Although old-fashioned wood fires tend to bring nostalgic thoughts of long ago and can also be very comforting to watch, they're becoming less and less popular with the EPA and with environmentalists in general. This is because they're not as eco-friendly as other options, such as gas fireplace inserts, which can convert your fireplace more or less instantly into an environmentalist-approved gas stove. Here are some reasons why gas inserts are considered a superior choice.
Less pollution
Traditional fires produce wood smoke, which some consider to have a very comforting fragrance. Unfortunately, since chimneys release smoke so near to ground level (compared to industrial smokestacks), your wood smoke can contribute to the air pollution problem in your city. If you live in a city where air quality is already low, this can be a big problem, since you're likely to have burn bans, and wood fireplaces are more likely to be banned in your area in the near future. Gas inserts burn cleanly, making them much more low-profile, environmentally speaking, as well as less problematic in a low-air-quality situation.
More convenience
If you're not the type of person who both learned survival skills in the past and loves to show them off now, the bother of starting a wood fire probably doesn't appeal to you much. Gas fireplaces can start easily, quickly, and safely. You can even get remote controls for them so you don't even have to walk across the room to control the fire. And after you're done using the fireplace for the night, you don't have to clean out the ashes or split more firewood.
More safety
Some new gas fireplaces have an automatic turn-off function. You can set the timer to turn off in half an hour (or however long you want), allowing you to actually fall asleep in front of the fire if you like without worrying about the whole place going up in flames. Some units come with built-in carbon monoxide detectors, too, and they'll automatically shut off the fire if there's too much carbon monoxide or not enough oxygen in the room for safety. (Of course, not all units come with these features, but you can choose them or perhaps add them on later.)
These are just a few of the reasons why modern, technologically-advanced gas fireplace inserts are considered to be better overall than old-fashioned wood fireplaces. You may even be able to get a tax credit for retrofitting your fireplace with an energy-efficient insert, so check to see if there are any current tax credit offers for fireplaces before you start shopping. For more information, contact a company like Nordic Stove and Fireplace Center.
Share9 November 2016
