25
Jun
Basics of Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts
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Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts Installed

The Basics of Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts

Wood burning fireplace inserts are made to fit into your existing fireplace thereby creating a seal between the inside and outside.  Most inserts have a glass door through which you can see and hear the burning logs.  Inserts can be set up to use outside air to burn the logs, thereby eliminating interior drafts.  Many inserts draw air across the interior glass door, which keeps the glass clean and cooler.  Emissions are controlled by either secondary combustion or catalytic converters and heat exchange between the insert’s firebox and room air can be increased by using an electric blower that is installed with the wood burning fireplace insert.

 

 

 

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20
Jun
Secondary Combustion to Reduce Emissions
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Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts Installed

Secondary Combustion to Reduce Fireplace Emissions

One way to reduce emissions from a wood burning fireplace insert is to utilize another combustion chamber downstream from the fireplace where the logs burn.  This process, called secondary combustion, re-burns the hot gasses at very high temperature in a small chamber just after they exit the fireplace.  In contrast to catalytic converters, secondary combustion does not need routine maintenance to replace spent converters, so operating expenses are lower.  While, emissions are generally slightly higher, many wood burning fireplace inserts using secondary combustion meet EPA phase II standards.

 

 

 

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19
Jun
Calalytic Converters to Reduce Emissions
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Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts Installed

Catalytic Converters  to Reduce Fireplace Emissions

Catalytic converters do for wood burning fireplace inserts exactly what they do on your automobile:  they reduce emissions.  To do this, a noble metal ( such as platinum, paladeium, or a combination) is coated over a ceramic or stainless steel honeycomb surface.  All emissions from the fireplace go through the honeycomb and, due to these metals, most undesirable by-products are eliminated.  This results in very clean emissions from the fireplace, consisting mainly of water vapor and carbon dioxide.  The catalytic converter becomes fowled after a time, typically every 2-5 years, depending on how much the fireplace is used.  The downside is cost as a new converter needs to be inserted, which is generally a $150-250 investment.  The upside is that the emissions are very clean so your flue will stay clean for years; soot and creosote will not be a problem.  However, given the improvements in secondary combustion designs, you may want to consider this alternative due to its maintenance-free nature.

 

 

 

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17
Jun
Quiet Electric Blowers to Distribute Fireplace Heat
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Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts Installed

Quiet Electric Blowers to Distribute Heat

Many wood burning fireplace inserts have the option to install a quiet elctric blower to increase air circulation around the firebox, thereby improving heat output and efficiency.  Thermostatically controlled single and variable speed blowers are avaiable that eliminate the need for manual adjustment of the blower.  This offers an improvement over wood burning fireplace inserts that offer only radiant heating.

 

 

 

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