12-03-2019, 02:33 PM
Markintosh wrote:
You do know the advantage of an insert, yes? A standard fireplace has unlimited access to combustion air, and that air comes from inside of your house. The replacement air comes from outside, usually through every little drafty crack, doorway or unsealed window. So overall a fireplace makes your house colder, other than the few feet directly in front of the fire.
An insert does two things. It controls the amount of air coming into the fire. That means your wood lasts longer and less cold air is drawn into the house. Some inserts draw combustion air directly from outside rather from inside the house. Our county requires that sort of outside air induction for new inserts.
After 20 years of cutting and splitting our own wood, we now have a gas fireplace with a glass front. It also has a remote control and a thermostat. No more wood mess, no more carpenter ants and cedar bugs brought into the house. Now we go for bike rides instead of cutting and splitting wood.
We put in a gas insert last year!!! So nice and so easy. They talked us out of a wood burning insert that is basically a furnace because the fireplace is our main sitting room and warned us we would be very hot!!! They had other options but opted for a gas insert.