Pellet Fireplace Inserts

Pellet Fireplace Inserts - What to Know 

Pellet fireplace inserts have recently become more popular due to the rising costs of heating one's home and concerns about our environment. There are literally thousands of homes that have a standard masonry fireplace, a fireplace made out of brick or metal that could now use an insert. Fireplaces are cozy and add warmth to a house when the weather is cold. They're used often in many parts of the country.

If you are using a conventional fireplace now with the front open it is only 10% efficient. It won't convert wood to heat very well nor spread it throughout the house.  It's considered a pollution source and the smoke is not welcomed by environmental activists.

The main reason to get a certified pellet fireplace insert is that you will make your conventional fireplace an energy- heating system without the negative effect of some and pollutants.

A pellet fireplace insert can be used as your primary heat source or as your back up or heating source you can use in addition to your primary source of heating or your current heating system.  Fireplace inserts can be used to help the efficiency of your conventional wood fireplace without the wood logs.

A pellet fireplace insert is somewhat like a wood stove.  They're installed inside an existing fireplace, in the firebox, as it's called. Fireplaces are made of masonry or meal. There is a space between the insert and the opening of the fireplace and that is covered with a decorative faceplate.

Years ago fireplace inserts had a lot of problems associated with them and they were not very popular.  All that has changed however.  Fireplace inserts today are certified and efficient and without the problems of the old fireplace inserts.  Part of this is due to new technology.  Scientists constantly come up with new ways to approach things.  Fireplace inserts are now just as good as the wood, gas and pellet free-standing stoves, if not better in some cases, when it comes to efficiency.

The problem with the old fireplace inserts was that they were not efficient. The exhaust wasn't vented to the outdoors the right way.  These older pellet fireplace inserts just didn't work right.  There was little transference of heat to other rooms in the house too.  Now installing the inserts properly and the fact that they're now certified due to new technology, they no longer have those old problems.  You can count on efficiency and heating other rooms in the house from the fireplace insert now.

The old fireplace inserts were often installed without connecting them to a chimney.  This was the main source of the problem.  Now to abide by codes they have to be connected. For masonry chimneys you need to install a flue liner to get the proper draft and keep the air flow going.

Conventional or traditional fireplaces give off 20 to 30 times more smoke than the new certified fireplace inserts. The EPA reports that this is equivalent to 2 to 5 grams of smoke per hour for certified inserts as opposed to 40 to 60 grams for conventional fireplaces.

The advantage of pellet fireplace inserts is that they're more efficient than wood stoves but gas stoves or fireplaces do have an even higher efficiency than the pellet fireplace inserts. However other things need to be considered such as the cost of the fuel you're using.  And gas inserts and units that are not vented are not as efficient as the vented units.

But the overall system you're using to heat your house is what you should look at.  If the pellet fireplace inserts are just in addition to your regular heating system you should take that into consideration.  If it's your primary source of heat, then you will want to consider fuel saving costs as well as efficiency.

Fireplace Insert Installation

You want to make sure your pellet fireplace insert is installed properly.  It needs to be the proper size and be mounted properly.  Likely it will be a stainless steel liner.  The liner links to the top of the chimney to the flue collar in the insert.  They need to be airtight for the best efficiency.  The insulating material that is used to fill in any of the open spaces or gaps is important too.

Pellet fireplace inserts are made of steel or cast iron; they have decorative aspects to fit into any decor.  They have insulated outer casings and tight-fitting metal or ceramic glass doors for good viewing of the fire.  They also have built-in air circulation features.  They have a single or double wall.  But the double wall inserts are safer and much more efficient and the ones you usually see.  There is an air space between the interior and exterior walls.  It's in this space that the air circulates and heats.

The most efficient of the insert models are vented and have air inlets that are controlled. Some of the fire place inserts may also have fans which can help with heat distribution. Make sure to get a fan if you're going to use the fireplace insert to heat a large room or other rooms in the house.

Fireplace inserts of all types can be vented or not vented. For example gas fireplace inserts can be unvented.  Unvented fireplace inserts just means they don't have a chimney.    But they're not safe and the EPA doesn't recommend them.

To get the best bang for your buck you might want to have a pellet fireplace insert that is closely designed to fit your fireplace.  If you have a fireplace that is not custom built and was made by a specific manufacturer and then installed, you may be able to get a pellet fire place insert that specifically fits your brand and model.  This may be harder to come by however, and more than likely you'll not be able to match them up.

When you buy a pellet fireplace insert make sure that it's certified. It likely will be but you need to double check.  And you want to make sure it will fit the fireplace space you have. Hopefully you have one of the standard sizes.  The certified insets emit less emissions and will fit in with the environmentally- conscious world we live in today.

The outside of your fireplace inserts will remain cool unless it has glass doors

You will need to use electricity to run any fans, controls and pellet feeders.  If the power goes out these will not run.  You'll not have heat and possibly some smoke in the house.  So plan ahead. You may not want to leave it running if you're not at home.

Most pellet fireplace inserts cost between $1,700 and $3,500.  You can often find these at a discount or on sale. Also check for any available tax credits. There have been some related in the past but this can change from year to year.

When it comes time to clean the pellet fire place insert make sure to call in a chimney sweep.  You'll need professional help to get it cleaned properly. Make sure to hire a chimney sweep that is certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

Manufacturers of pellet stove and pellet fireplace inserts are: Appalachian Stove, Avalon, Blaze King, Breckwell Hearth Products, Country Stoves, DESA Heating Products, England's Stove Works, Energy King, Enviro, Harman Stove Company, Kozy Heat Fireplaces, Kuma Stoves, Lennox Hearth Products, Lopi Stoves, Napoleon Fireplaces, NU-TEC Incorporated, Quadra-Fire, Rais, Vogelzang, St.Croix, Majestic and Wittus.

Fireplace Insert Pellets

Pellets are made from wood shavings or sawdust. You can buy them in 40 pound bags or in bulk. They're about 3/8 to 1 inch long pellets.  The advantage of using pellets over other fossil fuels is that they use recycled material.  Pellets are made from compacted materials-- sawdust, wood chips, bark, agricultural crop water, waste paper and other types of organic material.  Some pellets can be made out of corn kernels, nutshells, and small wood chips. Pellets, because of their organic nature, burn at a higher combustion level and heat more efficiently than wood or gas stoves or inserts. Make sure there is a source for getting your pellets locally before you buy.  Your fireplace inserts or pellet stove dealer may stick them or be able to direct you to a fireplace insert pellet dealer.

The pellets fit into a hopper where they're stored until they're needed for burning.  These hoppers can hold from 35 to 130 pounds at a time.  This amount should last about one day if it's running all day.  It has a feeder that drops a few pellets one at a time into the combustion chamber where they're burned.  The heat output depends on how fast these pellets are fed into the burner.  The exhaust is taken away or vented through the flue pipe up through the chimney liner.  You should be able fill your hopper once a day and have it last at least through the day.

After you buy a pellet fireplace insert make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions - read the manual.   The fans and motor should be inspected from time to time. When you're not going to be using the inserts when the weather gets warmer, remove the unused pellets from the hopper and feeder to reduce rusting.  This will prevent damage to the fireplace insert system and will make it easier to start up next winter.  Make sure the chimney and flue are cleaned regularly so you don't get a buildup of soot.