Wood Burning Fireplace Insert

Fireplace inserts are an after-market add-on to wood burning fireplaces that increase the heat output, reduce the release of the pollutants that are the byproduct of burning wood, and generally increase the heating efficiency of the fireplace. In addition to these practical considerations, a wood burning fireplace insert also allows homeowners to dress up their older or unsightly fireplaces to better match the decor of their home.

How does a wood fireplace insert work?
A fireplace is a great source of relatively inexpensive heat but, like any heat source that relies on burning to produce warmth, it's very inefficient. The heat generated is not particularly focused and energy is lost due to the manner in which the fireplace produces warmth - by rapidly generating it and relying on the convection of the room to deliver heat to where it's most needed and desired.

Wood burning fireplace inserts increase the efficiency of the standard fireplace by better distributing the heat. The insert has a firebox that sits between the outer steel shell of the insert and the fireplace itself. This firebox traps and condenses the heat generated by the fireplace and then distributes this superheated air back into the room.

How does the insert increase efficiency?
In addition to better controlling the manner in which a fireplace delivers heat to a room by concentrating the warmth before it's distributed to the rest of the room, the construction of the insert also helps fireplace efficiency in other ways.

First, the firebox in the insert is surrounded by a specially formulated shell that better stores the radiant heat that typically flows into the masonry of the fireplace or up the chimney. Think of this like the practice of heating up a rock and using it to help warm a tent or sleeping bag while camping. The firebox allows parts of the shell to warm up and trap the heat that is traditionally wasted in fireplaces that don't have an insert. This heat can then be used to supplement the heat already generated from burning wood and deliver more heat to a room with the same amount of burned material.

In fact, studies show that simply adding an insert to a traditional wood burning fireplace can increase the efficiency by 90%! That's like getting the energy producing power of ten logs for the price of only one.

How do wood burning fireplace inserts look?
You may think that the incredible efficiency of these inserts would come at the cost of some huge contraption that bolts on to the front of your fireplace but that's not the case. In fact, a wood burning fireplace insert can significantly improve the appearance of the fireplace while still retaining the ambiance produced by being able to watch the wood burn.

The shell of the insert firebox comes decorated in a wide variety of patterns and styles that complement any decor. Choosing the right insert can literally turn an unsightly wood fireplace into a beautiful centerpiece to your living room or den. Additionally, due to the amount of residue produced by wood burning fireplaces, many homeowners simply don't use their fireplace very much. When you put together the ability of the fireplace insert to significantly reduce residue transmission with the efficiency boost and add in the decorative boost, there's no good reason not to add a wood burning fireplace insert today!