Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts: The Smart Alternative to Traditional Fireplaces

A wood-burning fireplace insert is an excellent alternative to a traditional fireplace. It provides the ambiance associated with a traditional wood-burning fireplace along with the major advantage of being energy efficient.

Fireplace Inserts

A fireplace insert is a unit made for installation in an already existing fireplace. Made out of materials that can withstand the heat generated by the unit, typically iron or steel, these units are available in different dimensions to fit within your fireplace and still allow for some space around the walls. Fireplace inserts are categorized based on the type of fuel they consume and include electric fireplace inserts, gas fireplace inserts, and wood burning fireplace inserts. However, in this article, we will discuss wood fireplace inserts and analyze the installation, maintenance, and running costs of having one in your home.

Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts

These fireplaces have a metal casing with a transparent cover. While they consume wood as a fuel, they do it in a much more efficient way than traditional wood furnaces.

Energy Savings

Traditional wood-burning fireplaces consume far more fuel than wood burning fireplace inserts because traditional units lose much more heat than inserts, therefore, requiring more wood to maintain their temperature.

The combustion gases from a traditional fireplace carry a lot of heat with them through the chimney of the house, and this heat is then not available for heating your home. Estimates indicate that up to 90% of the heat generated by traditional fireplaces is actually lost through exhaust gases leaving through the chimney. The enclosed nature of inserts extracts the most heat out of the wood fuel at the least cost. Additionally, fireplace inserts have a fan that circulates the heat to the air in the room increasing the efficiency of fireplace inserts by also reducing heat loss.

Installation Costs

The installation costs of a wood burning fireplace insert are very low because you don't need to do any renovation on your existing home. When you purchase one of these units, you receive a standalone unit that you can simply insert into the existing masonry fireplace.

Running Costs

Because the fuel consumed is wood, the cost of running a firewood insert is dependent on the cost of wood in your area. Estimates show that the cost of running a wood fireplace insert is around $900 a year. While this may seem like a lot, this figure is much lower than the cost to run a traditional fireplace because as mentioned earlier, the latter is not very efficient. Due to their efficiency, wood burning fireplace inserts can run for a long period, typically between three and six hours, on one load of wood fuel.

Maintenance Costs

The maintenance costs of a wood burning fireplace insert are very low because of their efficient combustion. Additionally, you will not have to spend a lot of money to have soot removed from the chimneys as you would with a traditional wood-burning fireplace.

Selecting a Fireplace Inserts

One key factor when selecting a wood-burning fireplace insert is the size of the house you want to heat. Please consult a qualified contractor for advice regarding which size insert to purchase to get the best value for your money.

Advantages of Fireplace Inserts

• Increased home value
• Added ambiance
• Provides romance & scent
• Lower utility bills
• Low maintenance costs
• Easy to use
• Many design options available to choose from

Conclusion

Installing a fireplace insert in your home can cut energy costs, improve your home’s ambiance and keep your family warm during the winter. Contact one of our professional team members today for assistance with choosing the right insert for your home.