The Best Way To Lower Your Heating Bill And Also Keep Your Fireplace In Great Shape

By Andrew Harrison


The age-old fireplace seems to have lost a certain amount of of its glamour because of concerns for the environment but it is still loved by many. Sitting in front of the heat of a fireplace, revives many cherished memories for a lot of people. There are many benefits to having a fireplace however there are several drawbacks that may need to be taken care of. As electricity costs rise, you'll want to ensure that your fireplace is giving you heat efficiently. Although having a fire going in a fireplace keeps the people near it warm, it actually removes warm air from the rest of the room, causing your furnace to work harder. The chimney damper is supposed to prevent cold air from coming in to your home when you dont have a fire in the fireplace. However, dampers are not very efficient seals, consequently all the warm air escapes and allows cold air to come into the home.

Many families that possess a fireplace in their household dont realize how the fireplace can have an effect on their energy bill. Instead of saving resources, and heating costs, it is typically adding hundreds of dollars of energy expense. However it's not all gloom and doom because there are ways to make your fireplace very cost effective. There are at least four basic things that you are able to do to fix up your fireplace. These will make your current fireplace much more efficient, and lower your heating bills.

The first thing that should be done is to replace the damper with a top sealing damper. A top sealing damper is set up at the top of your chimney which also acts like a storm door. It does an excellent job of keeping warm air in the house during winter months and cool air from escaping in the summer months. This will not take a lot of time to install and you can get one online. Next, you will need to have a fire-back in the rear section of your open fireplace. It is made of cast iron and it is used to improve the look of your fireplace while protecting the back wall from fire damage. The fire-back takes the heat from a fire, and radiates the heat back towards the room, improving the efficiency of the fireplace.

Next factor that is going to help is a fireplace heater, which heats the room air that is being circulated through a chamber, and blows it back inside the room. These heaters are sealed systems, so no smoke is released, and they can really make a difference in the temperature of your house. And finally, installing glass doors, although a bit on the pricey side, can be beneficial in making your fireplace cost efficient. Searching around, you will be able to find a great deal, and with instructions, you can install them yourself. Glass fireplace doors is able to keep the air in your home from escaping and it also helps to save your children and pets from fires.

Every one of these tips are easy to do, and the products can be found online. Try your best to keep your fireplace efficient and see your heating bill go down.




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