3 Ways a Fireplace Insert Can Cut Costs

Do you feel like your fireplace barely produces heat no matter how many logs you throw on the fire or how quickly you feed it new ones? If you do, you aren’t alone. Many homeowners give up on the idea of using their fireplace to heat their home because most the fire’s warmth gets lost up the chimney.  

If your fireplace is creating more work for you than heat, that means it has low efficiency. Standard masonry fireplaces and old zero-clearance fireplaces can have as low as 5% efficiency. That means 95% of the heat the fire produces goes out the chimney. There is a solution to this problem.

A fireplace insert is a prefabricated firebox that is installed in the mouth of an existing fireplace. It is specifically designed to generate more heat and push it into your home. It is able to do this because it has a closed combustion system that helps wood to burn hotter and more completely. Most models also have fans that blow the heated air into your home before it can escape up the chimney.

You can lower your energy costs and effectively heat your home with a fireplace by investing in a fireplace insert.

Three ways a fireplace insert can cut your energy costs:

1. Preventing heated & cooled air from escaping up the chimney.

Even when there isn’t a fire burning in the hearth, having a fireplace insert can lower your energy costs. The sealed glass doors on the insert prevent air conditioned or heated air from escaping outside. They also prevent hot gusts of air or bitterly cold breezes from coming down the chimney. No matter what the season, you can save money on heating and cooling by having a fireplace insert.

2. Generating enough heat to keep your living areas at a comfortable temperature.

You can reduce your reliance on your furnace during the winter when you use your fireplace insert. High efficiency models can heat up a large room or even an entire floor depending on the one you choose. This means that you can turn down your furnace and rely on your fireplace insert to keep the space you spend the most time in comfortable. 

3. Produce more heat with less fuel.

The high efficiency of fireplace inserts creates a long burning fire. You won’t have to make as many trips out to the wood pile or stock up as much wood to get through the winter when you have a fireplace insert.

The cost cutting benefits of installing a fireplace insert aren’t the only advantages.

Extra benefits of upgrading your fireplace with an insert:

• You can convert your fireplace to burn another type of fuel like gas or pellets.
• You can choose an insert with convenient options like remote control operation or thermostat settings.
• You wont have to clean as much ash out of the firebox because wood will burn more completely.
• It will reduce the risk of a chimney fire during the burning season since fireplace inserts produce less creosote.

Don’t settle for a drafty fireplace that can’t heat your home! Upgrade your fireplace with a fireplace insert!