Are Energy Savings Going Up In Smoke?

Fireplaces and wood burning stoves add great ambiance, are a design focal point, and can help create wonderful family memories.  However, they can also be a source of drafts and literally suck the warm air out of your living space.  After all, they are a gigantic hole in your house. And while cool drafts are more noticeable, any source of air infiltration is also a problem during warm weather, forcing your cooled air right out of your home.

In fact, depending on your gas and electric costs, a typical fireplace may be costing you as much as $100 a year.

To make maters worse, fireplaces are actually inefficient heaters as compared to forced air systems.  Even when they are creating heat, they are drawing inside air as an oxygen source.  But few of us would trade the other tangible benefits of fireplaces for these reasons.

So how do you ensure that your fireplace is not a source of air infiltration and improve its efficiency to reduce your energy bills?  Follow these tips and check out these products designed to help.


<h2>Good Habits</h2>
Over the next couple of weeks I'll be talking more about changing habits to save energy, and habits play an important role with your fireplace, too.

• Consider using the fireplace less.  As mentioned above, fireplaces are inefficient heaters compared to forced air systems.  Make fire nights "special" nights.
• Make sure you close the damper when not in use.  The damper will reduce air infiltration significantly, but it doesn't form a tight seal.
• Close the fireplace doors when not in use.  Again, this will reduce air infiltration and help minimize the warm air in your house that literally "goes up the chimney".

<h2>Retrofit Some Upgrades on Your Fireplace</h2>

• Replace the fireplace doors with tight fitting sealed doors.  
• Install an outdoor air intake system so the fireplace draws outdoor air for oxygen rather than indoor air.  This may not be practical for all fireplaces, so consult an expert for yours.

 
<h2>Products</h2>
As is often the case, if there is a problem, there is a product to attempt to address.  Here are a few ideas which may help your situation.

Battic Draft Stopper

• Replace the fireplace doors with tight fitting sealed doors.  This may be pricey, but even if you are wasting as little as $40 in energy costs, you'll have payback in 5 to 10 years - and a more comfortable house.
• Consider a draft stopper plug when not going periods of time between uses.  These usually come in small and large sizes. Since your damper does not form a tight seal, products like these can make a big difference.