How to Choose the Right Fireplace for Your Home

Having trouble deciding on what type of fireplace youneeded may be for a blower system to help circulate
want for your home? Look no further, this article willthe heat throughout the intended area.
provide you with general information about fireplacesElectric Fireplaces
and will explain some basic information about threeThese types of fireplaces are usually used by people
different types of fireplaces.that would like a small area efficiently heated or for
Currently the top name fireplace manufacturers in thejust decorative purposes. An average electric fireplace
industry are Heat-N-Glo, Kozy Heat, Vermont Castings,produces around 5000 BTUs of heat. Electric
Quadra-Fire, Hampton, and Regency. Eachfireplaces are quite efficient though and ideal if you just
manufacturer carries a variety of products such asneed a small area heated.
wood, gas, electric, and outdoor fireplaces. Also theyAlso they are portable, just like any other piece of
carry fireplace inserts along with a variety of mantelsfurniture and can be placed in a variety of places.
for your decorative taste.Thanks to modern technology the flames look quite
Gas Fireplacesrealistic compared to a wood burning fire. Also you
An average gas fireplace produces roughly aroundcan choose to have the fire going without the heat.
20000 BTUs of heat. In case your unsure of what aThe typical cost for owning an electric fireplace is
BTU (British Thermal Unit) is, it refers to the heatingaround $.08 / hour and without heat less than $.01 /
power of a gas appliance as measured by thehour. This varies in each state and is only an average
amount of energy it produces in one hour. Morecost.
specifically it is the amount of heat required to raiseOutdoor Fireplaces
the temperature of one pound of water by oneDo you want the comfort of a fire outdoors without
degree Fahrenheit.the hazards? Outdoor fireplaces are becoming more
Most importantly what you need to know is that onand more popular with people in the United States.
average, 10,000 BTU can heat approximately 500Many you can buy for a fairly inexpensive price, look
square feet, depending on the design of the house.beautiful and are portable.
The type of windows, floor plan, and ceiling heat ofIf you decide on an outdoor fireplace be sure to get
course all have to be taken into consideration.one with rust resistant exterior. A typical steel fireplace
A gas fireplace does not need electricity to work,will not take long to produce unsightly rust. Also be
most use a typical pilot ignition system such as what issure to check with your state laws and code
used in a gas water heater. The only electricityregarding owning an outdoor fireplace.