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

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

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

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

Going right into the fireplace opening, a fireplace insert for a woodburning fireplace is a self-contained appliance that transfers heat directly into a room, rather than sending most through a chimney. The fire can be seen 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 Waterville. 

Which fireplace insert is for you?

 

A gas insert is ideal for those who want instant, low-maintenance fire. The fire literally ignites 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 lit, wood added, and air controls adjusted to moderate 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 sources of firewood in Waterville, a wood burning insert can be additional heating source for a home.

The choice between gas or woodburning is purely user preference. Many Waterville homeowners proactively install insert-style fireplaces for greater heat and cleanliness, often when designing 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 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 fantastic heat conduction. Fire is completely enclosed within, seen 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 delivering air to the firebox, and another for expelling gases.

Butler Chimneys regularly installs fireplace inserts – gas or wood – in homes in Waterville 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 avoid costly chimney repairs that would otherwise be needed to ensure safe venting of fireplace gases.

Another advantage 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!