''With a hearth stove, the entire stove is set on the hearth in front of the fireplace,'' Mr. It is also possible to use the chimney from an existing fireplace to install a free-standing wood- or pellet-burning stove in front of the fireplace rather than inside it. ''For a hotter fire, you feed the pellets in at a faster rate,'' he said, adding that it is not unusual for a pellet-stove to run for up to 24 hours on one hopperful of pellets. With a pellet-burning stove, he said, the pellets are loaded into a hopper built into the stove, from where they are then automatically fed into the fire at a rate set by the homeowner. The fuel is basically sawdust compacted into pieces that resemble rabbit food and can be purchased in 40-pound bags at most home centers. ''Pellets are much more convenient,'' Mr. ''You put a load of wood in the stove, and it will hold a fire for anywhere from six to 10 hours.''įor homeowners who do not want to deal with stacking, storing and hauling logs, an energy-efficient alternative to a standard wood stove insert is to install a pellet-burning wood stove. ''With a good insert you can provide anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of the heating needs of the home,'' he said. Crouch explained that this is basically an airtight wood stove that is installed either all or part of the way into an existing fireplace opening. The greatest increase in efficiency from an existing fireplace can be obtained by installing a fireplace insert. ''Firebacks look nice and they produce a moderate increase in efficiency.'' He added that a fireback probably can be purchased for a couple of hundred dollars. ''They are decorative cast-iron plates that you install in the back of the firebox to increase radiant heat transfer,'' Mr. ''And you may be able to install a fan to increase circulation,'' he said.Īnother relatively simple way to increase the efficiency of a fireplace is to install what is known as a fireback. Air that is drawn in from the room is heated by the firebox and then ejected through the exhaust vents. On some fireplaces, there are vents below and above the firebox that channel air through a sleeve or compartment around the back and sides of the fire. In fact, he said, a chimney sweep can also tell a homeowner whether a fireplace has the ability to warm room air without mixing that air with combustion air. If the chimney ends with a square metal cap or if the chimney is clad in aluminum or vinyl siding, it is probably a manufactured fireplace. If the top of the chimney terminates in a square or rectangular flue tile, the fireplace is probably a masonry one. Homeowners can often tell what kind of fireplace they have by looking at the chimney. Crouch said, adding that fireplace doors can range from a couple of hundred dollars to several hundred, depending on the type and size of door needed. ''If you monkey with a factory-built fireplace, all bets are off,'' Mr. approval, any doors that are installed on such a fireplace generally must be provided by the original manufacturer and installed according to the manufacturer's instructions. So, he said, for a factory-built fireplace to retain its U.L. Crouch explained that while older fireplaces were built ''on site'' as part of the construction of the house, newer factory-manufactured modules are tested to meet fire-safety standards set by Underwriters Laboratories. He pointed out, however, that while it may be possible to install basically any doors that will fit on an older fireplace, it is necessary to buy only the appropriate doors for newer ''factory built'' fireplaces. John Crouch, director of public affairs for the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, a trade organization based in Arlington, Va., agreed that adding glass doors to an existing open-hearth fireplace is probably the simplest and least expensive way to increase the fireplace's efficiency. ''It's somewhat ironic to say that having a fire in your fireplace can actually force your furnace to work harder,'' Mr. And any heated air that is pulled out of the house from the inside will be replaced by unheated air from the outside. ''Even after the fire is out, the buoyancy of the heated air in the chimney will pull air out of the room and out of the house,'' he said. He noted that while the doors can be kept open as the fire is burning - the radiant heat produced by the fire can then directly heat objects in the room - the doors should be closed when the fire is out. ''The most important thing you can do to increase the efficiency of your fireplace is to retrofit it with glass doors,'' Mr.
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