Encyclopedia

of Home Improvements

*Fireplace Inserts & Stoves*

Many open fireplaces are decorative in nature, designed more for aesthetics than efficiency. These days, fireplaces can burn natural gas (gas logs) or even propane. Some of the new electric models offer amazing realism. Gas models are available that have the same efficiency rating as central furnaces. These gas models have a broad range of heating capacities; some even offer ducting and heat circulation systems that make it possible to heat a substantial portion of your house.
Gas Fireplaces

Direct Vent

Any gas fireplace requiring a flue or ventilation pipe to exhaust combustion by products is referred to as a vented system. Traditional vented systems (sometimes referred to as B-vent or natural vent) require ductwork routed through a masonry chimney, through a chase, or left exposed. But unless additional combustion air is supplied, traditional vented systems draw warm air from the living space to feed the fire. (photo1)

Direct-vent fireplaces don't need a chimney or a vent through the roof because they expel harmful combustion by-products (carbon monoxide, for example) through the wall of the house. By using a system of two pipes, one inside the other, direct-vent appliances draw fresh combustion air into the firebox from the same hole in the wall through which they exhaust harmful by-products. A fixed glass panel is critical to keeping the combustion system isolated from the home, but warm air still can be driven with fans into the living space. The direct-vent approach makes for a relatively easy installation.

Vent-Free

Vent-free fireplaces are easy to install because they don't require a hole in the wall. They are designed to standards of near perfect combustion, resulting in more than 99% efficiency. Hence, manufacturers claim that vent-free fireplaces produce no harmful by-products.

However, vent-free systems are not without controversy. They have been outlawed in same states because of fears that if these units are not installed, maintained, and operated correctly; they could release harmful combustion by-products into the home.

Because vent-free fireplaces don't have a flue, the water vapor they produce as a by-product of combustion adds humidity to dry interior air, which can be a good thing. However, it also can result in condensation problems on windows. Manufacturers suggest an adequate supply of fresh air to combat this condensation. In newer, tighter homes, providing adequate fresh air may mean installing separate ductwork, which defeats the advantage of a vent-free system. Vent-free fireplaces will warm a room considerably, but the heat level can be difficult to regulate.(photo2)

We all need a Healthy Indoor Environment

Breathing smoke is not healthy. Wood smoke contains a mixture of gases and fine particles that can cause burning eyes, runny nose, and bronchitis. Fine particles can aggravate heart or respiratory problems, such as asthma, in people of all ages. Even limited exposure to smoke can be harmful to your health particularly to the health of children, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions.
To protect your health and that of everyone who shares your home:
Never burn household garbage or cardboard. Plastics and the colored ink on magazines, boxes, and wrappers produce harmful chemicals when burned.

Never burn boxes, and wrappers. They can produce harmful chemicals when burned.

Never burn coated, painted, or pressure-treated wood because it releases toxic chemicals when burned.

Never burn ocean driftwood, plywood, particleboard, or any wood with glue on or in it. They all release toxic chemicals when burned.

Never burn wet, rotted, diseased, or moldy wood.

Never burn garbage in a wood stove or fireplace.

Wood Stoves

The traditional pot-bellied stove is a thing of the past - today's wood stove models feature improved safety and efficiency. They produce almost no smoke, minimal ash, and require less firewood. EPA certified wood stoves burn more cleanly and efficiently, save you money, reduce the risk of fire, and improve air quality inside and outside your home.

Practical Tips for Building a Fire

Once your certified stove is properly installed, building an effective fire requires good firewood (using the right wood in the right amount) and good fire building practices. The following practical steps will help you obtain the best efficiency from your wood stove.

Season wood outdoors through the hot, dry summer for at least 6 months before burning it. Properly seasoned wood is darker, has cracks in the end grain, and sounds hollow when smacked against another piece of wood.

Store wood outdoors, stacked neatly off the ground with the top covered.

Burn only dry, well-seasoned wood that has been split properly.

Start fires with clean newspaper and dry kindling.

Burn hot, bright fires.

Let the fire burn down to coals, then rake the coals toward the air inlet (and wood stove door), creating a mound. Do not spread the coals flat.

Reload your wood stove by adding at least three pieces of wood each time, on and behind the mound of hot coals. Avoid adding one log at a time.

Use smaller fires in milder weather.

Clean Your Chimney

EPA recommends that you have your chimney professionally inspected and cleaned each year to remove the creosote and keep it in good working condition.

Pellet Stoves

Instead of logs, pellet stoves burn a renewable fuel made of ground, dried wood and other biomass wastes compressed into pellets. They are some of the cleanest-burning heating appliances available today and deliver high overall efficiency. Because they pollute so little, pellet stoves do not require EPA certification; some manufacturers, however, voluntarily seek this certification. Unlike wood stoves and fireplaces, most pellet stoves need electricity to operate, and can be easily vented through a wall, unlike log-burning stoves.. Pellet burning stoves for the most part look like normal wood burning stoves. But the stove components are much more sophisticated, but don't worry the operation by you isn't. Pellet burning stoves burn pellets for it's heat source.(Photo3)

These pellets can be purchases by the pound for around $3 per 40lbs. Typically, one would load around 30lbs to 130lbs of pellets into a device called a "hopper" which holds the pellets. Each pellet burning stove will vary in the size of the hopper. Obviously the bigger the hopper the more pellets you can load and the longer the stove will provide heat. Some stoves have automatic lighting and others may require you to light the stove. Then a device will transfer the pellets from the hopper to the heating chamber on a controlled and automatic system using an internal thermostat to gauge the heat and when more pellets are needed to be added. Then, air from the room is sucked in from a built in fan which is then transferred through the heating chamber. The hot air is then distributed back into the room or through your vent system of your house.
Residue gasses from some pellet burning stove are transferred to the outside of the house through a small tube that's located on the top or behind the stove. If you do not want to go through the hassle of installing this tube, I recommend that you buy one with out it.

Gas Stoves

Gas stoves are designed to burn either natural gas or propane. They emit very little pollution, require little maintenance, and can be installed almost anywhere in the home. Today's gas stoves feature large, dancing yellow flames and glowing red embers that are nearly identical in appearance to a wood fire. They can be vented through an existing chimney, or direct vented through the wall behind the stove. While some models do not require outside venting, EPA does not support their use due to indoor air quality concerns.

Fireplace Inserts

If you rely on your fireplace for added warmth on cold days, consider a fireplace insert. They are similar in function and performance to free-standing stoves, but are designed to be installed within the firebox of an existing masonry or meal fireplace. Municipal installation codes now require that a properly sized stainless-steel liner be installed from the insert flue collar to the top of the chimney. The result is better performance and a safer system. You can choose from inserts that burn wood, pellets, or gas that provide the same safe efficiency as their stove counterparts. EPA certified wood and pellet burning inserts are available. Some fireplace inserts include state-of-the-art features such as fans and thermostatic controls (depending on the fuel). (photo5)

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