What type of fireplace insert is best?

For the budget-conscious, a wood-burning fireplace insert is probably the wisest choice, because wood is less expensive to burn than gas. Additionally, a wood fire in an insert produces far less smoke than in a traditional “open” fireplace.

In respect to this, what type of fireplace insert should I buy?

There are three basic types of fireplace inserts that are available on the market today: wood, pellet, or gas. The most popular inserts are the traditional wood kind because it helps to replicate the environment of the fireplace while improving its heating efficiency.

Subsequently, question is, which type of fireplace is most efficient? When it comes to efficiency, gas fireplaces have wood-burning fireplaces and pellet fireplaces beat. The use of gas is just much more efficient than than having to burn wood or pellets, not to mention that a gas fireplace doesn't require electricity to run.

In this regard, is a fireplace insert worth the money?

Fireplace inserts are a more efficient heat source than traditional fireplaces. A traditional fireplace only converts about 20% of its fuel into usable heat, with some older fireplaces being as low as 5-10%. The closed combustion system of a fireplace insert can be 60-80% efficient.

What's the best wood fireplace insert?

The Best Fireplace Inserts Reviewed

Name Type Our Rating
Name Type Our Rating
Timberwolf Economizer Wood Burning Fireplace Insert Wood Burning 4.0
Century Heating High-Efficiency Wood Stove Fireplace Insert Wood Burning 4.5
ClassicFlame 23EF031GRP 23" Electric Fireplace Insert Electric 4.7

How long should a fireplace insert last?

20-30 years

How do I choose a fireplace insert?

To determine the right size, measure the following: opening height; opening width; opening depth (top and bottom); rear width and the depth of the hearth (area in front of fireplace). LOCATION: A fireplace insert needs to be placed in an existing masonry or factory-built fireplace with a working chimney.

How do I know what size fireplace insert I need?

To determine the right size, measure the following: opening height; opening width; opening depth (top and bottom); rear width and the depth of the hearth (area in front of fireplace). LOCATION: A fireplace insert needs to be placed in an existing masonry or factory-built fireplace with a working chimney.

How much does it cost to install a fireplace insert?

Fireplace Cost Fireplace installation costs between $100 and $5,600 depending on the type. The cost to install a gas fireplace is $2,300 to $4,000, a traditional wood-burning fireplace runs $1,900 to $3,300, and an electric fireplace costs $100 to $2,200. Building a masonry fireplace costs $3,500 to $5,600.

How effective are fireplace inserts?

Fireplace inserts have a sealed, air tight door system which generates more heat because the fire burns much slower and the heat isn't wasted. The efficiency of fireplace inserts can be as much as 80%. A more efficient wood-burning heating system means less gas, oil, or electricity is required to heat your home.

Do I need a fireplace insert?

Usually a wood burning fireplace built with the home will get an “insert” put inside of it. You need an insert not a fireplace when you already have a fireplace in the home, you don't want to do any construction, when you want the simplest conversion.

How do you size a gas fireplace insert?

How to Measure Your Fireplace for Gas Logs
  1. Measure the front opening of your fireplace.
  2. Measure the back width of your fireplace.
  3. Measure the depth of the floor from back wall to the front of your fireplace.
  4. Measure the inside height of the fireplace from the floor to the lowest point inside the fireplace.

Does a fireplace insert need a liner?

But to work properly, an insert needs a proper chimney liner. A fireplace insert is like a wood stove that has been modified by its manufacturer to fit within the firebox of a masonry fireplace. Later, a short length of stainless steel liner was installed up into the chimney of the original fireplace.

Do fireplace inserts increase home value?

The National Center for Real Estate Research released the results of a recent study showing on average that adding a fireplace boosts home values by 12%. Nearly 70% of real estate agents polled by Angieslist stated they notice home values increase whenever a fireplace is installed.

Does using fireplace save money?

Do Fireplaces Actually Save on Heating Bills? The answer is while they can, they rarely do. Because only gas-insert and electric fireplaces are energy efficient, combined with the fact that homeowners need to use them strategically, most homeowners with fireplaces end up using more energy instead of less.

Are fireplace inserts safe?

Most ventless gas fireplace inserts are considered safe for homeowners because they include an oxygen-depletion sensor that turns gas off before carbon monoxide reaches dangerous levels in the room. Nevertheless, some states don't allow ventless gas units.

What is the difference between a fireplace and a fireplace insert?

The primary difference is that a fireplace insert is an appliance that can be installed into an existing wood burning fireplace to make it more efficient. There are inserts that burn wood, gas with a direct vent system, and gas inserts that do not require a vent.

What is the most efficient gas fireplace insert?

Best Gas Fireplace Insert Reviews (Updated List)
  1. Napoleon Grandville VF Series Vent-Free Natural Gas Fireplace.
  2. Mercury 32″ Top/Rear Direct Vent Gas Fireplace w/Intellifire – NG.
  3. Empire Tahoe Deluxe 36″ Direct-Vent NG Millivolt Fireplace.
  4. 42″ Artisan Vent Free SCC See-Through Linear Fireplace.

How does a fireplace insert work?

An insert is basically a fireproof box that's surrounded by steel or cast iron and fronted by insulated glass, creating a closed combustion system. The steel or cast iron helps to trap the heat. Some inserts have a blower that pushes the hot air back into the room through front vents.

How much will an electric fireplace raise my electric bill?

The average electric fireplace uses nearly 1500 watts of power. If you use it just for ambiance, then the cost can range anywhere from $0.003 to $0.03 per hour. However, if you use a heating unit as well, the costs will go up to around $0.09 per hour for a medium setting, and $0.18 per hour for the maximum setting.

Which is cheaper gas or wood fireplace?

Natural gas is a fairly inexpensive form of energy, so a gas fireplace is inexpensive to run. Wood-burning fireplaces cost about $190 annually to produce a number of BTUs similar to a gas fireplace. Both gas and wood-burning fireplaces lose heat up the chimney, although wood-burning fireplaces typically lose more.

What type of fireplace gives the most heat?

While a vented gas fireplace can give your furnace a break, it's no replacement. Like ventless gas fireplaces, vented gas fireplaces provide a decent amount of heat to the room in which they're located, but often need a boost from the heat of a furnace to make a room comfortable for an extended period of time.

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