Classic Wood-Burning Fireplaces, Inserts, and Stoves
Different types of fuel offer different benefits. A certified Home Safe Hearth & Chimney technician can talk with you about your home — as well as your budget, heating needs, and space — to help you figure out the best choice for a new appliance. We’ll help you go through all of your needs and your options so that you can make an informed decision.
Wood-burning units are classic and beautiful, and wood is a comparably inexpensive and accessible fuel. Should you choose a wood-burning unit, we carry a wide selection to choose from. Shop online, or come by our Wichita showroom, at 504 South St. Francis.
Why Many Homeowners Choose Wood
We don’t need to tell you that fuel can be expensive! As fuel prices rise, many homeowners are looking toward wood — a renewable biomass fuel that can be comparably inexpensive. A wood-burning appliance will also be usable if the power goes out — and anyone who has experienced a winter-storm power outage can attest to how valuable that is.
But it’s important to responsibly burn wood, and installing a new, Clean Burning, or EPA-certified stove or fireplace insert can help with that. These units burn cleaner and more efficiently than older units, giving off more heat and less waste.
The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association also recommends using manufactured, non-wax, sawdust logs or seasoned wood, and making small, hot fires.
Many people think of classic wood-burning fireplaces and stoves as being inefficient, wasteful heating appliances, because, well, they can be. Older units weren’t designed to properly mix heat, fuel, and oxygen to burn the fuel completely — that’s why you’ll often see excess smoke and excess fire-tending. But new, Clean Burning and EPA-certified fireplaces, stoves, and inserts are built to create the optimum environment for proper combustion, resulting in less smoke, less wasted fuel, and more enjoyment.
Different Wood-Burning Appliances To Choose From
- Wood-burning fireplaces – Fireplaces can be prefabricated or masonry-built, and can vary from Traditional (the masonry units we most often think of when talking about wood-burning fireplaces) to Clean Burning and EPA-certified units, which are insulated and highly efficient.
- Wood-burning stoves – Stand-alone stoves are great choices for zone heating, are available in a variety of designs and sizes, and post-1990, have been built to burn much more efficiently. Modern stoves are also far more durable and well-insulated than their classic counterparts, so they can be installed with wall clearances as tight as six inches.
- Wood-burning inserts – Inserts can be retrofitted into an existing fireplace, and are a great way to make an old fireplace look new. Plus, a big benefit of replacing your old (particularly pre-1992) fireplace with a new insert: Every unit made and sold in the country today must pass strict EPA emissions standards, so they’re much cleaner and more efficient.
Interested in installing a wood-burning fireplace, stove, or insert? Call Home Safe Hearth & Chimney at 316-265-9828 or click here to schedule an appointment online.
Pellet stoves and inserts are continuing to gain in popularity and style. Learn about this type of appliance and whether it’s for you when you visit our showroom.