A Zero Clearance Fireplace typically refers to a fireplace that was designed so that it can sit right next to the framing. To do this the fireplace must contain and control the heat so that the surface temperature of the fireplace exterior sitting next to the framing remains cool and does not create any chance of a fire hazard.

The quality and efficiency of different zero clearance fireplaces varies widely.  EPA Certified fireplaces are going to be the most efficient and include features such as outside air sources sufficient to satisfy all combustion air needs, controllers for the combustion air intake that allow the heat ouput and burn time to be controlled by the home owner and glass doors that are gasketed or sealed.

The lesser zero clearance fireplaces will have either none or only some of these features.  The very poorest will actually pull more air out of the house than they give back in heat so the net effect will be to make it colder rather than warmer.

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A wood burning insert for your fireplace with advanced combustion technology will usually cost between $1500 and $2500, with installation.  If you are purchasing a new home and want to add a fireplace, this is a great opportunity to choose an advanced combustion fireplace.  If your existing home already has a conventional fireplace, you should seriously consider retrofitting it with a new wood burning insert to save on energy costs, ensure comfort and safety.

In this case, look for an advanced combustion insert that is especially designed to be inserted into an existing fireplace. Along with the new wood burning insert it is likely that you will need to put a liner in your existing chimney to make it compatible with the new technology. Use an approved stainless steel chimney liner to prevent condensation of combustion products and to ensure a good draft.

A new installation should use one of the high-temperature chimneys that are designed specifically for wood burning appliances. These metal chimneys are specifically designed to withstand continuous gas temperatures up to 1200o F, which is higher than chimneys intended for other fuels. This type of chimney also has a thicker wall, additional insulation and a higher grade inner liner than other chimneys.

The design and manufacture of energy-efficient wood burning inserts is an ongoing process. Work continues on the creation of systems that are energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and safe to operate.  Over time, the introduction of government regulations and standards for wood burning fireplaces and wood burning stoves could make the use of advanced combustion fireplaces mandatory.

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Wood pellet fireplaces are becoming a more populare option for reducing utility costs as heating fuel prices continue to soar.

The wood pellets that are used to fuel these pellet fireplaces are made from wood scraps that are compressed into pellets to form a smooth flowing and even burning fuel. Although they are typically a less expensive way to heat they are a bit less convenient than just turning up the thermostat to the furnace.

The pellets typically come packaged in 40-50 pound bags. They can be bought in small numbers or delivered by the pallet.  Each day the pellet fireplace is in use it has to be reloaded.  With heavy usage it may require a second refill.

But according to Peter Howe of NECN, Jon Strimling had a better idea.  His idea was for homeowners to be able to flick a switch and have a hopper load the pellet fireplaces and then have a delivery truck load the hopper.

“We’re taking pellets in bulk out of the back of this truck, by bulk I mean there’s no bags in them, and we’re flowing them down this pipe into the garage” says Strimling.

The typical home using 3-4 tons a year would only require two fills to keep their pellet fireplace running. That’s 3-4 tons that the homeowner doesn’t have to move by hand.

Strimling’s company currently charges around $325/ton, with the bags being delivered on pallets. In heating value, that is 30-40% less expensive than heating oil. They have just begun selling hopper systems and hope it will make pellets even more popular.

Ten to fifteen percent of the product cost is actually tied up in the packaging, so bulk delivery of the pellets is not only less hassle, it costs about 10 percent less as an added bonus.

Despite the hands on requirements of heating with pellets, it’s popularity has grown in recent years. More then 800,000 U.S. households use pellets for either some or all of their heat.  This equates to 2.2 billion pounds of wood pellets annualy. The industry continues to grow with over 80 pellet producers and 23 manufacturers of pellet fireplaces, stoves, and pellet furnaces.

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The advanced combustion technology used in a modern wood fireplace insert was developed as part of a serious effort by the U.S. and Canada to reduce emissions from wood stoves in order to satisfy environmental regulations. The main design elements of the wood stove technology are now being incorporated into new fireplaces, creating a safe, efficient and cost-effective alternative to conventional fireplaces. This new technology is also being made available in new wood fireplace inserts which can be installed into an existing fireplace.

These fireplace inserts use a sophisticated secondary combustion process that ensures more complete combustion of the wood and smoke.  This increases the fireplace’s operating efficiency and reduces the amount of emissions escaping from the firebox.

