A fireplace insert adds value to a home. It provides heat, ambiance and a sense of style. Like all technologies, fireplace inserts do improve over time. If your insert is more than 20 years old, you stand to benefit from upgrading your outdated insert.
New inserts are more efficient.
Since 1992, heating stoves and fireplace inserts have been subject to EPA standards that make them vastly more efficient. That means they return a much higher percentage of the heat from you insert to your home, rather than sending that heat up the chimney. EPA-certified wood-burning inserts are up to 70 percent efficient; heating inserts are up to 83 percent efficient; and gas inserts are up to 99 percent efficient!
New inserts are cleaner.
Along with being more efficient, the modern EPA-certified inserts burn more cleanly. Older stoves, particularly wood-burning ones, release particulate matter into your home and out of your chimney into your neighborhood. Those fine particles are a hazard to your lungs, and they can be especially irritating for people with breathing conditions, such as asthma. A new insert can improve the air quality in and around your home.
New inserts require less tending.
Especially if you have a wood-burning insert that requires chopping, storing and stacking firewood, a new insert can heat your home with less work. A gas insert requires no tending from you — Just flip the switch or press the button, and you have a fire! Gas inserts can even be wired to thermostats to keep your home heated at a constant temperature. Even more efficient wood-burning inserts can require less tending. A smaller insert with lower heating capacity will need to be replenished every three to five hours, while a larger insert can heat for eight to 10 hours before needing more logs.
A new insert can refresh the look of your home!
The other major downside to an older fireplace insert is that it can make your home look dated. A new fireplace insert can give your living space a face lift. Styles range from traditional to rustic to modern, so you are sure to find an insert that fits your taste and your vision for your home.
If you are ready to get rid of your aging fireplace insert and realize the benefits of a new insert — efficiency, cleanliness, ease of use and style — call Fluesbrothers to schedule an appointment today! Our technicians can examine your existing insert, talk to you about your needs and help you settle on the insert that’s right for your home. By choosing your new insert during the summer, we can have your new insert installed and ready to heat your home before fall’s first fire.
