Improve Your Home’s Energy Efficiency with a Fireplace Insert
While finding a home with a fireplace is one of the most sought after features when shopping for a home, most traditional wood-burning fireplaces can be very inefficient at keeping your home warm and comfortable. Due to the nature of design with most fireplaces, you may be losing up to eight percent of the warm air produced by your home’s heating system--right up the chimney. However, homeowners have found a way to fight back and increase the efficiency of their fireplaces.
Homeowners are choosing to increase the energy efficiency of their homes by upgrading their fireplaces with fireplace inserts. When professionally installed, a fireplace insert can help prevent this heat loss within your home. It can also extend the life of your fireplace by keeping the heat away from its masonry work.
There are different types of fireplace inserts that use wood or other types of fuel, including natural gas, pellets, and biofuels like corn or sunflower seeds. Many inserts offer additional options such as blowers, electronic ignitions, and remote controls. For those who wish to forego having to keep a supply of fuel on hand that includes firewood or pellets; natural gas may be the way to go. If you have an existing natural gas supply, a natural gas-fueled insert can be connected to the supply in your home to provide you with effortless comfort in your home.
To ensure that you are getting the most from your fireplace insert and to maintain your manufacturer’s warranty, it is in your best interest to have it professionally installed. A professional installer will inspect your existing chimney to make sure it does not require any repairs before the installation, in addition to making sure your new insert is properly vented.