Installing a fireplace insert in your home can help to drastically improve the heating power of your fireplace by increasing its efficiency by up to 80 percent. However, if you are not familiar with fireplace inserts, then you likely have a lot of questions about what they are, how they work, and whether or not investing in a fireplace insert would be a good option for your home.
To help you make an informed decision, here is a look at everything you need to know about fireplace inserts. If you have not previously heard of fireplace inserts, then you may be uncertain as to what they are.
Similar to a wood stove, a fireplace insert is a steel or cast iron box with an insulated glass front that is installed into an existing masonry fireplace in order to improve its efficiency. The insert is designed to contain and radiate heat back into the room, cutting down on the inefficiencies of traditional fireplaces. While it may feel like your fireplace is heating your home, it is really only providing minimal heat to the area immediately surrounding your fireplace.
Much of the heat that the fire in your fireplace is producing is being wasted, as a lot of warm air is being sucked out of your chimney. Fireplace inserts help to reduce the inefficiencies of fireplaces by containing heat within its shell. Fireplace inserts come in a variety of designs and styles, and they can be powered by a variety of fuel sources including electricity, gas, propane, wood, pellets, or coal, depending on the type that you choose.
Unlike a masonry fireplace, a prefab fireplace is a factory-made product that can, at best, last for up to 20 to 30 years if well maintained; however, the average life expectancy is between 10 to 15 years. Does adding a fireplace increase home value? What does prefab fireplace mean? Can you put an insert in a prefab fireplace? What is the average cost to build a fireplace? How much does it cost to replace fireplace panels? Fireplace Panel Replacement Cost. Are electric fireplaces worth it?
How much does a concrete fireplace surround cost? Traditional Concrete Fireplace Surrounds. How do I know if my fireplace is prefab? When should I replace my fireplace insert? How long does wood burn in a fireplace? How do I make my fireplace bigger? How long do gas fireplaces last? How long does wood stove pipe last? Type of gas logs: A well maintained vented log set with ceramic logs will last a very long time, in some cases 10 or more years. Ramandeep Caillet Professional.
Is it OK to sleep with a gas fireplace on? Gas Fireplaces. Adelma Namasri Professional. Is it bad to leave a gas fireplace on all night? It usually runs all night. However, unvented gas fireplaces aka vent free, ventless can adversely affect indoor air quality and shouldn't be used more than a few hours at In most cases, if your fireplace was installed properly, you can leave it on indefinitely.
Onita Benita Professional. Does gas fireplace need maintenance? Gas Fireplaces Need Loving Too. Jeray Gante Explainer. Should the pilot light always be on in a gas fireplace? A standing pilot is always on, always using a small amount of gas to run constantly unless the gas is physically turned off. Beatrix Nebbia Explainer. Is it cheaper to run a gas fireplace or the furnace? Choosing to turn on a gas fireplace or a gas furnace really depends on what you want to accomplish.
Usually it is more fuel efficient to have the fireplace on because it doesn't lose any heat traveling through ductwork, but that also means the heat is localized and won't warm the entirety of a large house. Agapito Baelo Explainer. Can gas fireplaces run continuously? Most fireplace inserts can be run continuously , as long as the glass front is sealed.
Most direct vent gas fireplaces can be run continuously , as long as the glass front is sealed. Vent-free: A vent-free gas fireplace is designed to operate similarly to an oven, providing a secondary heat source that is not vented. However, open masonry fireplaces are traditionally very inefficient sources of heat and an insert can dramatically increase the amount of heat produced when burning firewood.
Gas and electric inserts can also generate a lot more heat compared to open fires. The initial costs of installing a fireplace insert should be weighed up against the long term benefits. In the majority of cases, it can be worth it to install a fireplace insert.
Fireplace inserts are a very popular form of fireplace and can help to transform your old, inefficient masonry fireplaces into something that will bring plenty of warmth and joy to your home. Fireplace inserts work by fitting into the firebox of an existing fireplace and using the existing setup to be able to generate heat more efficiently compared to what is possible with open masonry fireplaces.
Wood burning, gas and electric fireplace inserts all work differently from each other. Wood burning inserts work by creating a more sealed environment with better control over air flow to the fire to help generate more heat compared to an open fire.
Wood inserts sit within the firebox of an open fireplace and require a connection to the top of the existing chimney using a flue liner of the correct length and size. Air flows into the insert firebox through the air vents, which can be controllable and allow the user to help manage the fire inside more effectively. Reducing the airflow to the wood burning insert will help to slow the fire down and allow it to burn the logs more efficiently to produce more heat than what is possible with an open fire.
Many wood fireplace inserts also have blowers which help to spread the heat around the room or home. Gas fireplace inserts work by taking air either from within the room or outside, depending on the model and venting setup, and burn through a supply of gas that is connected up to the main gas line for the house.
Electric fireplace inserts work by using the standard home electrical supply to generate the look of flames and produce heat through a form of integrated space heater, such as fan forced or infrared. Fireplace inserts can last for many years or decades depending how often and how well they are used. You might also find that there are longer warranties on wood burning or gas inserts compared to electric inserts.
Electric fireplaces typically carry a 1 or 2 year warranty period, while wood burning appliances can have 5 or even 10 year warranties. All fireplace inserts can typically be removed and replaced in the same way that they were first installed. Converting a fireplace insert back to an open wood burning fireplaces may require the removal of any electrical of gas supply to the insert. Fireplace inserts can typically be removed in the reverse order process in which they were originally installed.
An insert may need to be replaced if no longer working, or may need to be removed altogether to open the original masonry fireplace back up again. Certain elements may need to have been originally provided to the fireplace to allow the insert to function.
These could include:. These factors affect the cost of the unit itself. Further costs can come with both installation and additional components required to make the insert work. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Table Of Contents. What Is A Fireplace Insert? Do Fireplace Inserts Produce Heat? Are Fireplace Inserts More Efficient? Do Fireplace Inserts Need Electricity? Are Fireplace Inserts Worth It? How Do Fireplace Inserts Work? Further Reading.
Our old gas fireplace insert. What the original masonry fireplace looked like once we had removed our old gas fireplace insert while renovating.
An example of a traditional open fireplace, in which a fireplace insert would be installed.
0コメント