The picture of the perfect American family room includes a couch, recliner, TV and fireplace burning brightly. People love to sit by the fireplace watching the flames encircling the logs. Not only does the fireplace add warmth but it adds atmosphere. Unfortunately a fireplace in a home isn’t really perfect. There are many issues that make a fireplace very inefficient.

When a fireplace is burning, it radiates warmth into the air around it. But it also creates a current that actually pulls that air out of your room and up through the chimney. So basically warm air is escaping and your fireplace needs to work even harder to warm your room. Yes, most chimneys have a damper that supposedly keeps the inside air from escaping and the outside air from coming in. But most are faulty and the seal around the edges still lets the air out.

This problem is not difficult to fix. There is a damper which you can get which is installed at the top of the chimney. This damper acts like a storm door and has a seal so that the air cannot sneak around it. You can obtain such a product online and you can install it yourself if you’re comfortable going on top of your roof.

Another option you may have is to make your traditional fireplace into a gas fireplace. You can find a gas fireplace insert which looks just like a regular wood burning fireplace. These heaters use artificial logs that look and feel exactly like they’re burning. Dependant upon how your home is built and budget, you have several options on how to install and vent the fireplace. Most gas fireplaces use propane or natural gas sources. Many homeowners go with this type of change because they get tired of having to keep cut wood around and disposing of the ashes. A gas fireplace eliminates that need.

You can also replace your fireplace with an electric heater.You can find portable electric heaters that look just like fireplaces. You can get an electric fireplace heater that includes a fan which will very efficiently heat a whole room quickly. Electric heaters are considered energy efficient. 100% of the electricity which is used is turned into heat and returned back out into the room.

Another inconvenience is that the fireplace is usually in the same room with the thermostat. The room the fireplace is in becomes very warm and the thermostat lowers the heat. This makes rooms in the rest of the home cooler because the fireplace is not heating them. This may lead you to research getting a portable space heater for other rooms in your house.

If you’re thinking about getting a fireplace insert or a portable room heater, get all the information you need to make an educated choice on which portable space heater is best for you. Reduce costs on your utility bill and stay comfortable by choosing your heater wisely.

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