Clean Sweeps of Michigan's Blog

Heat your home more efficiently with a fireplace insert

Would you like to reduce your heating bills, improve your home’s indoor air quality, and reduce your environmental impact? A fireplace insert can do all three, along with improving the look and ambiance of your home.
A wood-burning, pellet, or gas insert for your fireplace can cut your home heating bills by as much as 40 percent, depending on what type of insert you choose, your home’s layout, and your region’s climate. Inserts also eliminate the fine particles that make their way into your home while an open-hearth fire is burning and greatly reduce the air pollution created by your fireplace.
If getting rid of your open-hearth fireplace is right for you, there are many home-heating options.

Wood-burning inserts maintain the traditional feel of a wood fire

If you enjoy the sights and sounds of wooden logs burning in a fireplace, a wood-burning insert might be right for you. You burn wood as you would in a traditional fireplace, but the inserts radiate heat from their glass doors and employ blowers to return heat from the fire to your home, rather than letting it escape up the chimney as it would with an open-hearth fireplace.
Most inserts are now EPA certified, and burn with 60 to 80 percent efficiency.

Pellet stoves decrease your environmental impact

Pellet stoves seem to the favorite type of home heating appliance among those looking to lessen their home’s environmental impact, and an insert can turn your existing fireplace into a pellet stove.
As the name suggest, pellet stoves burn tiny pellets made from compressed, dehydrated wood byproducts, such as shavings and sawdust. Some stoves burn biofuels, such as corn, cherry pits, or wheat hulls. Because the fuel for the stoves contains little moisture, the smoke contains fewer particles, and the fires burn hotter.
Pellet stoves still provide the smell of burning wood, and the ambient glow of a traditional wood-burning fireplace, but without the logs. They are also lower maintenance than a wood-burning fireplace, as the pellets can be purchased in 40 pound bags, and once the stove’s pellet tray is loaded, the fire can burn for more than 16 hours without needing to be reloaded.

Gas stoves provide convenience

If you enjoy the glow and warmth of a fireplace, but too often your hearth remains empty because you don’t want to deal with the hassle of building and maintaining a fire, and constantly cleaning ashes out of your fireplace, a gas insert could be the heating appliance you’re looking for.
With a gas fireplace insert, you can enjoy a roaring fire at the push of a button or the flip of a switch. Many gas fires mimic the look of wood-burning fireplaces very convincingly, and you don’t have to clean the ash box when you’re done enjoying your fire.
Natural gas or propane also are extremely efficient and provide little air pollution when burned in an efficient fireplace insert.

Upgrade now to save this winter

If you’re interested in using your open-hearth fireplace to lower your heating bills, the experts at Clean Sweeps and Air Ducts of Michigan can help you select your fireplace insert today. Call 734-668-4780 to schedule an appointment!

Home Heating Efficiency Tips

Keeping their homes warm and comfortable is a major priority for most homeowners during the cold months of winter. For many, this heat comes from furnaces, fireplaces, or other fuel burning appliances. Unfortunately, if not used correctly these appliances may run inefficiently, resulting in a loss of heat and energy. Likewise, heat may be unintentionally lost in other areas of the home, even to the point of allowing cold air in.

There are several steps homeowners can take to help their homes heat more efficiently and to reduce a loss of heat and energy. By following manufacturer’s instructions for care and maintenance on heating appliances and utilizing tips for minimizing heat loss, homeowners can keep their homes warm and their heating costs low all winter long.

Insulate windows and doors

Most people have been in homes where there air in front of the windows is considerably colder than the rest of the house. The Energy Information Administration estimates that as much as one third of a home’s heat loss occurs around windows and doors. There are several things homeowners can do to combat this energy loss.

Drapes and curtains: Drapes and curtains covering windows can serve more than just a decorative purpose. When thick draperies are hung over windows, they can minimize drafts and reduce heat loss by as much as 25%.
Caulking: As homes age and settle, small cracks or gaps may develop around window frames. These holes can let cold air in while allowing warm air to escape. Applying caulk around a window frame seals these gaps; weather stripping is recommended for use around a window’s moveable parts. According to the US Department of Energy, the cost of weather stripping or caulking can be recouped through utility savings in as little as one year.

Install a programmable thermostat

While programmable or digital thermostats are the norm in most new homes, older homes may not have them. By installing a programmable thermostat, homeowners can control the exact temperature of their home, some even adjusting to half-degrees. Many models also come with timers, allowing the thermostat to automatically raise or lower the temperature throughout the day. Doing this reduces energy costs as the temperature can be set lower during the day when no one is home so the heater does not run, only to be raised again in the afternoon and evening.

Consider wood or pellet heating

To reduce energy costs, consider using a wood or pellet burning appliance as a supplemental heater. With major advances in energy efficiency, these fuel burning appliances are able to produce large amounts of heat with minimal emissions. Using a pellet or wood stove for zone heating – or only heating a specific area of a home – reduces overall utility costs.

Likewise, larger wood or pellet stoves may be able to be used to heat an entire home, eliminating the need for a furnace or boiler. A 1,300 square foot home will need a unit that produces around 42,000 BTU, while a larger, 2,000 square foot home will need upwards of 60,000 BTU. When selecting a unit, however, it is extremely important to select the right size; a unit that is too small will not produce enough heat, whereas a unit that is too large may overheat the house, making it equally uncomfortable. Because of this, it is best to work with a reputable dealer when selecting a wood or pellet stove.

If you have questions about how to increase your home’s heating efficiency, contact the experts at Clean Sweeps of Michigan today!