Slash Heating Costs this Winter: Tips to Help Consumers Reduce Heating Bills and Increase Comfort
Lakeville, Minn., October 6, 2008
Eighty to 90 percent of heat produced in a wood-burning fireplace can be
lost up the chimney
While caulking cracks around
windows and using compact fluorescent light bulbs and ENERGY STAR(R)
appliances are smart steps toward conservation, one often-overlooked area
that has an immediate impact on home energy use is the fireplace. In fact,
fireplace options can either harm or help with energy savings, depending on
many factors. For instance, is the fireplace vented or non-vented, what
type of fuel is used and how much heat escapes the home.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating and cooling
accounts for 56 percent of the energy use in a typical U.S. home, making it
the largest energy expense for most homeowners. With crisper temperatures
approaching, fireplaces.com provides a valuable resource for homeowners
preparing for a season of high heating bills, resulting from increasing
energy prices and demand for oil and natural gas.
There are a variety of hearth options available to help homeowners keep
their homes warm and comfortable, while simultaneously lowering utility
bills.
-- Consider retrofitting energy draining fireplaces with direct vent gas
inserts. With little effort, homeowners can convert dated heat-draining
wood-burning fireplaces with modern high-efficiency direct vent
inserts, which will produce immediate benefits. Operated by the flip of
a switch, direct vent gas inserts offer homeowners the greatest level
of convenience and little effort. Certified professionals can install a
direct vent gas insert into an existing wood-burning fireplace without
the need for major construction, heavy remodeling charges or
inconvenience. Direct vent gas inserts achieve greater heating
efficiency through the use of a sealed system. With this type of
system, 100 percent of the combustion air necessary to produce a flame
comes from outside the home, eliminating heat loss associated with
conventional chimneys. As with wood-burning fireplaces, which can suck
the air out of a home, homeowners can see immediate benefits by using
this type of hearth. Direct vent gas inserts also ensure healthy indoor
air environments and, through lower heating bills, can pay for
themselves in a matter of a few years.
