Create An Eco Friendly Fireplace With Fireplace Inserts
April 30, 2011 by Paul Stevens
Filed under Green Products
Traditional wood burning fireplaces are quite inefficient when it comes to heating your house. Most of the heat rises up the chimney with the smoke and ash. Fireplace inserts are created to fit into your existing wood fireplace and supply an isolation barrier to trap the warmth and blow it back out into your home.
The traditional wood burning fireplace insert is insulated so it minimizes the air flow allowing the wood to burn slower and more completely. This creates more heat and traps it. You can also purchase a blower to go with the insert to generate the heat through the entire home. Wood burning fireplace inserts are quite heavy since they usually constructed from steel or cast iron with insulated glass in the front. Generally they cost in between $1,000 and $2,000. Modern day inserts ought to include piping that runs up the chimney to generate a proper flow and to prevent creosote build-up and fires.
Gas inserts utilize a gas flame under ceramic logs to get a clean burning flame. There is no smoke or toxic fumes to cope with and they may be connected on your natural gas system.
Electric fireplace inserts plug right into your nearest wall plug and creates a flame like appearance not an actual flame so that you don’t even require a chimney. The electric fireplace insert is also the least expensive to run since it only uses the power required for a light bulb or two. These inserts are also the least realistic looking.
Pellet fireplace inserts use recycled pellets made from scrap wood and recycled cardboard, paper and other waste material. These are eco-friendly because of the use of recycled material.
Inserts are an easy way to improve the efficiency of your wood burning fireplace and be greener. They provide heat better and permit less smoke into the home. The downside is that they may be expensive to purchase and install which means you need to consider the costs vs. the savings in heat. Inserts can also be quite heavy. Some cities are now banning wood fireplaces so if you want a fireplace you will have no choice but to get an insert.
Before you buy anything online, make sure you check Paul Stevens’ excellent lens on Eco Friendly Fireplaces