Fireplace Insert Vs Wood Stove

Never install a wood burning insert into a manufactured fireplace.

Fireplace insert vs wood stove.

It s a 45 inch wood burning fireplace insert that can generate up to 55 000 btu of heat and uses a 6 inch flue. Most of these are older non epa approved dirty burning models that are not as efficient as the newer models. Wood heat stoves are available in both insert and free standing models with or without doors fireplaces fireplace inserts wood cookstoves and box heat stoves. Environmental protection agency limits wood stove and fireplace insert emissions to 7 5 grams of smoke per hour for non catalytic models and 4 1 grams per hour for catalytic models.

If you re interested in a model that is even more eco friendly some of the newest stoves and inserts produce only 1 to 4 grams of smoke per hour. A traditional wood burning open masonry fireplace is inefficient for heating a room on average 10 there can even be a negative efficiency if a room is poorly insulated. This unit has a large viewing area that really gives the homeowner a great look at this fireplace s flames and it has an arched cast iron door that gives it a classic look. In many jurisdictions they are illegal.

Like a traditional fireplace they are best for heating individual living spaces. As the name implies a fireplace insert is a self contained unit placed into an existing firebox. A nice compromise is to opt for a wood stove insert which would occupy the fireplace area but you might still want to have a standard wood fireplace for added beauty. This voids the warranty of the fireplace and is not to code.

Wood stoves are often big freestanding metal units that simply look awkward when not in use and do little to add beauty to a room. In this case the chimney brings cold air into the home by drafting it through gaps in the. An insert operates similar to that of a space heater transforming an inefficient traditional fireplace into a highly efficient heat producer without sacrificing aesthetics. Pellet stove the first pellet stoves introduced to the market were boxy and looked more like simple unattractive wood burners.

Why fireplace inserts work so well. Beautiful fireplaces stoves inserts napoleon fireplaces stoves and inserts are built to provide high quality lifetime use and keep you warm and safe even if the power goes out. Energy efficiency is important when considering the type of fireplace to choose and there can be a striking difference. A wood fireplace insert on the other hand cranks that efficiency rating upwards past 70 with many models boasting ratings in the mid 80s.