Keep Your Fireplace Ambiance, and Boost the Warmth, With a Fireplace Insert!

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

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

Want to make your fireplace experience safer, far warmer and more enjoyable with a sleek, highly-efficient fireplace insert in Utica!

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

Homeowners can select between gas fireplace inserts and wood fireplace inserts. Both are available from Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Utica. 

Which fireplace insert is for you?

 

A gas insert is perfect for those who want immediate, low-maintenance fire. The fire literally ignites at the flip of a switch. Available in a broad selection of designs, gas fireplace inserts are fast, clean, and little work to operate and maintain.

A woodburning fireplace insert emits 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 control the blaze. Because it burns so effectively, a wood fireplace insert consumes much less timber than an open-hearth design. For those with unlimited or cheap sources of firewood in Utica, 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 entirely user preference. Many Utica homeowners proactively install insert-style fireplaces for enhanced heat and cleanliness, often when designing homes.

The alternative scenario 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 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 highly efficient heat conduction. Fire is completely enclosed within, seen 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 delivering air to the firebox, and another for exhausting gases.

Butler Chimneys regularly installs fireplace inserts – gas or wood – in homes in Utica 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 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 ponder a fireplace insert? Contact Butler Chimneys. You’ll enjoy the ambiance of a fireplace … and a far warmer, more comfortable space around you!