381-8 Old Riverhead Road

Westhampton Beach, NY

Tel. 631-998-0780

Hours: Tues. - Thur. 9am to 3pm / Fri. 9am to 12pm (or by appt.) / Sat. - Mon. Closed

Our Company Blog

What is a Fireplace Insert?

There is a myriad of options for home furnaces and fires. At Beach Stove and Fireplace, we sell and install most of them. When it comes to fires, our customers choose gas, wood, and pellet appliances, and all of them are high efficiency and economical. We also offer inserts, which are growing in popularity and available in all three fuel types. Fireplace inserts allow homeowners the freedom to choose the model, style, efficiency, convenience, and location—and that’s just the beginning.

All About Inserts

An insert is a fireplace that is retro-fitted or inserted directly into an existing firebox. Some fireplace inserts such as direct vent inserts are installed in other areas in the home like a stove. Instead of a chimney or flue pipe, a direct vent unit vents through a wall and pulls air from the home. It pulls air through the same opening in the wall.

Direct vent inserts are gas units whereas other fireplace inserts burn gas, pellets, or wood. A customer that wants to upgrade from a wood to a gas fireplace may do so by installing a gas insert into their existing firebox. Likewise, a homeowner who wants to restore a neglected fireplace, but cannot afford to restore the chimney, can also choose a gas insert. With a gas insert in the existing firebox and a new flue piped up the existing chimney, homeowners can enjoy fire this winter with a higher level of efficiency and safety.

Professional Installation

fireplace insert with brick surround

When you choose to install a fireplace insert, it’s important to start with the professionals. Only a certified chimney sweep knows how to properly install an insert. Many homeowners attempt to purchase these units online, only realizing later that they aren’t sized properly. These units end up on showroom floors, and homeowners lose their money.

When you contact a certified chimney expert, the firebox will be measured exactly and the unit will be sized properly. Our team at Beach Stove and Fireplace will install your fireplace insert with safe clearance between the unit and the firebox walls. We can also properly connect the flue and the appliance to ensure the flue liner is properly sized and constructed with the appropriate materials. Our team is NFI certified, which means the manufacturers trust us with their brand.

Fireplace Inserts in Action

If you own a home in or around Westhampton Beach, NY, you can stop in and visit our showroom to see the fireplace inserts in action. Wood burning inserts are a favorite among our customers. They love the beautiful, dancing, yellow flame of wood fires, high efficiency, and heat output of them. For even more convenience and efficiency with consistent flames and an easier-to-light fire, we recommend pellet inserts. For the most efficient, environmentally friendly, and convenient option, we recommend gas inserts, which feature push-button lights, immediate extinguishment, and even remote controls.

Are you a homeowner in our service area and interested in an upgrade? At Beach Stove and Fireplace, we have the safest and most efficient appliances from the top brands. Call us at 631-998-0780 or stop by today!

By Julie Dismore on June 7th, 2019 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Comments Off on What is a Fireplace Insert?

If you’re tired of hauling and storing wood, consider a pellet insert

Your wood-burning fireplace is an asset to your home. It adds heat, ambiance, and style, and helps keep your heating bills low. But wood-burning fireplaces are a lot of work: Chopping, splitting, hauling, and stacking wood is time consuming, and it takes a lot of space to store the wood you need to warm your home during the winter. If you’re tired of hauling and storing wood, consider a pellet insert.

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How pellet inserts work

A pellet insert can be placed inside your existing wood-burning fireplace, along with a stainless steel chimney liner. Pellet stoves burn either wood pellets, made of compressed dehydrated sawdust, or biofuels such as corn, cherry pits, or wheat hulls. The pellets are poured into a storage hopper, and then an auger automatically feeds them into a burn pan. The stove’s fans and vents pull in cooler air to be heated and pump hot air back into your home.

Save yourself storage space

One of the biggest advantages of pellet stoves is that the fuel is readily available and easily stored. Pellets are sold in 40 pound bags at most hardware and many big-box stores. Because they come in 40 pound bags, you can buy bags of pellets as needed. With firewood, you either stack what you need for winter, or you have to buy wood one cord at a time. Pellets can save you from finding somewhere to store all of your firewood. One cord of wood occupies 128 cubic feet of storage space, compared with 80 cubic feet of storage space for one ton of pellets, which provides the equivalent heating power. On average, a home with a wood stove or wood-burning fireplace burns three cords of hardwood each year.

