Investing in a fireplace insert is a smart way to cut down on your heating and cooling costs all year roundWhen you use a traditional fireplace, only about 10 percent of the heat produced by the fire radiates into the room, the rest is lost up the chimney. A fireplace insert is designed to be more efficient so that most of the heat produced by the fire will warm up the room.
You can increase the heat efficiency of your fireplace by up to 80 percent by having a fireplace insert installed. Along with increasing the heating power of your fireplace, an insert can reduce your cooling costs during the spring and summer by preventing air-conditioned air from escaping up the chimney.
If you’ve never bought a fireplace insert before, don’t worry! Finding the right one for your home is simple as long as you follow these 4 tips for choosing a fireplace insert:
Tip #1 – Measure Your Fireplace
It is important to choose a fireplace insert that is the correct size for your fireplace. Fireplace inserts come in many different sizes because of the wide range of fireplace dimensions. You should invest in a fireplace insert that fits tightly inside the firebox, or fireplace opening, without extra space around it.
You should measure your fireplace’s firebox before you begin shopping for a fireplace insert. You’ll need to know the length, depth and height. Be sure to bring these measurements with you when you stop by a showroom to view live burning models.
If you are considering installing an insert into a pre-fabricated, or factory built fireplace, make sure to also look in the owner’s manual to find out what types of inserts, if any, are compatibly rated to work with it.
Tip #2 – Determine How Many Square Feet It Should Heat
Much like with a furnace, the model you choose will determine the amount of square feet that it can effectively warmup. If you don’t know the square footage of the area it will be heating, you could end up with a model that isn’t powerful enough to heat the space you need it to or is too powerful for the space it’s in.
The heat output of a fireplace insert is measured in British thermal units (BTUs). A fireplace insert with a low heat output typically produces around 30,000 BTUs per hour. A fireplace insert with a high heat output can produce as much as 85,000 BTUs per hour. The smaller the space you are trying to heat, the less BTUs your insert needs to produce and vice versa.
If your home is not insulated well and/or you are hoping to use your fireplace insert as the primary heating source for your home, you may need a fireplace insert with a higher heat output even if it will be heating a smaller space.
The best way to find out the ideal heat output for your fireplace insert is to speak with a fireplace expert.
Tip #3 – Decide What Fuel Type You Want to Use
An extra perk of installing a fireplace insert is that you can choose the fuel type. You can convert a wood burning traditional fireplace into a pellet or gas burning fireplace when you have a fireplace insert installed.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing what type of fuel you want your fireplace insert to burn:
Wood – Wood is an inexpensive and environmentally friendly fuel. Along with being a renewable resource, wood is also carbon-neutral meaning that it releases the same amount of carbon when it burns as it would decaying in the forest. You can feel good knowing that you aren’t increases your carbon footprint when you burn wooden logs. The drawback of using wood is that it is more work. You have to gather and split logs, store them in a dry place and then carry them inside to feed the fire. You also have to be sure to regularly clean ashes out of the fireplace and have the chimney cleaned more frequently to prevent dangerous build ups of creosote (a flammable combustion by-product).
Pellets – Pellets are also an environmentally friendly fuel. Pellets are made out of recycled wood shavings, chips and bark. Though buying pellets is more expensive than collecting logs in the forest, they are still a cost effective fuel solution that is more convenient to use than wood logs.
Pellets are sold in bags that are easy to stack and store. Along with saving you the hassle of collecting and cutting wood, you also won’t have to manually feed the fire if you have a pellet fireplace insert.
Pellet fireplace inserts are designed to store pellets in a hopper. The hopper automatically feeds pellets into the fire as needed. Many pellet fireplaces can heat your home for up to 36 hours before you need to refill the hopper.
Gas – Gas fireplace inserts are the easiest to use. Since they are hooked up to a gas line, you don’t have to worry about collecting or storing fuel. Gas fireplace inserts are also cleaning burning so you don’t have to worry about ashes or creosote buildup.
The greatest advantage of having a gas fireplace insert is that it offers you a wide range of customization and convenient features. You can customize the look of the fire from choosing accent lighting to picking between artificial logs, stones, or fire glass. You can control the amount of heat and size of the flames with a remote control or thermostat.
You will need either a propane tank or access to a gas line to install a gas fireplace insert into a wood burning fireplace.
Every type of fireplace insert is available in a variety of styles from modern to traditional so that you can find one that fits your décor wither you prefer gas, wood or pellets. The best fuel is one that suits your preferences.
Tip #4 – Hire a Professional to Install Your Fireplace Insert
Once you’ve have found the right fireplace insert for your home, the best way to have it safely installed is to hire a professional.
You might think that installing a fireplace insert will be as simple as installing a window air conditioning unit but it is far more complex. Before the insert is installed, your chimney will need to be cleaned, inspected and lined with a stainless-steel flue liner that will be connected to the fireplace insert. If your fireplace insert has any electrical components like a fan, hopper or thermostat, it will need to be wired into your electricity. If you have a gas fireplace insert, it will have to be connected to a gas line or propane tank.
Messing up any steps during the installation process could make your fireplace insert a safety risk. That is why building codes typically require that a fireplace insert be installed by a professional. Many fireplace insert warranties are void if the insert isn’t professionally installed. The small cost of hiring a professional to install the insert is worth the cost.
If you follow these 4 simple steps, you are sure to find the perfect fireplace insert for your home.
Swing by our showroom in Conifer, CO to see live burning models or speak to a fireplace expert! We offer the best selection of top-rated fireplace inserts. All of our team members are fireplace experts. They would be happy to help you figure out the ideal heat output for your fireplace insert or track down a fireplace insert with all of the features that you want. Once you’ve found the right fireplace insert, we can expertly install it for you.