A roaring fire is beautiful and comfortable and exciting all at the same time. But beyond the visual effects, the whole point of a fire is to keep warm. From a practical aspect, a vented gas fireplace saves money on utility bills.
Gas fireplaces can heat portions of the room that may otherwise have cold spots and may not be comfortably usable. From a safety standpoint, a vented gas fireplace will remove any toxic fumes and less embers should enter the home.
If gas is not an option, a wood burning fireplace insert is another way to save money if you live in an area where wood is readily available for a good price. Keep in mind that cleaning a wood burning fireplace insert takes time. The wood has to be cut and then stacked in fireplace stacking racks. The wood also has to brought in from the outside and put into the fireplace. Twigs and bugs and whatever else has been on the wood outside is now brought into the house. This is not a big deal if the space between the outside door and the fireplace is not far. A wood burning fireplace is much more efficient than a regular fireplace. Burning wood in either case, requires a bit of planning throughout the year.
Vented gas fireplaces provide another source of heat and in some cases, the only source of heat in specific rooms. In older houses, wood burning fireplaces were sometimes converted to vented gas fireplaces for convenience, in most cases. This was especially true in houses that had the bedrooms on the second floor and the heat for each bedroom was provided by an individual fireplace. That would have been a lot of firewood that had to be hauled in during the cold months.
Now gas fireplaces not only provide a convenience, they are also a cost effective way to heat your home.
