Is the fireplace a good thing for energy conservation or is it a potential pitfall? There is no doubt that if you have a fireplace and use it, it can be beneficial to your energy bills. If you have one and do not use it, it can be a leading cause of escaped energy within your home. Where does your home stand and what can you do to improve these things? Consider your true usage of the fireplace and your ability to benefit from it.
Things To Think About
The first thing to take into consideration is how much you actually use the fireplace. If you honestly do not use the fireplace all that often, then consider having it permanently closed. This will keep a tremendous amount of energy from escaping from your chimney during the winter and the summer months when the air conditioning and the heat are on full blast. If you do make this happen, make sure that you do not light the fireplace at all as the smoke will have no place to go.
If you do use your fireplace have it checked carefully. Make sure it has a flue in place and that it is able to keep air from coming into the home. Also, have it cleaned. A clean fireplace is one that is safe for your use. To make the most of the heat that a fire can produce, you may want to consider a heater blower which will blow the heat from the fire out into the home. This can significantly increase the amount of energy that you actually get from the fireplace.
To make this worthwhile, you do need to have a good amount of wood on hand that has been seasoned and is ready to go. Although you may not like the work of hauling wood into and out of the home, running the fireplace for just several hours a day can considerably bring down the high cost of heat during the winter months.
When used properly, the fireplace is an ideal tool for energy conservation. If you are looking for a way to save on energy, this may be a good way to do it. Yet, you must take care of a fireplace or you will burn wood too quickly and ineffectively for it to really benefit you. On a cold winter night, this is just the place to be.