Fireplace or Furnace- Which is More Efficient?

If you have a fireplace, you can appreciate the value of the beautiful burning embers on a snowy white morning manufactured by the Midwest skies in January. There is no better feeling in the world than snuggling up with a cozy fleece on the couch in front of the fireplace and sipping a cup a coffee while you read your morning paper. But while the fire is aesthetically pleasing, is it the most economical way to heat your home?

The value of having a fireplace is immeasurable. Besides offering a perfectly romantic morning, it also provides an alternative heat source when the power goes out or your main source of heat needs repaired. But there are some serious shortcomings to using a fireplace as a main source of heat for your home.

If you burn a fire daily as a main heat source for your home, it is very unlikely you are heating your entire home. Most fireplaces, while positioned central to your home in the main living space are typically not efficient enough to provide heat for more than that main area. In fact, as the fire burns it requires oxygen that it will typically pull from the very room you are trying to heat. Unless your fireplace has an external source of air, the fire will pull the warm air from the room and send it out your flue. This is the exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish. Ever notice how when you sit in front of a fire you can feel the heat on your face but your back is very cold. That is because the direct heat is limited to the roaring flames and does not heat the room.

Also, many people who burn fires on a regular basis are not closing their flue after the fire is out. In essence, this is like having a drafty door or a small open window. It allows the heat within your home to escape and cold air to sneak in. If you run your furnace in conjunction with a fire, you will notice the furnace kicks on more frequently than if you did not burn a fire.

Again, a fireplace is great for emergencies and aesthetic purposes, but running it in conjunction with your thermostat will actually cause your heating bill to increase. If you want to test this theory, Cuiver River Electric Representative Bob Hyson, of St. Charles, Missouri, recommends you turn your furnace completely off and burn a fire. "If your house remains a comfortable temperature throughout, you know the fire is doing all the work."