling fan. Some fans are equipped with a switch that reverses the direction of the turning. In that case, instead of blowing DOWN to cool you in warm weather, it blows UP, so that you don't feel an objectionable breeze in winter, but the warm air is more even distributed throughout the space. As an alternative to a reversible motor, some fans are designed so that the blades can be repositioned (You twist them) so that they achieve the same effect as a motor reversal.

Although we haven't used our blower here in North Carolina, I think we probably will try it next winter because these DV unit put out a lot of heat, and you don't want it concentrated in just one area -- you want to distribute it.

I would also strongly recommend a hand held remote control thermostat. Once you figure out how best to use it -- where in the room it's best to put it, and what temp setting is best -- you will get a more even, comfortable temperature in your space. Otherwise, you'll be turning it off periodically because they put out heat like a blast furnace, and they can get really hot.