Fireplaces are very appealing; aside from providing heat and lowering your heating bills, it can also increase the value of your home. Of course, the savings in heating bills will also depend on the type of fireplace you used and fuel or wood availability in your area.
The type of fireplace will have a large effect on its heating capacity. Gas and wood-burning fireplaces will tend to lose more heat through the chimney. On the other hand, electric fireplaces are usually more efficient in keeping the heat inside the area of the house you are trying to heat. But if you live in a place where a lot of seasoned wood is available on your property, a wood-burning fireplace is recommended.
How do you improve the efficiency of your fireplace?
It is gratifying and relaxing to sit near your fireplace during the cold winter season. That is the reason why many homes were built with fireplaces. Aside from the heating, the warm ambience that a fireplace brings to a home is worth it.
But sadly, due to improper use and maintenance, a lot of the energy and heat production by fireplaces are often lost. According to plastering Hobart, one of the primary reasons for this loss of energy is the fireplace’s damper.
A fireplace damper is a mechanism or device that seals the chimney when the fireplace is not used. It is usually manually opened or closed and allows exhaust to be vented out of the house.
A damper that is kept open will increase the amount of air to the fire, improve combustion, and increase heat. The damper should be closed and properly sealed when the fireplace is not used to stop warm air from coming out of the house and keep cold air from coming in through the chimney.
Will you be using any other means of heating when you’re using a fireplace?
Just seeing a fireplace blazing during a cold winter brings a sense of comfort and warmth. But sadly, a traditional fireplace has a lot of heat loss. By nature, fireplaces are not very efficient in keeping the heat due to the loss of heat caused by the chimney and other things around it.
In other words, additional devices and heating sources are still used to supplement the heat produced by fireplaces. That is where fireplace inserts come in. Fireplace inserts increase a fireplace’s efficiency.
A fireplace insert is a fireproof box made from steel or cast iron with insulated glass that helps create a closed combustion system. Inserts can be powered by gas, electricity, propane or others. With a gas or electric insert starting a flame is as easy as pushing a button. On the other hand, Wood fireplace inserts give you the beauty of an open fireplace but with better heating capacity than a traditional wood-burning fireplace. A wood fireplace insert’s efficiency is around 50% compared to a conventional wood fireplace, which is less than 10%.
When your warming one room or area, there is no need to used other heating sources, and a fireplace is enough. But if you are heating multiple rooms, using central heating would be the most practical.