You're ready to add some warmth to your home for those cold winter days and nights. Which do you choose: Gas, electric, or wood burning fireplace? Before you jump to a decision, take a close look at the pros and cons or these fireplace options. Pick which one best fits your budget and needs.

Wood Burning Fireplace

Pros:

• Creates a cozy warmth for romantic nights.
• Wood is easy to obtain and cheap if you live in rural areas.
• The fire has a woodsy smell that varies with the type of wood used.
• Roast snack foods over the open flame. Cook chestnuts, marshmallows, and hot dogs.

Cons:

• Wood burning fireplaces do not heat rooms well. Most of the heat goes up the chimney and not into the home.
• You might have cold drafts that enter the room from the chimney and the open flue. You must make sure that the flue is tight and install properly.
• Requires regular cleaning after every use. You must remove ashes and burnt logs.
• Logs require storage that protects them from moisture.

Wood burning fireplaces are perfect for:

Country lovers that want the ambiance that only wood burning fireplaces can provide. People who don't intend to use the fireplace to fully heat a room.

Gas Fireplace

Pros:

• All it takes is a flip of a switch to turn on the heat.
• Heats a room easily without any of the heat releasing through a chimney.
• Gas fireplaces have a real flame that is hidden beneath fake logs. It gives a "real" fireplace feel without the hassle of using real logs.
• There is no clean up involved. The logs aren't real so you don't have to clean up ashes.

Cons:

• Gas fireplaces can be expensive to buy and expensive to install.
• Requires a gas line or propane tank. Installing a gas line can be expensive. Propane tanks take up space and look tacky.
• The cost of fuel varies over time. One winter you'll pay less and then suddenly the next winter you'll end up paying more.

Gas fireplaces are perfect for:

People who have a gas line or well-hidden propane tank that can afford the gas fireplace. People who hate clean-up and want to guarantee a heated home during power outages.

Electric Fireplace

Pros:

• Electric fireplaces require zero installation. Simply plug it in an outlet and you're ready for some warmth.
• Moves around easily. Any time you want to change how a room looks, just move the fireplace to a new outlet.
• Lower cost compared to wood fireplaces and gas fireplaces.
• Electric fireplaces heat a room easily without losing heat through chimneys.
• No harmful fumes or smoke that can be bad for your health or aggravate asthma.

Cons:

• Electric fireplaces look fake. Even those that have logs and dancing flames don't look very real.
• You won't get any of the cozy ambiance that comes from a real flame.
• Electricity bill might skyrocket if you use the fireplace too often. They require tons of energy.
• Useless if the power goes out during a cold winter night. You would have to own a generator to continue to use the fireplace.

Electric fireplaces are perfect for:

People who want to heat a room on a budget and don't intend to use the fireplace often. People who already use a generator for power outages, and those that only want heat and not something that looks pretty.

For more information, check out companies such as Diatec Hvac Systems.

 

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