There is nothing better in autumn or winter when heating your home than the smell, and the crackle of a wood-burning fire. Many of us grew up enjoying this with our families. So why would you want to consider other options like fireplace inserts?

The Problem With Burning Wood

Unfortunately, while wood-burning fireplaces are charming, they’re not all that great on the budget, your lungs or the environment! They can also be dangerous.

Conventional hearth chimneys waste about 90% of the heat the fire creates and siphons off some of the heated indoor air of your house, as stated by the EPA.  Therefore, NOT an efficient method of heating your living space.

Inhaling burning wood smoke is also as dangerous as smoking cigarettes; wood smoke is loaded with carcinogens like benzene.  Burning wood fuels global warming, too. Worse, the leftover soot is a heat-trapping pollutant.

Wood-burning hearths need a lot of maintenance, including a professional cleaning every other year along with regular ash clean-ups.

3 Energy-Efficient Fireplace Inserts Alternatives

There are three popular alternatives to burning wood:  gas fireplace inserts, alcohol fireplace inserts, and electric fireplace inserts. All are great alternatives whether or not you have a working chimney and hearth inside your home. Let’s learn more about these options.… Read More