What’s the Right Fireplace for You?

Traditional wood-burning fireplace offers a traditional spark. Photo courtesy of Joao Virissimo

If you’re considering purchasing a fireplace, it’s important to investigate all of your options. There are three basic types of fireplaces on the market and each offers specific benefits. The type that you choose will depend upon a few factors, including the purpose of your fireplace, the amount of money you want to spend and the location in which it is going to be installed.

Fuel Defined Fireplaces

The primary choice any consumer needs to make when it comes to purchasing a fireplace concerns the fuel that it uses. Although most of us probably think of wood burning when we hear the word “fireplace,” the fact is there are two other types of fireplaces that are commonly available.

Three Fuels

• Wood fueled
• Gas fueled
• Electric

John Lavve, the owner of Hearth Designs in Hooksett, NH, a company that specializes in installing fireplaces and stoves, says, “We carry all three types of fireplaces. There’s a demand for each, but the wood-burning fireplace is still preferred. Partly because of the feeling they create for the user. They feel like they’re going back in time or back to nature. However,” he notes, “these are also usually the most expensive.”

Wood Fueled

Wood fueled fireplaces are available in two types—masonry and prefabricated. Fireplaces that are classified under the term masonry are built on site using stone or brick. Prefabricated fireplaces are created in a facility and shipped to dealers. They cost less than masonry fireplaces.

If a homeowner wants something that will help heat their room or house, then neither of these open-hearth fireplaces will do the trick. With both of these fireplaces about 90% of the heat goes up the chimney.

“One of the things that customers are often concerned about   is how clean a fireplace burns,” says Lavve. “The EPA has a voluntary tag program that many manufacturers participate in. If a fireplace has an orange tag, then it pollutes 57% less than older models and if it comes with a white tag, that means it burns 70% cleaner than past models.” For those concerned about the environmental effects of a wood-burning model, going with a white tag model offers the best efficiency

Wood Burning Characteristics

• Traditional style and feel
• Uses wood as fuel
• Wood must be loaded in and ashes cleaned out
• Fire must be tended to keep burning
• Requires venting via a chimney
• Of the three, most physically demanding
• Of the three, least ecologically friendly
• Fuel costs are moderate

Gas Fireplaces

Gas fireplace offers the look of wood without the clean up. Photo courtesy of Bob Steiner

Many people find that the gas fireplace is a good option when it comes to convenience and cost. There’s no hauling of wood, no messy clean up of ashes and installation is fairly simple.

Scott Brown, the owner of Abundant Life in Chichester, NH, which has been providing a range of services in the field for close to 40 years, explains many of positives associated with gas. “Gas fireplaces give consumers a range of choices,” he says. “That’s made them very appealing. Plus there have been numerous improvements that have helped to make the fire burning element resemble wood-burning models. They are also easy to maintain. There are a lot of pluses.”

There are three basic models—ventless, direct vented and B vent. Ventless models cost the least to install and burn fuel more efficiently, but they are pricier than other models. Those that are vented often cost more to install, but they are overall cheaper to purchase. 

The ventless models cost more to purchase due to the fact that are fully burning units, which means they require the mechanism necessary to allow them to safely function without being vented to the outside. They utilize the air within the room and for this reason always have a safety shutoff that will be triggered if there are any problems with the unit. These models are often the choice for homeowners who are installing a unit in an area where venting would be too expensive or impractical.

Those that are vented utilize the venting system to bring in air necessary for combustion and to rid the unit and area of dangerous fumes. The system itself is completely closed, which means there is no use of air from within the environment. This eliminates environmental concerns in the home. Each venting situation is unique, depending upon the location of the unit and the architecture of the home.

If a homeowner desires heat from a gas fireplace, then the first two offer good options. Fireplaces that are not vented burn at an efficiency rate of 99.9%, while those that are vented offer an efficiency rate of 75% to 85%. B vented fireplaces are utilized as a cosmetic device—to help enhance a room’s ambience. These vented units have a very low rate of efficiency, around 30%, with most of the heat being vented to the outside.

Gas Burning Characteristics

• Range of choices for easy installation
• Easy to maintain
• Simple to fire up and to shut off
• Many energy efficient models
• Clean running
• Create the look of wood-burning units
• Overall ecologically friendly
• Low fuel costs

Electric Fireplaces

Electric fireplaces are the easiest to install and maintain. Photo courtesy of Mykola Komarovskvy

Electric fireplaces can be used just for the cosmetic look they provide and/or to provide supplemental heat for areas ranging from 400- to 500- square feet. Most of these units, which come in a huge range of styles and create the realistic look of fire, can simply be plugged into the wall. They require no ventilation and usually no additional wiring.

“The electric fireplace is the easiest to install and maintain,” says Lavve. “The range of styles is really extensive. They can match any style of room and type of décor. From Colonial to Contemporary styles, from models with traditional mantels and those that have a very streamlined look, the choices are numerous.”

Models range in price from those that are low-cost to those that are pricier. Lower priced electric fireplaces are more cosmetic, while the moderate to higher priced varieties offer more heating potential.

 Electric Fireplace Characteristics

• Easy to install
• Range of prices
• Easy and clean to run and maintain
• Flip a switch to turn on and off
• Can provide secondary heat source
• Will increase electric costs

Making the Right Choice

For the consumer, there are three basic choices when it comes to purchasing a fireplace. If a homeowner wants heat, a ventless gas or electric fireplace make the most sense. If a homeowner wants all of the effects that come with a fireplace that invokes the past, then a wood-burning unit is the way to go.

Of course, price will be a big determiner in what someone decides to do. Shop around, consider what you want, your budget and where the fireplace will live to decide what is the right type for you.