Massive energy inefficiencies, courtesy of the wood-burning fireplace
Think of a wood-burning fireplace on a snowy day, and you're all curled up in front of it with a nice mug of hot chocolate. What could be better than that?
Well, if you're the earth, or the person paying the heating bills, closing up the fireplace may be a better option. Wood-burning fireplaces may actually remove more heat from a house than they produce. A typical fireplace is at best ten percent efficient in converting wood to energy, the rest of the energy goes up and out of your chimney. Your fireplace also allows cold air to seep in.
So what can you do?
According to an article on the EnergySmart library, installing a high-quality damper can help keep warm air from going out of your chimney. Other ideas are flue sealers, glass doors and heat exchangers. A fireplace insert, according to the article, is the only add-on that can really make a difference though. Inserts are appliances that fit into the open fireplace and have a built-in air circulator.
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