Our Company Blog

Maximizing the Heat

Enjoy the warmth your fireplace has to offer by maximizing it’s heating potential and increasing energy efficiency.

Our fireplaces create a comforting ambiance on a cold winter day, but the warmth, unfortunately, is usually more show than substance. The explanation is firmly entrenched in the realm of science. We’re all aware that hot air rises; as such, the majority of the heat produced by your fire attempts to escape through your chimney. Not only that, this fleeing hot air creates an updraft that sucks even more warm air up and out of the room. The goal here, then, is finding ways to keep the hot air from fleeing and, instead, coaxing it to remain in your living space.

The Benefits of Burning Seasoned Wood

An easy first step to increasing the performance and heating efficiency of your fireplace is to burn seasoned firewood. Freshly cut wood—also referred to as green firewood—burns inefficiently and produces large amounts of smoke with little to no real heat to speak of. The majority of the heat energy produced from burning the wood is used to evaporate the excess moisture in the wood rather than going into actually heating your home; this excess moisture also attempts to put the fire out as it’s burning. Seasoned wood, on the other hand, has had ample time to dry and burns much more efficiently than its green counterparts.

Adjusting your Damper to Maximize Heat Output

Once you’ve got your seasoned firewood arranged in the fireplace, you can open the damper as wide as possible to increase the amount of air to the fire. This will improve the combustion and increase the amount of heat produced by the fire. It’s important to note here, however, that one drawback to this increased combustion is that your wood will ultimately burn faster, which will cause you to have to add seasoned wood more often to get a nice continuous flow of heat.

Annual Chimney Inspection and Sweeping

Having your chimney inspected and cleaned by a CSIA-certified chimney sweep yearly can also make it possible to boost your heating performance, as the process removes creosote buildup inside that can significantly restrict air flow. Once your fireplace and chimney have been cleaned, you can replace the screen in front of the fireplace with tempered glass doors, and keep the doors closed while the fire is burning. Doing this will increase the temperature of the fire in your fireplace and reduce the amount of warm air that the fire draws from the room.

Following the steps mentioned above will enable your fireplace to provide your home with more heat than it might have otherwise produced. Beach Stove & Fireplace takes pride in the services provided to each and every one of our customers. We encourage you to take a minute to call or ask one of our technicians what is available for your particular unit that can help it last longer and/or perform better. You won’t be disappointed that you called!

Gas Logs Advantages

Converting a Wood Burning Fireplace to Gas Logs Is Easier Than You Think

In the wintertime, there are few things cozier than curling up next to a nice, warm fire. These days, many homeowners are making the choice to enjoy a fire via gas logs rather than their wood burning fireplaces. Some think that the conversion is complicated or overly expensive and haven’t researched its viability.  However, changing from a wood burning fireplace to gas logs is surprisingly simple and can be done in an affordable manner.

There are some homeowners who like the smell and sound of a real fire and cannot imagine why they would want to change to gas. One reason you may consider a switch is that a wood burning fireplace does not create much heat, while a gas fireplace heats more more efficiently. This is a great way to save money on the energy bill, which can often spike during the winter when the heat is running around the clock.

Another reason that many people prefer a gas fireplace is that it is simply more convenient than a wood burning fireplace. There is no need to wait for wood to season properly and no need to go to the backyard or the garage to gather logs for a fire. With many models, starting a warm fire only takes seconds and is as easy as hitting a button on a remote control. After a long day, many homeowners value the convenience and simplicity of this choice.

For those who are afraid that gas logs are out of their price range, vented gas logs are a very affordable option. They come in varieties that simulate many different types of wood and do a great job of simulating the experience of a wood burning fire. If someone has a bit more money to spend on the conversion, they may want to consider a gas fireplace insert for their home. They do not require electricity to run, which means that they can be used even in the event of a power outage. For many people, the ease and the heating power are worth the extra investment.

Before installing a gas fireplace insert or vented gas logs, it is important to do a bit of research. In many towns, there are permits necessary to do any work on an outline and restrictions that must be carefully adhered to. The technician doing the work may have information about this, but it is still a good idea for homeowners to contact their township and research the necessary requirements on their own.

Installing a gas burning fireplace in place of a wood burning option is a change that many homeowners find to be a positive addition to their homes. In addition to the quickness (and lack of ashy mess)  of starting a fire with the push of a button, many people enjoy cutting energy costs by heating their entire home with the fireplace. If a gas insert is out of the budget, vented logs are a great, affordable option. Here at Beach Stove & Fireplace, we will be glad to discuss which option is best for you.