Maintain Your Fireplace Ambiance, and Increase the Heat, With a Fireplace Insert!

On a chilly Bethesda day, nothing “warms” up a space (metaphorically speaking) like a blazing fireplace. The light, sound and movement all mix for a romantic, relaxing environment.

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

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

Going 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 via a glass panel. The ambiance remains – 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 Bethesda. 

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 selection of designs, gas fireplace inserts are fast, clean, and little effort to operate and maintain.

A woodburning fireplace insert creates significantly more heat than gas. The work required is much greater, though. A fire has to be physically lit, wood added, and air controls adjusted to control the blaze. Because it burns so efficiently, a wood fireplace insert consumes much less timber than an open-hearth design. For those with unlimited or cheap access to firewood in Bethesda, 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 purely user preference. Many Bethesda homeowners proactively put in insert-style fireplaces for greater heat and cleanliness, often when building homes.

The alternative situation for adding an insert is when a fireplace inspection reveals cracked or missing flue tiles. Installing a brand-new insert will bypass many issues, and is often less expensive than doing repairs. The decision might not be too hard.

Fireplace inserts are made of heavy-gauge sheet steel. The doors are cast iron, which allows fantastic 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 typically installs fireplace inserts – gas or wood – in homes in Bethesda 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 have lifetime warranties. Their installation can sometimes allow homeowners to bypass pricey 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!