Every winter, countless wood-burning fireplaces sit unused. It isn’t because homeowners don’t enjoy the gentle warmth and beautiful glow emanating from the hearth. It’s because they loathe the time and energy required for building and maintain a wood-burning fire. For homeowners who want to get more out of their fireplace, without more work, there are fireplaces that were designed for convenience.
Gas Fireplaces
When it comes to operating convenience, you can’t beat a gas fireplace. With the flip of a switch or the press of a button, you can ignite or extinguish your gas fireplace. A gas fireplace can even be wired to a thermostat so the flames automatically ignite and adjust to maintain your desired ambient temperature.
If you’re looking for efficiency and safety, you can opt for a direct-vent or vent-free gas fireplace, which convert a lot of the gas’s energy to heat without robbing heat from your home. However, if you prefer the look and feel of an open hearth, you can install a gas log set — direct vent or vent free — into your open hearth. Then you can enjoy beautiful glowing flames without the work of building and stoking a wood fire.
If you’re looking for quick and convenient installation of a new fireplace or heating stove, a gas heating appliance once again could be the answer! Direct-vent or vent-free fireplaces take up less space and because of their venting requirements, or lack of, they can be installed quickly and easily in almost any room in your home!
Electric Fireplaces
Like gas fireplaces, electric fireplaces provide the warmth and glow of a fire without any of the work! Flip a switch, and you can enjoy a fire. And because electric fireplaces don’t require any venting and are often portable, they can be installed anywhere within your home; all you need is the proper outlet!
Pellet Fireplaces
For homeowners who still want a wood-burning fireplace, a pellet fireplace or fireplace insert could be just the perfect option. Pellet-burning appliances are fueled by compressed, dehydrated wood pellets, which burn cleanly and efficiently.
Pellet stoves require much less work and maintenance than their-wood burning counterparts. The pellets can be purchased in 40-pound bags at nearly any big-box or home-improvement store, so there’s no need to haul, stack and store a high volume of fuel. Once burning, pellet stoves also require less work. Pellets are poured into a hopper and then fed automatically into the fire. Depending on the size of the hopper, pellet stoves can burn for anywhere from 24 to 48 hours without being reloaded. This means a pellet appliance can continue to heat your home overnight or while you’re away from home.
If you’re ready to utilize your hearth more frequently, it might be time to look for a more convenient fireplace option. Tri-County Hearth & Patio can help! Stop by our showroom today to see gas, electric and pellet fireplaces in action and to talk to one of our fireplace experts about how these convenient fireplace options can work for you!