Fireplaces can burn efficiently

Dear Jim: With natural gas prices so high, I want to install an efficient wood-burning fireplace to help heat my home. I have an open masonry one, but it does not heat well. What kind of fireplace should I get? – Gus H.

Dear Gus: The interest in using firewood to supplement a standard fossil fuel heating system is very strong now. With gas (also propane and oil) prices so high as you mentioned, burning wood in an efficient fireplace can be a cost-effective option even if you have to buy the firewood at retail prices.

Don’t judge all fireplaces by your old masonry one. An open-hearth masonry fireplace is one of the least efficient sources of heat. You may feel warm sitting directly in front of the fire, but it draws much of the heated air up the chimney and out of your house. These open fireplaces were truly effective only in one-room homes or if there was a fireplace in every room. To provide the most efficient heat, select a heat-circulating fireplace.

These fireplaces often have a double-walled firebox and tubes near the top through which room air circulates. The final air outlet into the room flows through the tubes in the flames to bring it to its maximum temperature. Heat-circulating fireplaces rely on natural convection (hot air is less dense and rises) to create the room air flow through the fireplace. As the fire gets hotter, the room air flowing through the fireplace gets warmer, creating greater air flow. This self-regulating feature produces heated air quite efficiently.

For greater heat output, nearly all the major fireplace manufacturers offer optional blower convection kits. These blowers force more room air around the firebox to capture more heat. These are available as simple on/off blowers or ones with variable-speeds and thermostats. These blower kits are often homeowner installed and some simply mount with magnets.

Provisions for outdoor combustion air is imperative for high efficiency. This will dramatically reduce the amount of the heated room air that gets drawn up the chimney. Many of the fireplace models are designed with an air inlet to facilitate bringing outdoor combustion air into the firebox.

It is possible to heat adjacent rooms with a wood-burning fireplace. See-through fireplaces can be placed in a wall between two rooms. This also locates the chimney totally indoors so additional radiant heat transfers to the rooms. Peninsula designs (three-sided) can be used to heat a larger area and provide greater access for your family to sit around the fire. Since you now have a gas furnace, consider a dual-fuel fireplace which will burn either firewood or gas.

The following companies offer efficient wood-burning fireplaces: Desa International, (866) 672-6040, www.desaint.com; Fuego Flame, (800) 445-1867, www.fuegoflame.com; Heat-N-Glo, (888) 427-3973, www.heatnglo.com; Kozy Heat/Hussong, (800) 253-4904, www.kozyheat.com; and Lennox Hearth Products, (800) 854-0257, www.lennoxhearthproducts.com).

Send inquiries to James Dulley, Bangor Daily News, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.