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

On a frostbit Ottawa day, nothing “warms” up a room (metaphorically speaking) like a roaring fireplace. The light, sound and movement all mix for a romantic, relaxing atmosphere.

Unfortunate reality is, an open-hearth woodburning fireplace hardly warms a space. Up to 90 percent of the fire’s heat is lost through the chimney. An open fire actually draws more heat out of a space than it could ever 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 Ottawa!

Inserted right into the fireplace opening, a fireplace insert for a woodburning fireplace is a self-contained component that propels heat directly into a room, rather than losing most up a chimney. The fire can be seen through 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 Ottawa. 

Which fireplace insert is for you?

 

A gas insert is perfect for those who want immediate, low-maintenance fire. The fire literally goes on at the flip of a switch. Available in a wide array 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 started, wood added, and air controls adjusted to control the blaze. Because it burns so efficiently, a wood fireplace insert uses much less timber than an open-hearth setup. For those with unlimited or cheap sources of firewood in Ottawa, a wood burning insert can be additional heating source for a home.

The choice between gas or woodburning is purely user preference. Many Ottawa homeowners proactively add insert-style fireplaces for greater heat and cleanliness, often when building 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 get around 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 expelled through a new stainless steel liner installed 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 expelling gases.

Butler Chimneys regularly installs fireplace inserts – gas or wood – in homes in Ottawa 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 allow homeowners to skip 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!