Installing a gas insert into a wood burning fireplace can increase a room?s warmth while decreasing the cost of providing that warmth.

A conventional wood burning fireplace is one of the least effective and costliest ways to warm a room. More heat escapes up the chimney than is released into the house. Purchasing a gas insert can increase fireplace effectiveness by as much as ninety percent.

Many people will not consider a gas insert because they fear losing the ambience provided by a wood burning fireplace. They may remember the fake look gas logs had in years gone past. The old fashioned cheap look of gas inserts has long since been replaced by logs that closely emulate the look and even sound of a true wood fire. The flames flicker, the logs crackle and the embers glow. Some gas inserts even provide a fire’s scent. In addition, many gas inserts provide the convenience of remote control and the savings of thermostat control. A well installed and maintained gas insert can comfortably heat a room for cents per hour. A homeowner may be able to further reduce his/her heating bill by turning down the home’s main furnace while the gas insert is in use.

Gas inserts come in a wide variety of styles which can be adapted for use with the vast majority of traditional fireplaces. Utilizing steel firebox design a gas insert effectively closes off the fireplace opening. Most gas inserts also have glass doors which act to seal off possible heat loss. The heat thus circulates back into the room rather than being lost up the flue. Many gas inserts also make use of blowers which further enhance their heating efficiency. Some gas insert models fit flush with the fireplace face; others jut out onto the hearth giving a stove like appearance. Protruding gas inserts provide yet another increase in actual room temperature.

Gas inserts can be vented in a variety of ways which adds to their adaptability. However, all inserts must have a connection between the unit and the chimney flue. Direct vent gas inserts with glass doors provide optimum warmth and savings. Natural vent models with and without glass doors offer less energy efficiency although both are a significant improvement in all ways over standard fireplaces. The initial price of a gas insert with installation will run from $1,200 to $2,000 and above. Over the life of the unit this cost should easily be recouped.

A homeowner currently augmenting his/her home heating with a wood burning fireplace might be well advised to consider a gas insert. The realistic appearance, increased room heat and decreased cost generated by a gas insert will quickly defray the cost of its purchase and installation.