These advanced combustion fireplace inserts use two separate preheated paths of combustion air. One air source feeds directly into the burning wood.  The second is aimed above the main fire in order to capture and ignite the incomplete combustion gases that would otherwise be released up the chimney. This results in two simultaneous combustion zones and flame patterns.

Modern wood fireplace inserts using advanced combustion technology have airtight, gasketed doors, a special ceramic glass window that allows much of the infrared heat to be transmitted to the room, and a hot air blower “sweeping” the window to allow easy viewing of the fire. When a fireplace insert is installed with the back against an exterior wall, some type of insulated outer casing that prevents unwanted heat loss from escaping should be installed.

These advanced combustion units have better heat exchange properties than conventional fireplaces because room air is drawn in through a grille under the firebox where a fan sends it through a heat exchanger and back into the room through grilles at the top of the fireplace.  With some units, the heat can also be ducted to adjacent rooms where an auxiliary fan can send it through ducts to the rest of the house.

The air requirements for these new fireplaces are very low requiring as little as one tenth of the ventilation of a typical house. It is, however, still a good idea to supply the fireplace with direct outside air for combustion (this is mandatory in some areas).

Another benefit of an advanced combustion wood fireplace insert is that they have little or no interaction with the house air, so the chances of combustion products leaking into the home are minimal.  They also enhance the safety and effectiveness of supplying outdoor air directly to the fireplace. The maze that is used for preheating the air before it goes into the firebox is designed to keep the combustion gases from escaping.

Real Energy Efficiency

Advanced combustion fireplace inserts offer levels of energy efficiency as high as 50 to 70% (even higher when installed in a major living area with an open view to other parts of the house).  This can reduce overall energy demand and dramatically lower heating bills.  This is especially true for homes currently heated by electric baseboards.

Impressive Environmental Benefits

The use of two separate combustion zones reduces emissions by ten fold compared to a conventional fireplace. This enables the environmentally friendly use of wood, which is a renewable energy source. Low levels of creosote and incomplete combustion products virtually eliminate the potential for chimney fires as an added benefit.

Emergency Preparedness

In case of an electrical power failure, new wood fireplace inserts can still operate as emergency heat source for the house. Even though the electrical circulating fan will not operate, the heat from the fire will radiate from the fireplace into the house by natural convection, supplying a significant amount of heat to the home.

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Many dealers may be looking to bolster sales for the end of the year.  Others may need to move out older models to make room for new ones.  Also, with retail sales in the shape they are many dealers are discounting much further than normal.  Plus you get the benefit of lowering your heating costs.

This is also somewhat off-season now that we are part way through the winter.  It will likely be easier to schedule installation.  All in all if you have been thinking of adding the benefits of a wood fireplace insert to your home now is probably a good time to start checking around.

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Obviously, we are all for the latter approach and you will find support for your efforts here - to use wood well. There are a lot of misconceptions about wood heating – hopefully we can help clear some of them up.  You’ll get a balanced view of the benefits of heating with wood.

Regardless of the energy source you choose, it will have an impact on the environment. The best energy sources are the ones that are renewable and the best are solar power and wind power since their environmental impacts tend to be the lowest. They do still have their problems and limitations however. Wood is another energy source that is renewable and it too has its problems and limitations.  Some of these can be managed and minimized, others cannot. But when used effectively, wood is a very good fuel compared to the alternatives like oil, gas and coal.

Wood Fireplace Insert

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That is why the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued a standard for wood stoves and fireplace inserts in 1988.  This standard limits the amount of smoke emissions that can come from any newly built wood stove or insert.  Any wood stove or fireplace insert sold in the U.S. must meet the standards set by the EPA.

When certifying a stove or insert the EPA uses a measure of emissions called the emission rate.  When comparing different stoves or inserts to each other, the emission rate can be a reliable factor for deciding which models are cleaner burning.  For non-catalytic wood stoves the limit is 7.5 grams of smoke that can be released per hour.  The emission limit for catalytic stoves is 4.1 grams per hour.  With recent improvements in technology some stoves have been certified to release as little as 1 gram per hour.

Although catalytic inserts create a more even and longer burning heat, non-catalytic inserts are easier to maintain and run. Catalytic inserts have a catalytic element that should be cleaned regularly and the insert should be run at efficient heats to keep the element in good condition.  Burning anything other than clean seasoned wood can harm the element.  The element will typically need to be replaced anywhere between two and six years of use depending on how well it is maintained.

