5 Benefits of Installing a Fireplace Insert that Every Fireplace Owner Should Know
The thought of having a fireplace is appealing to so many homeowners. They imagine their family or themselves sitting in front of a warm cozy fire enjoying the beautiful crackling sounds and flickering flames. But what many homeowners do not consider is how inefficient a masonry fireplace really is. Even a fireplace with a damper installed is not the most efficient. Don’t get me wrong, the dampers do help tremendously but not as much as installing a fireplace insert. Installing a fireplace insert will upgrade the functionality and appearance of your fireplace making it a reliable supplemental heating source. You can also reduce your environmental footprint and heating costs by installing a fireplace insert. The many benefits of a fireplace insert make it a great investment for any homeowner that has a fireplace in their home.
Here are the top 5 benefits of installing a Fireplace Insert in your home.
Increase Heating Efficiency with a Fireplace Insert
Having a fireplace insert in place will help to make your fireplace a more efficient source for supplemental heat. For a wood burning insert you will be able to burn the same amount of logs 3 times longer than in an open fireplace. The overall efficiency rating of an open wood burning fireplace is approx. 5-10%. The low rating is due to it pulling heated air back into the firebox because of air flow. This causes the fire to burn faster at lower temperatures and the majority of the heat is going up the flue instead of out into the room. New fireplace inserts have an airtight sealed door that allows the fire to burn slower and at higher temperatures which in turn produce more heat output. Most inserts also have a blower option to help direct the radiated heat back into the room for higher heating capabilities. Depending on age and type, a wood burning fireplace insert’s efficiency rating ranges approx. between 60-80%. That is a very big difference. Gas or pellet burning fireplace inserts will also increase fireplace efficiency for heat output. The entire selection of fireplace inserts work on the same concept.
Decrease the Environmental Footprint of a Fireplace
Modern wood burning inserts are designed to burn up harmful byproducts released from combustion. Old-fashioned fireplaces produce an average of 40 grams of smoke per hour while a new fireplace insert will only produce as little as 1 gram of smoke per hour, which is well under the EPA’s clean air standards. Adding a fireplace insert will help to decrease the amount of smoke and lower emissions. Wood and pellet are both sustainable, renewable fuel sources that are considered carbon-neutral by the Carbon Trust because wood will release the same amount of carbon when it decays as it does when it is burned. Transform your fireplace into an eco-friendly heating appliance with the installation of a fireplace insert.
Drastically Cut Heating and Cooling Costs
For those of you fireplace owners that are looking to lower energy bills a fireplace insert is the way to go! Remember what I had mentioned about the heated air being pulled back into the firebox? Well when you have an open fireplace there is nothing to stop the heated or cooled air from escaping up the chimney flue and being wasted which is just like dollar bills flying up the chimney! Fireplace inserts will essentially plug that opening and stop the wasting of your hard earned dollars. The doors on the fireplace insert will also stop downdrafts caused by high winds from blowing the outside air in through the chimney.
Reduces Chimney Maintenance Costs
Rebuilding or repairing a masonry fireplace can become very costly very quickly! You however do not want to neglect the repairs by putting them off. A fireplace Insert can be a solution to firebox issues. When you install a fireplace insert into the fireplace the integrity of the firebox is restored. This however does not eliminate the need to clean the chimney on a regular basis. No matter the type of insert that you choose you will still need to make sure that you are keeping the chimney clean to prevent chimney fires from occurring. Most fireplace inserts come with a long-term warranty or even a limited lifetime warranty. This is something to pay close attention to at the time of purchase.
Adds to the Fireplaces Attractive Appearance
Fireplace inserts are not what they used to be, a big clunky cast iron box that looked hideous in fireplace. Now you are likely to find a suitable fireplace insert no matter what your aesthetic preferences are. Each type of fireplace insert will add something to the appearance of the fireplace making it a pleasant eye-catching focal point. Some models are designed to sit flush in the fireplace while others will extend out of the fireplace a little. You can choose an insert that has cast iron or glass doors, thermostats, or a remote control to make it more convenient.
I don’t see any reason not to consider installing a fireplace insert into a fireplace! It will save your money from flying up the chimney, increases heat efficiency, reduces emissions, cuts maintenance costs, and looks great. If you still have questions about fireplace inserts please feel free to contact our very helpful Customer Service Department at 1-866-677-8454 or email orderdesk@northlineexpress.com.