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Wood burning fireplace inserts are perfect for homes that have an existing stone or traditional fireplace. Many people who have beautiful fireplaces love to use their fireplace, to sit by the fire and watch the flames and hear the crackling of a real fire. But not everyone likes all of the associated inconveniences of using their fireplace and this can cause them to use the fireplace less than they otherwise would. These inconveniences include the costs of fuel, the work involved in making a fire and all of the hassle of cleaning up after the fire and keeping the chimney clean. For such people, wood burning fireplace inserts can be the perfect solution.
Wood burning fireplace inserts will fit into most existing fireplaces but will give you all of the advantages of a gas fire or other convenient fire. All new wood burning fireplace inserts also require EPA certification which means that not only are the convenient and cost effective for you, but they are also environmentally sound. Most wood burning fireplace inserts are made from steel or cast iron, however they have a glass door so you can still see the flames and hear the fire. You can choose between wood burning fireplace inserts that sit inside your fireplace opening, or wood burning fireplace inserts that protrude out onto the hearth. A protruding wood burning fireplace insert takes up a little more space but will release more heat as it has three surfaces from which to radiate, rather than just one. In the past, most wood burning fireplace inserts were not connected to the chimney at all. However, this allowed creosote to build up inside the wood burning fireplace insert creating a fire hazard. To deal with this potential wood burning fireplace insert risk, the National Fire Protection Association made a new requirement that inserts are connected to the chimney. Wood burning fireplace inserts are large and heavy, often weighing in at over four hundred pounds. The problem is that to clean the chimney you have to move the wood burning fireplace inserts out of the way. This is a large job and too much hassle for most homeowners. This meant that cleaning the chimney had to be done by a professional and could get a little bit costly. To reduce this problem, there are now newer wood burning fireplace inserts that give access to the chimney and mean that it can be cleaned without moving the wood burning fireplace inserts out of the weigh first. This is a useful investment if you plan on using your fireplace regularly and think that you will require fairly regular cleaning. You will probably pay between $1200 and $2000 for a good wood burning fireplace inserts and this price is likely to increase if you require any additional features such as a glass doors. However, many people find that the convenience of wood burning fireplace inserts are well worth this cost, as they can use their fireplace more often and with a lot less hassle. |
