Choose a Fireplace for Beauty and Warmth
(Page 6 of 6)
October/November 2003
By John Gulland
If you just want a nice fireplace that makes heat, but you don't plan to use it for day-to-day home heating, you should explore another category of fireplaces that we'll call "low emission, EPA exempt." These units have glass doors with airwash and a reasonably effective combustion system. They don't have an adjustable air control; heat output is adjusted by the size of the fire you build.
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An all-masonry alternative to these clean-burning, factory-built fireplaces is a masonry heater. As the name implies, they are designed to heat but also can form a stunning centerpiece for a new home through the use of brick, stone or adobe outer shells. Masonry heaters are designed to burn wood quickly and store the heat in their massive structures for slow release in the following hours. One fire a day in cool weather and two fires a day in cold weather are all it takes to keep a reasonably well-insulated house warm and comfortable.
In the case of factory-built fireplaces, the EPA-certified types can cost two to three times as much as conventional fireplaces, but conventional types have hidden costs in higher heating bills. You pay more upfront for a high-efficiency fireplace, but that cost can be recovered over time, your furnace will last longer and, especially if you cut your own firewood, the cost for the fuel (wood) will be less.
All the effort to find an efficient fireplace will be worthwhile when you snuggle up in front of a beautiful, comforting, glowing fire that also heats your home.
John Gulland is executive director of the Wood Heat Organization Inc., www.woodheat.org, in Killaloe, Ontario. He develops training programs for wood-heat professionals, is a consultant on wood heat to the Canadian government and uses wood fuel for heating and cooking in his own home.
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