A COZY HOME THIS WINTER

GAS • WOOD • PELLET • ELECTRIC Which Fireplace or Stove Is Right for You?

by Lisa Bruckner

eople love the look, feel and ambiance a warm fire provides. And P to use, and doesn’t heat well, installing an insert can transform the look of your fireplace and deliver efficient warmth and ambiance with the touch of a Wood-Burning Stoves Wood burning stoves provide the romantic crackling fireplace look and feel, but do require more maintenance efforts than with all the uncertainties and remote. a gas burning stove, fireplace or challenges 2020 has brought, If you’re remodeling or insert. people are spending more time at building a new home, this is home and want to increase their the perfect time to install a gas comfort. Here we’ll look at some fireplace. With a variety of sizes, options to help you decide which styles, and features, they are best suits your need. often the focal point of a room.

For an existing, wood burning For a more traditional look and fireplace that is outdated, messy feel, gas, wood, and pellet stoves are a great option. They can even be installed in homes without access to natural gas or electricity. Lastly, electric fireplaces provide easy to install, plugand-play ambiance for homeowners who aren’t concerned about heating or realistic flame requirements. Let’s break it down….

PROS:

•Wood burning stoves provide unrivaled authenticity of a wood-burning smell and look that elicits the warm, nostalgic feel of days past.

CONS:

•A chimney is necessary, and requires regular cleaning and maintenance to prevent soot build up which can be flammable.

•Each gorgeous fire requires post-fire ash clean-up. • Wood-burning fireplaces don’t efficiently heat homes.

Most of the heat travels back up the mandatory chimney.

Pellet Stoves & Inserts

Pellet stoves and inserts look like a traditional fireplace or stove, with flickering flames, however, they burn higher efficiency (low moisture) pellets instead of wood.

PROS:

•Wood pellets burn cleanly and efficiently (highest efficiency option). • Offer relatively good warmth. • Ash pans at the bottom of the stove make cleanup easier. • Can be installed on most exposed walls, giving homeowners tremendous flexibility.

CONS:

•Pellets are sold in large, heavy bags that require ample, dry storage space. • Ash clean-up after each burning session is required. • Requires weekly maintenance to ensure the firepot is cleaned and maintained.

Gas Stoves, Inserts and Fireplaces

Gas inserts and fireplaces offer beauty, warmth, and ambiance with the push of a button. The ease of no-mess, no-chimney required, efficient, direct heating capabilities makes this an attractive option. A gas insert can be installed into an existing fireplace and chimney, whereas a gas fireplace or freestanding stove is a great option to install in any room with access to an outside wall (for ventilation). They come in a wide variety of styles, varying from ultramodern to very traditional.

PROS:

•Offers direct heating with remote control flame height, ceramic log lighting and fan blower control options; no kindling or lighting required. • Higher efficiency heating than wood burning options. • All components are enclosed in a burn chamber behind a sealed piece of glass - no post burn ash clean up. • If you don’t have an existing fireplace to install an insert into, or don’t want to remodel an existing wall, a freestanding gas stove is a good option. • If you want the visual ambiance of a crackling fire without the heat, some models come with venting options to exhaust heat out. • Electric ignition models either come standard or can be retrofit with a backup battery system to operate if power is lost.

CONS:

•For some homeowners, natural gas is not available

in their area, so they need to install an outdoor propane tank if they want a gas heating option. • Some people are concerned it’s not a “real fire” but modern ceramic log-sets are very realistic looking now.

Electric

If you are just interested in ambiance without the need for heat, an electric fireplace is a great option.

PROS:

•Minimal installation requirements. • No wood, pellets, or gas required.

CONS:

•When power outages occur, the fireplace will not work. • Minimal heating can be a disappointment when weather is cold and people expect the fireplace to generate warmth. • Electricity costs can be expensive if running the appliance frequently. • Least realistic-looking option.

Gas Insert Pellet Insert

Electric Insert

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