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Fireplaces add both warmth
and beauty to any room. They can even add charm and elegance when
not in use during the warm summer months.
In many areas of the world that undergo harsh and cold winters
fireplaces are the source of heat for the home. In traditional homes
the fireplace would be the central source of heat all winter long.
Often fireplaces were used for cooking in addition to heating. While
the traditional fuel for fireplaces was wood, that is now being
replaced by natural gas and electricity which are cleaner and
cheaper in many parts of the world. You can give your living room a
real air of sophistication with the addition of a fireplace.
Fireplaces are a great way to keep a home warm during the winter
months and come in a wide selection of styles and designs. Wood and
gas are the two most common types of fireplaces these days.
Wood Burning Fireplaces
Wood is placed into the firebox in these traditional fireplaces. A
damper is used to provide ventilation and allow harmful gases and
particles produced by burning wood to exit the fireplace through the
flue. A wood burning fireplace has eight basic components: flue,
damper, cap, throat, chimney, smoke chamber, firebox, and hearth.
Gas Fireplace
These fireplaces burn natural gas instead of wood and can be started
with the flick of a switch. Often they contain a dimmer to contrail
the height of the flame and the heat produced. They are much more
convenient than wood burning fireplaces and burn much cleaner. They
do not contain as many components as the wood burning fireplace and
do not require a chimney but can be vented directly outside through
the wall or roof.
Different Wood Heating Systems
Different wood heating system designs have different efficiencies.
Only about 10% of the energy produced is used for actual heat in a
traditional fireplace. Convectional fireplaces, on the other hand,
use about 40% of the energy produced for heat. There is a double
wall around a convectional fireplace. There are also airtight stoves
and other inserts which can be placed in a fireplace and operate at
around 40% efficiency. Some air tight stoves include a controlled
air feature which can raise the efficiency level to 55%. You will
only see about 25% efficiency from Franklin or parlor stoves. The
wood burning furnace offers the most efficiency (around 55% to 60%)
and is also the most expensive.
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