The traditional fireplace was one that burned wood, and this type of fireplace is still a popular choice for many today, since for many people there is nothing nicer than spending a cold winters evening looking into the flames of a real fire. However, a traditional fireplace does have one big disadvantage, in that much of the heat actually goes up the chimney and ends up heating the outside rather than heating the inside, a situation which is less than desirable, not to mention pretty expensive. However, there are alternatives to this, and these are wood burning fireplace inserts and electric fireplace inserts, both of which can be a good heating option while giving some of the aesthetic advantages of a traditional fireplace into the bargain.

The good thing about wood burning fireplace inserts is that they are very economical to run, and most of the heat does not go up the chimney but actually is sent out into the room, which makes this heating source very powerful, and very good if you have a large room to heat. In effect, it is actually a small furnace, which means that a large percentage of the fuel is actually used to heat the room rather than being wasted. The other advantage of this type of fireplace is that the flames can still be seen, which means that you do not lose the beauty of a traditional fireplace and yet you get much better heat for the money.

Electric fireplace inserts do not heat the room as well as wood burning ones in most cases. However, they can be a good heating source, and a very reliable one, as well as being very easy to operate, since all that you need to do is simply plug them in and turn them on, and the heat is almost instantaneous. A good electric insert can also be quite economical to run, since there is nowhere for the heat to go except into the room. In terms of aesthetics, fireplace insert manufacturers have risen to the challenge and have begun to manufacture a range of inserts which have fake fireplace logs, many of which now look extremely realistic, and can also include sound effects such as those made by a wood burning fire.

So if you really do want the traditional look to your home, but don’t like the thought of losing a lot of money with the heat largely going up the chimney, it may well be worthwhile to look at fireplace inserts as a way of getting the best of both worlds. A wood burning fireplace insert will need to be vented, but if you already have a traditional chimney they should not be a problem. An electric fireplace insert does not need to be vented at all, and so is an excellent choice if you’re thinking of getting a fireplace but did not want the trouble of actually building a chimney.

By: Carl Formby

About the Author: