Enjoy Your Fireplace Ambiance, and Boost the Warmth, With a Fireplace Insert!

On a cold Washington County day, nothing “warms” up a room (metaphorically speaking) like a blazing fireplace. The light, sound and movement all combine for a romantic, relaxing atmosphere.

Unfortunate reality is, an open-hearth woodburning fireplace hardly heats a space. Up to 90 percent of the fire’s heat goes up the chimney. An open fire actually sucks more heat out of a space than it could possibly return. Homeowners endure a fire risk from airborne sparks landing on combustible surfaces, as well.

Like to make your fireplace experience safer, far warmer and more enjoyable with a sleek, highly-efficient fireplace insert in Washington County!

Going directly into the fireplace opening, a fireplace insert for a woodburning fireplace is a self-contained component that directs heat directly into a room, rather than sending most up a chimney. The fire can be seen through a glass panel. The ambiance stays – along with far more warmth!

Homeowners can choose between gas fireplace inserts and wood fireplace inserts. Both are offered by Butler Chimneys, your fireplace and chimney inspection company in Washington County. 

Which fireplace insert is for you?

 

A gas insert is ideal for those who want instant, low-maintenance fire. The fire literally goes on at the flip of a switch. Available in a broad selection of designs, gas fireplace inserts are fast, clean, and little effort to operate and maintain.

A woodburning fireplace insert emits significantly more heat than gas. The work required is much greater, though. A fire has to be physically started, wood added, and air controls adjusted to moderate the blaze. Because it burns so efficiently, a wood fireplace insert consumes much less timber than an open-hearth design. For those with unlimited or cheap access to firewood in Washington County, a wood burning insert can be significantly heating source for a home.

The decision between gas or woodburning is purely user preference. Many Washington County homeowners proactively add insert-style fireplaces for greater heat and cleanliness, often when constructing homes.

The alternative situation for adding an insert is when a fireplace inspection discovers cracked or missing flue tiles. Installing a brand-new insert will bypass many issues, and is often less expensive than doing repairs. The decision might not be difficult.

Fireplace inserts are made of heavy-gauge sheet steel. The doors are cast iron, which allows highly efficient heat conduction. Fire is completely enclosed within, viewable through ceramic glass, and can be left unattended.

Smoke is exhausted via a new stainless steel liner installed inside the chimney. Wood fireplace inserts use a single 6-inch liner; gas, two 3-inch liners, one for providing air to the firebox, and another for exhausting gases.

Butler Chimneys regularly installs fireplace inserts – gas or wood – in homes in Washington County in one day. If the former is added, a new fuel line is run from a gas source elsewhere in the house.

New stainless steel chimney liners carry lifetime warranties. Their installation can sometimes permit homeowners to bypass pricey chimney repairs that would otherwise be needed to ensure safe venting of fireplace gases.

Another benefit of fireplace inserts? If power goes out, they remain a steady, reliable heat source. In severe weather, they can literally be a lifesaver.

Ready to look into a fireplace insert? Contact Butler Chimneys. You’ll enjoy the ambiance of a fireplace … and a far warmer, more comfortable space around you!