Choose the Most Efficient Fireplace for Your Family

If you’re looking for a new fireplace to install, you’ve got three main types of fireplaces to choose from.

• Gas fireplaces
• Wood burning fireplaces
• Pellet fireplaces

You could choose a gel or electric fireplace. But we feel strongly those options aren’t worth your investment. Gas, wood and pellet fireplaces are common choices for a reason.

While you should consider factors like the look and installation costs of your new fireplace, you shouldn’t leave efficiency too far down the list. The more efficient your fireplace is, the smaller your environmental footprint will be. Here’s the efficiency rundown.

A wood-burning fireplace isn’t very efficient

Wood-burning fireplaces often provide the most welcoming atmosphere of all your fireplace options. However, as you probably know, they aren’t as efficient as your other high-end options.

Sure, you don’t need to use gas or electricity to run a wood-burning fireplace, which means they certainly won’t affect your utility bills. However, you do need to stock substantial stacks of wood as fuel – and that wood needs to be cured to burn properly. This can be an advantage if the power is out and you need a way to warm your home. However, wood-burning fireplaces tend to lose more heat than they generate, making them a much less efficient option. They also produce the most smoke and creosote out of the three. So you’ll have to get your chimney cleaned out regularly.

That said, a wood fireplace is still a truly beautiful thing.

Pellet fireplaces do better

Pellets are compressed sawdust fuel manufactured specifically for pellet stoves. They tend to burn hot and clean, as they are dry, dense and fed automatically by an electronic system to maintain a thermostat-controlled temperature.

Pellets are vastly more efficient than wood. Some pellet stoves burn as efficiently as 98%.

They also require electricity to run, which means you’ll notice a negligible bump in your utility bills as you use it.

They also rely on multiple motors as well as motherboards and a few other electronic components, which means there are more parts that can break. So maintenance costs can pop up unexpectedly.

Why we carry only gas fireplaces

A gas fireplace doesn’t rely on electricity and doesn’t need a chimney, plus associated chimney maintenance, like wood-burning fireplaces do.

Gas is clean, easy and more economical than wood-burning and pellet fireplaces. You can control your fire with a remote or thermostat, allowing the fireplace to be turned on and off, dimmed or grown immediately.

Gas is a more efficient fuel than any other option, and emits less floating particulate (like ash, smoke, etc…).

The final word

When you think about the efficiency of your new fireplace, gas fireplaces have wood-burning fireplaces and pellet fireplaces beat.

There are many other pros and cons to consider for all types of fireplaces, and we hope efficiency is somewhere on your list. For more advice on buying the right fireplace for your home, or for more information about gas fireplaces, get in touch with a member of our team today.