Fireplaces can be a lovely feature in any home – and they can also be a great source of heat. Some homeowners do not rely on this feature of their home as often as they would like because they find that theirs does not supply the amount of warmth it should; burning logs without getting to enjoy a good percentage of the potential energy inside can seem wasteful. Issues can be experienced even when gas is the fuel source. While the efficiency of any fireplace greatly depends on how well it was designed, built, and installed, there are a few measures that can be taken in order to ensure reaping the maximum benefit from any unit.
A dust old fireplace covered with cobwebs and soot can not only be unsightly, but the dirt can have a negative impact on its efficiency. Fire needs plenty of oxygen in order to burn at its hottest. Leftover ash, soot, and dust can hinder the fire’s ability to access the required oxygen to burn well, causing any heat to be produced too slowly and fail to produce the desired warmth. It should also be noted that a dirty fireplace can be hazardous to the entire building and all who are there. As a rule of thumb, consider having your fireplace and chimney cleaned thoroughly before every cold season – cleaning should be done more frequently on units that are used more often.
Breakdowns such as cracks and other damage in the surround and chimney can have a negative impact on the efficiency of your fireplace. Especially in older units, you want to have a professional perform routine inspections in order to ensure that all parts of the fireplace are in good condition. Even if any damage found does not pose a safety risk, it can still serve as a main contributor to inefficiency. There are some products on the market of which it is claimed that they can improve the performance of any unit, but many buyers find them ineffective – a problem with the unit’s condition is usually the real fault.
Some older fireplaces are simply inefficient by design; not only do they fail to provide sufficient heat, but they can draw warmth out of the home when not in use. Special attention has been paid in the design of newer models in order to help ensure they provide peak performance. If you have tried every method of making your fireplace function better and found no effective solution, then a complete replacement may prove to be the best approach you can take. Visit this website to find a fireplace showroom in San Diego.
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