When Does A Fireplace Make Your House Less Warm
by: ladyl10
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Word Count: 506
The picture of the perfect American family room includes a couch, recliner, TV and fireplace burning brightly. Many families love to sit by the fireplace watching the flames encircling the logs. Not only does the fireplace add warmth but it adds atmosphere. Unfortunately a fireplace in the house is not perfect. There are many issues that make a fireplace very inefficient.
When a fireplace is burning, it radiates warmth into the air around it. But it also creates a current that pulls that air out of your room and up through the chimney. So because warm air is escaping and your fireplace must work even harder to warm your room. Yes, most chimneys have a damper that supposedly keeps the inside air from getting out and the outside air from coming in. But most are faulty and the seal around the edges still lets the air out.
There are some things you can do to fix this problem. There is a damper that you can buy which is installed at the top of the chimney. This damper works like a storm door in your house which is sealed so no air can get around it. You can find such a product online and you can install it yourself if you're comfortable going on top of your roof.
Another option you have is to make your wood burning fireplace into a gas fireplace. You can find a gas fireplace insert which can look just like a regular wood burning fireplace. These heaters come with artificial logs that look just like they're burning. Depending on your home construction and budget, you have several options on how to install and vent the fireplace. Most gas fireplaces use propane or natural gas sources. Many people like this option better because you don't have to keep chopping wood and cleaning up ashes. A gas fireplace eliminates that need.
You can replace your fireplace with a portable electric heater that looks just like your fireplace. You can purchase an electric fireplace heater which has a fan which is able to very efficiently heat a whole room quickly. Electric heaters are very efficient in the way that they heat a room. 100% of the electricity that is used is turned into heat and returned back out into the room.
Another inconvenience is that the fireplace is normally in the room with the thermostat. The room with the fireplace becomes very warm and the thermostat turns off the heat. Now because the heater is off the rest of the house is cold because the fireplace can't heat all the rooms. This may cause you to check into getting a portable space heater for other rooms in your home.
If you want to get a portable space heater or fireplace insert, get all the information you need to make an educated choice on which portable space heater is the best for you. Save money on your utility bill and stay comfortable by choosing your heater wisely.
About the Author
Stacey Heaton continues to research and write on topics dealing with healthy living.
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