If you depend fully or partially on wood to heat your home, skip the fireplace, and use a wood stove instead. Wood stove inserts can be placed in an old fireplace to provide an easy upgrade.

1. Efficient Burning

A standard wood-burning fireplace isn't very efficient. Wood-burning stove inserts, on the other hand, are designed for higher efficiency. The stove pipe prevents backdrafts from coming down the flue. The firebox of a stove absorbs heat and reflects it back into the room rather than allowing it to be lost up the chimney. Many wood stoves are also equipped with fans that will help blow and circulate even more warm air throughout the room.

2. Safer Operation

Open fireplaces present a burn risk since someone can easily stumble into the fire or embers can make their way out and scorch items in the room. Smoke and fumes are also more likely to leak into the room from a fireplace than they are from a stove insert. Overall, wood stove inserts are sealed and safer to use than a standard fireplace.

3. Less Heat Loss

Heat loss with a fireplace is a real concern. If the flue remains open after the fire burns down, any heat in the room is quickly lost up the flue. This isn't the case with a wood stove insert. Instead, the closed firebox of the stove prevents cold air from blowing down the stove pipe and into the room. The result is less heat loss and better retention of heat in your home. 

4. Cost Effective

Wood stoves aren't just heat efficient, they are also fuel efficient. The better distribution of heat and the full combustion of the fuel means that very little wood is wasted. You may find yourself actually needing to use less wood for the same amount of heat and length of burn time. Further, if there is damage to your fireplace, such as to the firebox or chimney liner, you can save cash by putting in an insert instead of paying for costly repairs. 

5. Versatile Installation

A simple insert simply slides into your fireplace and then the stove pipe is routed up the chimney. You can find inserts in a variety of sizes and styles to fit any fireplace and home design. If you don't have a functioning fireplace for the insert, you can also get a free-standing stove with a traditional stove pipe routed through a wall or roof. 

Contact a stove salesroom to learn more about the various designs and options that are available, such as Blaze King fireplaces.