Keep Your Fireplace Ambiance, and Boost its Heat, With a Fireplace Insert!

On a frigid Washington County day, nothing “warms” up a space (metaphorically speaking) like a blazing fireplace. The light, sound and movement all blend for a romantic, relaxing ambiance.

Unfortunate truth is, an open-hearth woodburning fireplace barely heats a space. Up to 90 percent of the fire’s heat escapes through the chimney. An open fire actually pulls more heat out of a space than it could possibly return. Homeowners endure a fire risk from airborne sparks landing on flammable surfaces, as well.

Want to make your fireplace experience safer, far warmer and more pleasurable)? {Upgrade with a sleek, highly-efficient fireplace insert in Washington County!

Inserted directly into the fireplace opening, a fireplace insert for a woodburning fireplace is a self-contained appliance that sends heat directly into a room, rather than losing most up a chimney. The fire is visible through a glass panel. The ambiance stays – along with far more warmth!

Homeowners can choose between gas fireplace inserts and wood fireplace inserts. Both are offered by Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Washington County. 

Which fireplace insert is for you?

 

A gas insert is perfect for those who want instant, low-maintenance fire. The fire literally turns on at the flip of a switch. Available in a wide range of designs, gas fireplace inserts are fast, clean, and minimal work to operate and maintain.

A woodburning fireplace insert produces significantly more heat than gas. The work involved is much greater, though. A fire has to be physically started, wood added, and air controls adjusted to moderate the blaze. Because it burns so completely, a wood fireplace insert consumes much less timber than an open-hearth design. For those with unlimited or cheap access to firewood in Washington County, a wood burning insert can be noticeably) more cost-effective, and a nice {supplemental heating source for a home.

The decision between gas or woodburning is completely user preference. Many Washington County homeowners proactively install insert-style fireplaces for greater heat and cleanliness, often when designing homes.

The alternative situation for adding an insert is when a fireplace inspection discovers cracked or missing flue tiles. Installing a brand-new insert will avoid many issues, and is often less costly than making repairs. The decision might not be difficult.

Fireplace inserts are made of heavy-gauge sheet steel. The doors are cast iron, which allows highly efficient heat conduction. Fire is completely enclosed within, viewable through ceramic glass, and can be left unattended.

Smoke is exhausted via a new stainless steel liner added inside the chimney. Wood fireplace inserts use a single 6-inch liner; gas, two 3-inch liners, one for delivering air to the firebox, and another for exhausting gases.

Butler Chimneys regularly installs fireplace inserts – gas or wood – in homes in Washington County in one day. If the former is added, a new fuel line is run from a gas source elsewhere in the house.

New stainless steel chimney liners carry lifetime warranties. Their installation can sometimes permit homeowners to bypass expensive chimney repairs that would otherwise be needed to ensure safe venting of fireplace gases.

Another benefit of fireplace inserts? If power goes out, they remain a steady, reliable heat source. In severe weather, they can literally be a lifesaver.

Ready to look into a fireplace insert? Contact Butler Chimneys. You’ll enjoy the ambiance of a fireplace … and a far warmer, more comfortable space around you!