How Do Wood Fireplace Inserts Work?

First-time homebuyers and those who have lived in homes without a fireplace may be unfamiliar with wood fireplace inserts and their function. It is always nice to move into a new home that is outfitted with fireplaces, because of the ambiance and heat that they produce that will go toward heating your home in the colder winter months. However, wood fireplaces on their own can be inefficient heat sources, because some of the heat is lost up the chimney, adding to your heating bill without offering the heat your home needs. Older fireplaces in historic or vintage home are particularly notorious for this. It is for this reason that homeowners choose to add wood fireplaces inserts to each fireplace in the dwelling, making them more efficient heating machines. Another alternative for those that like wood heat is to consider the addition of woodburning stoves to the home. They take up less room than wood burning fireplaces, yet provide an excellent heat source.

Because a fire needs oxygen to keep the flame going, a traditional wood burning fireplace will pull warm air or heat out of your home for this purpose. In addition to losing heat in this manner, much of the heat also goes up the chimney and outside, rather than staying in your home. Wood fireplace inserts are used to combat these issues.

Wood inserts are crafted from cast iron or steel to create a fireproof burning box. A glass insulated front covering for wood fireplace inserts helps to keep the warm air inside the fireplace, but a wood stoves insert may also come with a blower and vents so that the heat can be sent around the room of your home. One of the primary reasons homeowners add wood inserts to the home is that a wood stoves insert allows them to keep the look of a traditional fire burning in the fireplace while providing a more efficient heating source for the home.

Woodburning stoves are similar to a fireplace with an insert installed because they both are closed heating units. Their advantage is that they are more compact than fireplaces and take up a much smaller footprint in the room's floor space, making it even easier to add a stove to a home.

Jotul wood stoves are a popular brand. Cast-iron Jotul wood stoves can be found in a whole range of bright colors that will work into your home's interior design very well. You can find Jotul wood stoves with screened doors on the front and blowers, which help to distribute the heat around the room. Environmentally sound Jotul wood stoves may qualify homeowners for tax credits as well, making it more cost effective to add one to your home.

Learn more about wood fireplace inserts from your local fireplace showroom.

Susan Slobac is a consultant in the fireplace industry. Susan writes about trends in EPA certified fireplace & EPA wood stoves.