Turn your fireplace into a heating machine
Casual use open burning fireplaces are not efficient and require frequent fire tending. The oversize fireplace flue sweeps the firebox heat up the flue. Even worse, the draft of the fireplace gathers up the heated room air as well. A few hours of casual fireplace use can force your central heating system to work harder and cost you money!
Installing glass doors on your fireplace will stop the fireplace draft from sucking the heated room air up the flue so the glass doors will make your fireplace less inefficient but does not add any new efficiency.
Installing a high efficiency fireplace insert will turn your fireplace into a heating appliance with at least 75% efficiency. Understanding your options and having good measurements in hand are important when you visit your local hearth store.
CHIMNEY Determine the condition of your chimney. All chimneys should be professionally evaluated and upgraded as required. Insert installations require that the chimney be approved to current codes, clean and in working condition. If you have an existing wood burning fireplace that is manufactured with an air cooled metal chimney system, a wood burning insert may not an option open to you. Check closely with the manfuacturer's guidelines.
CHIMNEY LINERS Fireplace chimney flues are oversized by design. Most wood inserts will require an inner liner or stainless steel sleeve to be installed if the existing flue liner is larger than 7” x 11”. All gas inserts require inner liners. Liners for wood and liners for gas are constructed of different materials and sizes.
ELECTRIC REQUIREMENT Inserts use electric blowers to extract and distribute the heat from the firebox. A nearby electric outlet is required. To eliminate the exposed cord from the surround you may wish to have an electrician install a hidden outlet.
FUEL SUPPLY Gas fired inserts require a gas line installed into the firebox and an outside propane storage tank if natural gas is not your option. Think about snow removal when positioning the propane tank. Homeowners must provide access to the tank after the winter snows. Wood inserts require a storage area where the wood will be dry and accessible for refueling and you also need to provide a safe method to dispose of wood ashes.
SIZING Inserts are sold as two or more components: the insert or firebox plus a surround panel and sometimes an optional front. The insert must physically fit into the firebox. Fireplaces with tapered fireboxes or slanted back firewalls can be difficult to accommodate. The surround panel is designed to cover the gap between the insert and the actual fireplace opening size. Surround panels are offered in differing sizes and styles giving one insert several options.
CLEARANCES Each product is tested and listed to minimum clearances from combustible top and side fireplace trim as well as from combustible mantles. The dimensional depth of the facing trim and of the depth of mantle is important factor when measuring.
HEARTH EXTENSION All wood inserts require the hearth to extend beyond the insert opening. Some units require that the hearth extension meet a certain R factor. Many gas inserts also require a hearth extension. These are stated distances in the product manual.