What type of fireplace to buy is a question many homeowners are faced with at some point. Gas, propane, electric, or the beauty of a real wood burning fireplace? There are many pro’s and con’s that go along with all of the fireplace options.
We will try to simplify the choice for you with our quick rundown of the benefits and drawbacks of the fireplace choices that you have.
Pros & Cons of Wood Burning Fireplaces
Nothing beats the romance, warmth, sound, and smell of a real, wood burning fireplace. Crackling embers and creeping flames will bring a smile to any homeowner and their family. However, they do have their drawbacks.
Your home will need to have an existing chimney in place or have one installed which comes with great expense. They are also not the most efficient option as more of the heat escapes up the chimney than actually reaches the room and they are dirtier and prone to shooting embers out which can cause damage unless a screen is used.
Real wood fires also require setting up the fire itself and the purchase of firewood to fuel the fire.
Despite some of the cons, real wood fireplaces remain one of the most popular choices.
Contact us for for our latest real wood fireplace specials.
Pros & Cons of Natural Gas Fireplaces
Natural gas fireplaces are very popular for many very good reasons. They operate with just the flick of a switch, have no ashes to cleanup or wood to buy, and use modern, heat-efficient technology making them low emission, cheap and efficient to use.
Gas fireplaces are also highly versatile, being easily installed into almost any room. The low temperature of their flue gasses enables them to be vented with PVC pipes.They can be ‘ventless’ or ‘direct-vent’, meaning that they can be used inside or out and without a chimney. They may also come with many modern technological features such as timers and temperature settings.
The only real drawback to a natural gas fireplace is that it lacks the smell, sound and look of a real wood burning fireplace. However, many people are quite happy to overlook this in exchange for the simplicity and ease of use of a natural gas fireplace which will still look incredibly beautiful.
Pros & Cons of Propane Fireplaces
As with natural gas fireplaces, propane fireplaces are low maintenance, easy to operate with just the flick of a switch, and have little to no cleanup.
The propane gas that is used is even cheaper than natural gas and makes this type of fireplace incredibly versatile as it can be installed anywhere as long as there is room to place a propane tank. They can be ‘ventless’ or ‘direct-vent’, meaning that they can be used inside or out and without a chimney. They may also come with many modern technological features such as timers and temperature settings.
Other than the occasional filling of the propane tanks, the only real drawback is the fact that it does not have same smell, look and sound of a real wood fireplace.
Pros & Cons of Electric Fireplaces
Electric fireplaces have become very popular mainly due to their incredible versatility, low maintenance, and ease of installation. Many of the problems associated with other fireplace systems are eliminated with electric fireplaces.
No real flames of any kind are produced so no venting is needed, making them perfect for apartments and condos. No gas lines are required so they can be installed just about anywhere with minimal effort. They can even be hung on a wall!No cleaning is needed and they are also extremely portable, just unplug it and take it with you when you move.
No heat is lost up a chimney so electric fireplaces are very efficient. This heat can also be turned off so the fireplace can be used even in the summer months simply for it’s beauty.
Safety is dramatically increased as there are no harmful gases, no hot surfaces to burn children or pets, and there is no fire hazard.
Electric furnaces get to take advantage of modern technology such as timers, temp controls and remote control functionality.
The only maintenance they require is the changing of the light bulb every few years.
Now for the drawbacks…
The main issue with electric fireplaces is that the ‘flames’ can look very fake as no actual flame of any kind is used. As expected, there will be no look, smell and sound of a real wood fireplace.
They are also not a good option to use as a primary heat source as they generally have a similar heat output to a space heater.
Contact us now to get the warmth and beauty of a fireplace into your home.
