HINDSRORIOMEOWNERS ne Fireplace Inserts Save Energy And Money (NAPSA)—Here’s an idea many homeowners may grt warmly: kping hot air inside when it’s cold out. In many houses, the problem— surprisingly—comes from something you’d think would kp you warm: traditional open-masonry fireplaces. They just aren’t very efficient. Every minute they burn, these fireplaces can exhaust as much as 300 cubic ft of heated indoor air outside your home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That’s 18,000 cubic ft of heated air lost per hour. As the warm airleaves, cold air from windows, doors and other areas is drawn to the fireplace. This cools the house and forces the furnace to work harder to heat your entire home. Fortunately, there is a way to enjoy your fireplace without suffering from high energy bills and a drafty house. A Practical Upgrade Fireplace inserts fit directly into the opening of existing masonry-built fireplaces and offer enhanced heating performance, style and money-savingefficiency. Fireplace inserts come in numerousdesigns and fuel types. Whenevaluating gas fireplace inserts, a critical component to look for is Direct Vent technology. Such units have sealed fireboxes and venting that expel 100 percent of exhaust outside of the home— for clean, safe indoorair quality. One wood-burning insert made by Quadra-Fire is the Voyageur. It blends clean, eco-friendly heating with distinctive cast-iron styling. A robust 46,000 BTU heating capacity heats up to 2,400 square ft and a single load of wood can efficiently burn for up to 12 hours. Fireplace inserts fit directly into the opening of existing masonrybuilt fireplaces. An efficient gas fireplace insert is the Heat & Glo Escape 135. It features traditional woodburning looks through a convenient gas platform. A molded FireBrick ceramic interior radi- ates 25 percent more heat than metal fireboxes, and an intermittent pilot system conserves energy. There’s a battery backup system, so it works even during a poweroutage. “These days, homeowners are sking more and more ways to increase their home value,” said Diane Utzman-O’Neill of Hearth & Home Technologies, a leading hearth product manufacturer. “Inserts can lower heating costs and revive interior designs.” Many wood-burning inserts are EPA certified. These appliances save money and mt stringent environmental standards. Pellet-burning inserts are also known for extremely clean andefficient operation. Learn More For more facts about these convenient appliances, visit www.fire places.com.
