Picking The Right Fireplace Insert For A Living Room

05.01.2010 | Author: Chris Channing | Posted in Home & Living

A fireplace insert is a handy object that brings the ambiance of a fireplace to one’s home with minimal effort. It can save on heating bills and set the environment for a truly inspiring living room setting. With so many variations to choose from, home owners will have a fun time picking which one to opt for.

Direct vent fireplace inserts completely eliminate the need for a vertical chimney, and also the maintenance problems that comes with one. A direct vent insert will pipe all fumes and residue directly out of the house via the most convenient location. They can be vented horizontally so that the only thing required to complete the construction is to create a small hole in the exterior wall of the home or garage.

A natural vent fireplace insert is used to create a vertical vent that vents all the fumes to the outside of the home. This is the most similar to a conventional fireplace in terms of exhausting the fumes, and also very safe considering that fumes will naturally rise. As such, there is little concern for fumes to get kicked back into the house and create an unsafe atmosphere.

If you don’t like the idea of having an open fire in your home, try out the electric fireplace inserts that are available. An electric insert can use several methods of creating heat, but most often it uses a form of resistance to create heat that is then expelled into the air. Electric inserts are very safe, easy to maintain, and likely the least costly to keep running.

Pellet burning fireplace inserts use pellets of flammable organic material in order to fuel the combustion process. The pellets are often recycled, making them a sound decision for families that are concerned with the environment. Families gain the benefit of not having to deal with deadly gases and fumes, yet also gain the joy of not having to haul large blocks of wood around just to have a constant fire going through the day.

The classic wood burning fireplace insert is also an option. This option is best suited for properties that are next to woody areas that can be used to harvest firewood. If not, it’s helpful to have a friend or source of cheap wood to keep the fire burning throughout the Winter. Modern wood burning fireplaces do take more maintenance in operating, but they are hard to beat if you live out in rural areas with access to free firewood.

Closing Comments

Fireplace inserts cost a good amount of pocket change. You will want to research any models you had in mind among several different retail shops. Also factor in shipping prices to see at what price you can get the fireplace insert of your choice.

Learn more on gas fireplace inserts.