Keep Your Fireplace Ambiance, and Heighten its Warmth, With a Fireplace Insert!

On a frosty Oconomowoc day, nothing “warms” up a space (metaphorically speaking) like a roaring fireplace. The light, sound and movement all blend for a romantic, relaxing environment.

Unfortunate fact is, an open-hearth woodburning fireplace barely heats a space. 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 endure a fire risk from airborne sparks landing on combustible surfaces, as well.

Like to make your fireplace experience safer, far warmer and more Transform it with a sleek, highly-efficient fireplace insert in Oconomowoc!

Going directly into the fireplace opening, a fireplace insert for a woodburning fireplace is a self-contained unit that transfers heat directly into a room, rather than losing most up a chimney. The fire can be seen via a glass panel. The ambiance stays – along with far more warmth!

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

Which fireplace insert is for you?

 

A gas insert is ideal 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 minimal effort to operate and maintain.

A woodburning fireplace insert emits 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 moderate the blaze. Because it burns so thoroughly, a wood fireplace insert uses much less timber than an open-hearth design. For those with unlimited or cheap sources of firewood in Oconomowoc, a wood burning insert can be noticeably) more cost-effective, and a nice {supplemental heating source for a home.

The choice between gas or woodburning is purely user preference. Many Oconomowoc homeowners proactively add insert-style fireplaces for greater heat and cleanliness, often when constructing homes.

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

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

Smoke is exhausted through 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 providing air to the firebox, and another for exhausting gases.

Butler Chimneys regularly installs fireplace inserts – gas or wood – in homes in Oconomowoc 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 permit homeowners to skip costly 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 consider a fireplace insert? Contact Butler Chimneys. You’ll enjoy the ambiance of a fireplace … and a far warmer, more comfortable space around you!