Are fireplace wood inserts worth all the money ? 3000.00 installed?

Question

House size is 1200 sq feet. all one one floor. Three bedrooms ,kitchen, living room and bath. Fireplace is located at the far end of the living room.

Answer 1

Inserts to burn wood in a fireplace can often improve heating efficiency by utilizing blowers to extract more heat that would otherwise just go up the flue. Some can even employ a catalyst to extract some heat from the flue gasses.

$3000 sounds like a lot, but I'm not sure what you are getting. How many blowers? Does it have a catalytic element to extract flue gas energy? Fancier plating. Fancy surround to hide the gap between your masonry and the insert. Maybe they have to run electric for the blower. Was it a custom built insert, or a standard model with special adjustments.

Answer 2

Your correct to get one with a blower. Remember you will still lose a percentage of your heat. I use wood heat only, for forty years on the Canadian border in Northern Minnesota. Wood heats three times, once when you cut it from the work, then when you chop it up, from the exercises, then when you burn it. I don't know the exact figures but without an insert you loose about 80% of your heat, I think about 35% with an insert, up the chimney. I went to a boiler years ago when I had a heart attack, it's much cozier and not as strenuous.

Answer 3

i'm not sure if i'm talking about the same thing but...if you mean like a wood burning stove or something, its a great idea.

We have a 5,500 sq ft house...

I live with my step father and mother (I'm only 19)... and my step father is always trying to find new ways to save money. So far this winter, we have not had to use the heat...which is saving bit on oil. The little wood burning stove downstairs(attached to the fire place) heats the whole house! .... The thermostat is set at 50degreese and the actual temp in the room generally does not go below 65degreese. ....

Answer 4

IF YOU HAVE ONE INSTALLED, MAKE SURE IT HAS A FAN TO BLOW WARM AIR INTO THE ROOM. I FEEL THEY ARE BETTER THAN GAS LOGS.
ONLY DRAWBACK....IF YOUR AREA HAS WOOD BURNING BANS.. OURS DOES. WE CAN USE A FIREPLACE DURING THAT TIME IF IT IS YOUR ONLY SOURCE OF HEAT...