Green Fireplaces

Here’s a Thought.

People these days are thinking about the environment when making their major purchases. Natural gas fireplaces are more energy efficient than wood burning fireplaces and they produce less pollution. Convenient, energy efficient, and clean: these are the reasons people are switching to gas fireplaces. Let’s not forget costs, either. Natural gas and propane are relatively cheap compared with normal monthly heating bills, and much more efficient.

The U.S. Department of Energy reports that a conventional open front fireplace is only 10 percent efficient at converting wood to energy and delivering it to a room, and when it’s operating, it actually increases the infiltration of cold air into your home by creating a partial vacuum within the house.  What’s really surprising is that convective (moving air) heat losses at the beginning and the end of the burn are actually greater than the radiant heat provided by the fire.  Basically, you’ll end up as cold as you were before.

In contrast, the realism and warmth provided by today’s natural gas fireplaces have contributed to their increasing popularity with homeowners. They are now among the leading optional features in new homes. The gas fireplace industry sells over 1 million units each year and has experienced an overall 30% sales increase over the past three years. People are becoming more concerned with the energy that goes into heating their homes, and with the money that comes out of their pocket books…especially in today’s economy!

Out of growing concern for the environment in recent years, restrictions have actually been placed on many wood-burning fireplaces and wood stoves in different states throughout the U.S. These restrictions ban wood-burning on days with poor air quality, as well as limit sales of stoves or restrict installation of wood-burning fireplaces in new construction. The good news is that the alternatives are better than ever before.

As consumers become more aware that gas-fired hearth products provide many of the same benefits as wood-burning logs – along with greater convenience, heating efficiency and benefit to the environment – sales of gas units have increased dramatically, even in areas of the country without wood-burning restrictions! In addition, natural gas log sets can be installed easily in most existing wood-burning fireplaces without any major renovations. For a greener fireplace, the choice is clear: choose a gas fireplace.

~Your Friends at FastFireplaces.com