The Lowdown on Gas Fireplace Inserts

With fuel costs rapidly increasing, it’s only practical that you use fireplaces that are more effective in providing heat. Traditional fireplaces are known for being inefficient in providing warmth in a home. In addition to that, they also require hauling firewood and cleaning ashes, tasks that most people would rather do without. Plus, traditional fireplaces are fire hazards. These are well-founded grounds that cause homeowners to look for other alternatives, like the gas fireplace insert.

Compared to wood-burning fireplace, a gas fireplace insert is a superior choice since it is cleaner, safer and easier to use. It offers the maximum level of convenience without burden. A gas fireplace insert does not only improve your environment aesthetically, it also provides home energy savings and can improve the efficiency of the fireplace by up to 85 percent. A gas fireplace insert also works well if you use your fireplace as a zone heater.

A gas fireplace insert, which can be operated at a flip of a switch, can be fitted easily into your existing fireplace and turn it into an efficient heat provider. A gas fireplace insert is made up of a gas log set fitted in a firebox that’s made of either steel or ceramic. A gas fireplace insert has a co-linear aluminum intake and exhaust liners that stretch out to the chimney top, where a converter box enables attachment of a co-axial cap. A gas fireplace insert is equipped with an external shell that delivers heated air into a room and cut down heat loss to the masonry. A gas fireplace insert also comes with panels that shield the fireplace opening. To facilitate heat movement in a room, most units are equipped with fans and are supplemented with wall-mounted thermostats or remote control devices to allow for automatic operation. A gas fireplace insert is also an environment-friendly device that produces cleaner flames, thus producing less pollution.

If you’re planning to install a gas fireplace insert, consider a direct vent gas fireplace insert. This type has been tested to have similar standards as with furnaces. A direct vent gas fireplace insert features a sealed combustion system that provides more heating efficiency. This system ensures that the combustion air that creates flames originated entirely from outside the home through a direct vent pipe. This procedure reduces heat loss, which is common in conventional chimneys. With a direct vent gas fireplace, 85 percent of generated heat remains in the house. Plus, the direct vent pipe also protects the quality of the air indoors by pushing out 100 percent of the fire’s combustion exhaust outside the house. Because of this, a direct vent gas fireplace insert is a healthier alternative to other heat-providing devices.

The modern gas fireplace insert of today looks similar to traditional fireplace inserts wherein the gas tube is mounted on the opposite side of the wall. This is to conceal it from plain view and allow easy reloading. Fireplaces that are equipped with inserts afford a simpler means of cleaning compared to open fireplaces given that the floors of inserts are flat and even allowing people to effortlessly clean ashes or dust.

A unit of gas fireplace insert can go from a low of a couple of hundred dollars to as high as several thousands of dollars. They come in different styles like the traditional masonry and contemporary looks.