Save yourself from hauling firewood

Of course, wood also comes with the hassle of hauling it back and forth from the woodpile to your house, and adding logs to your fire several times a day. Your firewood needs to be stored a distance from your house to avoid attracting pests to your home. Pellets can be stored in your garage or basement, and because pellets are automatically fed from the storage hopper, pellet stoves don’t need to be tended throughout the day. Depending on your pellet insert, one hopper of pellets can heat a home for up to 24 hours.

Save yourself energy

Another major advantage to pellet stoves is their energy efficiency. Pellet stoves are hailed by green-living enthusiasts as one of the cleanest ways to heat your home. Because the pellets are dehydrated, they produce very little smoke when burned, and almost all of the energy from the fire goes back into heating your home. The fuel is considered carbon neutral because the wood or bio-pellets would have released the same carbon into the air during natural composition. And, of course, whether you’re burning wood or biofuel, your pellets are made from a renewable resource.

If you’re interested in freeing yourself from the headache of chopping, hauling, and storing firewood, call the experts at Beach Stove and Fireplace. We can tell you everything you need to know about upgrading to a pellet insert!

By Julie Dismore on November 27th, 2015 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on If you’re tired of hauling and storing wood, consider a pellet insert

All About Inserts: What to Know Before Purchasing

According to the National Association of Home Builders, fireplaces are among the top 3 most desired features in a new home, and it’s easy to see why. A fireplace provides a home with a hearth, a gathering place for family and friends and comforting warmth during the colder months. A fireplace is also an expensive investment that requires much research before making a decision.

A fireplace can also be a huge responsibility during the winter months, when the efficient heating of your home is a necessity. A traditional fireplace can require a lot of work to maintain a comfortable level of heat, while also causing a possible spike in your electricity bill.

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Fortunately, there is a way to improve the efficiency of your fireplace: the installation of an insert.

Are you interested in improving the efficiency and heating capabilities of your fireplace? .

Why You Need an Insert

In the often grueling New York winters, heating one’s home can be a serious expense, and having a fireplace can be a real comfort.

Unfortunately, many fireplaces, especially those with open-hearths, don’t heat very efficiently.
A fireplace insert is a great option for improving these efficiency problems.

A fireplace insert is essentially a sealed, energy-efficient box that is retrofitted into an existing fireplace; they do not open directly into the home, preventing the waste of energy that is generated by fireplaces that do.

Make the Switch from a Traditional Wood Fireplace to Gas Log

A masonry fireplace, while beautiful and traditional, isn’t as efficient for heating a home as one that uses gas logs. A fireplace insert can allow you to make the switch from a traditional, wood-burning fireplace to a gas log unit that will heat your home more efficiently.

It’s also important to note that switching to a gas log fireplace will save you the time and energy of acquiring, storing and seasoning wood to be burned in your fireplace when it gets cold. With a gas log unit, you won’t have to make trips out into the snow or a blizzard to retrieve more firewood.

Talk to a professional fireplace installer to see if your traditional fireplace can be converted to a gas unit.

Get More Use Out of Your Masonry or Factory-Built Fireplace

Installing an insert in your masonry or factory-built fireplace could cut your energy bills by as much as 40%, while still providing you with the warmth and ambiance that you deserve.

Installing a fireplace in your home is an expense in and of itself; you deserve to enjoy its features in the most energy-efficient way possible.

Hiring a Professional to Handle Your Fireplace Inserts

Making the leap towards a fireplace install is an expense. Depending on your fireplace, you could be looking at an investment of a few thousand dollars, especially if you’d like to convert to a gas log unit from a traditional masonry model.

It is essential that you entrust the installation of your insert to a professional. Most fireplaces are unique, and installing an insert requires training and precision, to ensure that your purchase provides you with the energy efficiency and heating abilities that you deserve.

Beach Stove and Fireplace is the premiere destination for all of your stove and fireplace needs in the Long Island Area. Contact us today for more information on our fireplace inserts, purchasing and installation.

By Julie Dismore on July 10th, 2015 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , | Comments Off on All About Inserts: What to Know Before Purchasing

Pellet Stove vs. Wood Stove

With snow already falling in many parts of the country, now is the time to figure out how to stay warm in the upcoming cold months. Effective and inexpensive home heating options are in high demand right now, and many homeowners face the question of which type to choose. For those looking to stoves to heat the home, another question comes up: wood-burning or pellet-burning stove? Both have great advantages with some downsides as well, so you should take into consideration how you intend to use it, the amount of heat you need, the availability of fuel in your area, and other factors.

