Choosing a fireplace is as tedious a job as choosing your dream home. Today there are options that can bring together your home decor and your home heating needs. Efficiency, design, variety, and fuel vary, so it’s important to explore options and choose whatever fits your home and family best. To improve efficiency, many homeowners are choosing inserts, which bring efficiency up significantly and operate safely and easily.
You can raise the efficiency of your fireplace by choosing a fireplace insert that is custom fitted into the existing fireplace, and uses the existing chimney. With an insert there is no need for an expensive rebuild, just custom installation and inspection.
Wood Inserts
If you have access to cord wood you may choose to burn wood. You may simply prefer wood heat for the smell, look, and warmth it provides. Whatever the reason, wood is a great option for aesthetics, but a wood insert is the best choice if the goal is heat. The wood burning insert is the most efficient way to burn wood currently. The closed unit uses nearly all the heat produced to heat the room, leaving very little to vent through the chimney. This can cause problems if there isn’t enough heat to push the vapors and soot up and out of the chimney, so it’s important to have it professionally installed so that the flue is the proper size. This can also be a problem with other types of fuel inserts as well.
Gas Inserts
Like wood inserts, these require very little work for installation, and sometimes don’t even require use of the chimney. Which insert you choose will determine how it is vented, and your chimney sweep can install it properly. Many homeowners choose a direct-vent gas insert to avoid repairing or restoring a damaged or old chimney, because these can be vented through a wall or roof. If you choose a standard gas insert, you chimney will have to be cleaned and inspected upon installation, and may even require a new liner installed since not all types of liners are suitable for gas burning appliances. Regardless, gas inserts are a favorite because they light with the flip of a switch, burn clean, and are the most efficient heating source.
Pellet Inserts
Pellet inserts burn a wood product which is a compressed pellet made up of sawdust. Pellets are a green option because they help saw mills cut down on waste. Pellet inserts are convenient because they have a steady burn by use of a hopper that distributes fuel at the homeowner’s desired speed. Also, these are a low-maintenance and clean option. They give the result of wood-burning without the debris that split wood leaves behind in your floor.
Whatever fireplace you choose, it’s important to have it professionally installed. You also need to keep up with regular chimney sweeps and annual inspections to keep your new fireplace working safely and efficiently.
Think you’re ready for a new fireplace? Let The Cozy Flame help make your dreams come true with a dream fireplace. Call us today or contact us online.