fireplace conversion & Upgrade

Traditional fireplaces pose health concerns and are too inefficient to be used as a good primary source of heat. They emit large amounts of toxins and other pollutants, and most of the heat they produce is lost through the chimney.

The good news is that fireplace conversion is relatively easy to achieve. Fireplace conversion, in this case, means replacing your wood fireplace with a fireplace insert, which can run on gas, electricity or... wood.

Modern fireplace inserts

Fireplace wood inserts are basically free-standing wood stoves, while gas and pellet inserts are similar to gas and pellet stoves. These inserts are specially designed to be installed within the firebox of traditional masonry and metal fireplaces.

Insert Gas Fireplace As to electric inserts, they can be very similar to powerful electric heaters (or air-source heat pumps), though they can also be simple decorative units… See: Best Electric Fireplaces and Decorative Gas Logs, Gel and Electric Fireplaces.

Converting your fireplace

The dimensions of the wood, gas or pellet insert should match with the opening of the existing fireplace. If you have a factory-built fireplace, it’s usually advantageous to have an insert specifically designed for it by the the manufacturer of your existing unit...

Fireplace upgrading also requires the use of an effective venting system. Direct-venting is more safe and effective, but the location or the design of the existing fireplace may require a B-venting system... See: B-Venting vs. Direct Venting

Converting a traditional fireplace into an electric fireplace

There are now specifically designed electric insert fireplaces to easily fit into the openings of traditional fireplaces. And since they are vent-free and pipe-free, have a steel inset and their dimensions do not have to match closely with those of the existing fireplace opening, they are easy to install.

Newer models have an adjustable self-leveling base, ensuring a close fit. In many cases you just have to put the insert into the firebox and plug it into a standard home outlet, but you may need an electrician to install it in a more definitive way.

Best type of fireplace insert

What type of insert to choose? A gas, a wood, a pellet or... an electric one?

All depends on your goals and preferences. For small or occasional heating uses, an electric insert makes more sense. They are cheap and easy to install and to maintain, and there are now electric inserts with well designed flames, much more realistic than those of some years ago.

For larger heating needs, gas or pellets inserts have lower running costs and can be a better choice. Gas (namely natural gas) inserts provide a clean and efficient option, and a safe solution in the case of vented units. Pellet inserts are also more energy efficient and cleaner than wood inserts…

For those who want to stay faithful to wood, new efficient wood inserts – like those certified by EPA – provide an energy efficiency-option and a relatively clean burning (about 70 percent cleaner than traditional fireplaces, in the case of EPA units with a white hang tag).

Qualified inserts

If shopping for a fireplace insert look for qualified units. In USA, the certification of wood inserts (and stoves) can be assessed by a hang tag on the front of the fireplace (prefer the white tag, for a cleaner unit) and a permanent metal EPA qualifying label, on the back of the unit.