How Much Money Can Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts Save Me in Heating Costs?

WriterGuy | Jun 9, 2010 |

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A fireplace not only serves as a heat source in a home; it also adds personality to it. A well-crafted mantle could be the central focus of the room.

However, the downside is that in general, fireplaces, especially ones built with bricks and mortar (also called masonry fireplaces), are highly ineffective.

The air heated by the fire gets absorbed by the material and is delivered out into the cold. Instead of the room benefitting from the fire, the heat gets lost elsewhere, resulting into a waste of fuel and energy.

Wood burning fireplace inserts could be used to combat this. Contrary to common belief, installing wood burning fireplace inserts into classic masonry fireplaces will not deteriorate its look.

A flavor of modernity would be added in a complimentary way. Home improvement stores offer different faceplate designs so customers could choose one that matches their current interiors.

This kind of insert is actually a box (called a firebox) placed inside an existing fireplace. The sides are reinforced with stainless steel that heats the surrounding air and circulates it back into the house thus adding heat efficiency. And since wood is burned, the emissions are cleaner than those that use other fuels.

Before purchasing one of these, the place for the firebox should first be measured. A professional could be hired for more accurate measurements. This also goes for the installation because it may prove to be more complicated than what the user manual states.

A screen should also be used because cinders could go flying into the room. Normally, wood burning fireplace inserts are not cheap, costing at least $1000 exclusive of other add-ons.

This may be a shocking value but it is better to pay for this than to continuously suffer through cold winters and truckloads of wood that could be burned more efficiently. Save yourself money from the cost of lost heat by using a wood burning fireplace insert instead of having most of your heat literally go up the chimney in flames.