Wood Burning Fireplaces
Traditional open-hearth fireplaces are a beautiful addition to any home with the smells and sounds of the fire, it is the closest thing to having a campfire right in your house. However, this type of fireplace requires the most care and commitment when burning.
Making sure you have this unit properly installed, inspected, and maintained is key to its safety. These are also not as efficient as sealed units and will still draw oxygen from the rooms in your house for combustion although an outside air kit will be mandatory in most cases.
An airtight High Efficiency wood burning fireplace is a sealed unit that exchanges air with the outside and the burn rate can be controlled through the adjustment of an air shutter.
These types of fireplaces are also known as EPA- certified zero clearance fireplaces and wood burning stoves. The units must be burned with the doors closed and usually offer optional blowers. Some even have the ability for the heat exchanger to feed right into your home’s central HVAC duct work. Working much like a gas stove they can produce a great amount of heat for the entire home or only to supplement a small area depending on your needs.