The main components of a non-catalytic wood burning insert include a system for pre-heating the combustion air before it gets to the firebox, insulation for the firebox itself and a large baffle that creates a flow path for the combustion gases that is longer and hotter.  This system creates an interesting flame pattern that many home owners find enjoyable to watch.  Because of the high heat created by a wood insert some of the internal parts may need replacement over time.

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Gas and wood stoves appeal to different customers for various reasons.  Those who prefer gas like the instant heat, the fact that their is no mess and the ability to control the temperature. Those who prefer burning wood like the ambiance of a real fireplace and typically have access to firewood, a way to haul it and time to gather it.  Some customers will opt for both.

If you want a wood burning insert but are concerned about wood sources, consider getting a pellet stove.

Pellet stoves burn a wood pellets (a renewable fuel made of saw dust and wood chips that are pressed into pellets). Pellet fireplaces are some of the cleanest-burning appliances available and are extremely efficient. Most pellet stoves require a power source to operate the fan and pellet feeder.

Pellets burn longer than wood. You can load the pellets in the morning and the stove will automatically feed itself throughout the day maintaining a set temperature.

Pellet stoves can be vented straight out of a wall the same way as a gas fireplace.

Like wood burning stoves, pellet stoves require a buildup of heat before the temperature will change in the room. But the pellet stove works better for maintaining a consistent temperature then a wood burning stove because the combustion process is controlled by a thermostat.

If you want instant heat at the flip of a switch you should probably go with a gas fireplace.

Pellet stoves do create ash, which will need to be removed, sometimes daily depending on the size and usage level of the stove.

If you have a source for fuel, wood burning stoves or fireplaces can provide the least expensive alternative heat source.

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People have heated their homes with wood for thousands of years, but I’m not talking about building a fire in the middle of your living room.  Wood heating appliances have improved dramatically over the past twenty years, making great improvements in efficiency and the reduction in emissions. A couple decades back, wood burning fireplaces and stoves were huge and not very efficient.  They would eat up wood faster than you could cut it and spew out smoke that would polute the air inside and out. Now, clean burning and highly efficient stoves, fireplaces and furnaces are owner-friendly, neighbour-friendly and environmentally-friendly.  Wood burning stoves and inserts are now legitimate heating options for homeowners.

A few year ago, “airtight” stoves were the best that could be had, but because wood needs air to burn cleanly the airtight stoves would not burn efficiently and produced a lot of smoke. The new “controlled combustion” stoves not only produce less smoke and pollution, but they are also more efficient, burning as much as thirty percent less wood. That’s thirty percent less wood to haul and thirty percent less wood to pay for.

For homes with a fireplace, a wood insert is a good way to turn an energy drain into an efficient source of heat. Fireplace inserts are available that are EPA certified to have the same efficient performance as new wood stoves. For new homes that are just being constructed a pre-fabricated steel fireplace is a great option. They are as efficient as the inserts and stoves and can be built right into a wall without the need for brickwork.

Pellet stoves are another viable heating option, and because of the convenience they offer they are becoming more popular every day. As the name implies pellet stove burn pellets rather than raw wood.  The pellets are made of waste wood and come in various size bags or in bulk.  The pellets are poured into a hopper that is part of the stove and from there are fed into the fire slowly by an electric feeder, providing heat that is steady and controlled thermostatically.

Although pellet stoves may be a little bit more expensive, they do have some great advantages. Because they are so efficient they don’t even require an EPA rating. The pellets are clean and easy to handle and typically they are available in many retail stores. And, they can be controlled by a thermostat so it is easy to maintain an even level of heat.

Besides wood inserts and stoves, wood burning furnaces and boilers designed to heat an entire home are also available.

Another advantage of heating with wood is that instead of spending your heating money on imported oil, coal and natural gas you keep the business in your local area.

Another big advantage to using wood heat is that they are more carbon neutral than fossil fuels, releasing carbon dioxide as it burns that it would have released anyway as it decomposed after having absorbed carbon dioxide as it grew.

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Air supply ventilators can be added to help solve this problem.  Air supply ventilators are installed through an outside wall and bring outside air into the combustion chamber of the fireplace insert to provide combustion air for the fire.  That way the fire is consuming outside air rather than pulling inside air and heat into the insert and up the chimney.  The installation and operation of an air supply ventilator can be very simple.  There are no batteries or electrical wiring or ductwork needed.  A ventilator works automatically by taking advantage of the negative air pressure inside the home. It can be opened or shut manually.

Most include an exterior grill and insect screen.  They are made of ABS molded polymer and can be painted with latex paint to match your decor.

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