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How do Pellet and Wood Stoves Work?

Pellet stoves have gained popularity in recent years because they efficiently burn renewable energy. Wood pellets are made by debarking, grinding, drying and compressing wood, and then the pellets are electronically fed into the burning chamber. Wood stoves work just like any other wood-burning unit. Split logs start and maintain the fire and the heat in place of the pellets in a pellet-burning stove.

What Makes Pellets Better?

For one, pellets burn very efficiently, meaning more of the material burns and creates heat. This leads to warmer, more sustainable fires and fewer harmful emissions. Wood pellet fires can burn for as long as 16 hours without requiring a refill, which is ideal for working families who spend long hours away from the home during the day. Compared to a wood-burning stove, pellet stoves are highly efficient.

Another benefit to a pellet-burning stove is purchasing and storing the fuel. First, in the built-up Westhampton Beach area, forests and firewood are harder to come by than in more rural areas, making split wood logs scarce. Wood pellets are ideal options for this situation because they can be shipped into urban areas more easily and economically. Next, wood pellets take up one-third less space than traditional wood. A cord of wood takes up 128 cubic feet, and one ton of pellets takes up just 80 cubic feet. These volumes create the same amount of heat but take up vastly different amounts of space to store. For tight New York homes, this could be a determining factor.

What Makes Wood Better?

Conversely, wood-burning stoves have some advantages over their pellet-burning counterparts. One major factor is that wood-burning stoves do not require electricity to function. In the case of power outages, as is common in winters when ice builds up on power lines, the wood-burning stove continues to run, while the pellet-burning stove simply runs cold. Although battery back-ups can be installed, they only last up to eight hours, making this issue life-threatening depending on the length of the power outage.

Another advantage of burning wood is the cost of the fuel. On average, one cord of wood costs less than $200. Because pellets require significantly more processing, a heat-equivalent amount of pellets might start at $200. The price of fuel, in addition to the price of electricity to run the pellet stove, might make the wood-burning stove more attractive.

For more information and help deciding what type of stove best suits your home and lifestyle, contact Beach Stove and Fireplace of Westhampton Beach, New York. These experts can help you make the most informed decision.

By Julie Dismore on November 14th, 2014 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Pellet Stove vs. Wood Stove

Thinking About an Insert?

We know you love a roaring fire on a chilly night. We also know you may be really tired of chopping, carrying and purchasing fire wood. You may also be worried about missing the sights and sounds of a fire.  The thing is, some of these inserts are strikingly realistic.  The professionals at Beach Stove and Fireplace can help you in choosing the perfect fit for you and your home.

Do inserts create heat?

Fuel options for an insert include wood, propane or pellet. Call us with questions...we are here to help!

Fuel options for an insert include wood, propane or pellet. Call us with questions…we are here to help!

To most people’s surprise, an insert can create a significant amount of heat – and the heat is consistent and evenly distributed.  There are many types of inserts that you can get, the first being a wood-burning insert, which is basically a wood stove without legs.  This can fit inside of the fireplace you already have and still burn real logs.  You can also get a pellet insert which is a type of prefabricated convection heater that you pour pellets into to create a fire instead of logs.  The best part is that these pellets are made of recycled materials.

The newer types of gas inserts are much different than old decorative fireplaces.  Today’s gas inserts use propane or natural gas, fake logs, and other decorative pieces.  They can be installed in any type of fireplace and vented thorough an existing chimney.  These are the easiest inset to use because they require very little maintenance.  They also run off a switch, so it is easier to control the fire.  To learn more about the installation process, click here.

Does it cost a lost to switch over?

When you buy the insert it may seem a little pricey but always remember you’ll be saving money each day in lower energy costs. Even though the initial cost of an insert may be high, it has been estimated that you could save hundreds of dollars a year on fuel prices.

 

By Julie Dismore on April 29th, 2014 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Thinking About an Insert?

Our Location

Beach Stove and Fireplace is located on Old Riverhead Road between Montauk Highway and Sunrise Highway. From Sunrise Highway take exit 63 south, travel 1.2 miles and turn right at the 381 complex (just north of Gabreski Airport)