Everything You Need to Know About Fireplace Inserts

When it comes to updating an existing wood-burning fireplace, many homeowners set their sights on fireplace inserts. But what exactly is a fireplace insert and how does it work? This overview will cover what a fireplace insert is, types of fireplace inserts available, how much they cost to install and run as well as tips for making the fireplace insert selection and install process seamless and easy.

Simply put, a fireplace insert is a self-contained appliance designed to fit into an existing wood fireplace. Fireplace inserts can be fueled by gas, wood pellets, wood or electricity, and are installed by a hearth professional.

While traditional, open wood fireplaces offer the ambiance and nostalgia homeowners cherish, existing wood fireplaces can boast outdated styles (think: brass doors, etc.). And homeowners often want to eliminate soot, ashes and odor that goes hand-in-hand with burning wood. In addition, an open wood fireplace can be drafty and inefficient, resulting in a fireplace that is rarely used. All of these issues can be solved by installing a fireplace insert!

And the good news is that any wood fireplace can be an option for a fireplace insert. “Anytime a homeowner is looking to upgrade or renovate, a fireplace insert will bring convenience along with updating the style and design of their home,” says Randy Wendolek, director, marketing category management at Hearth & Home Technologies, Heat & Glo’s parent company.

“Any fireplace insert will improve the efficiency since there is no longer an open chimney to the outside of the home. With a gas fireplace insert for example, you can boost heating efficiency from 15 percent with wood to around 70 percent. This means more fuel is converted into useable heat and you stay warmer.”

To begin, consider what kind of fuel you’d like to run your fireplace insert. “When installing an insert, choosing your fuel will be the most important decision,” Wendolek says. (For a complete guide to the pros and cons of different fuel types, check out this article Choosing a Fuel: What’s Right for You?)

Gas fireplace inserts: What you may not realize is how truly inefficient a traditional wood-burning fireplace is. According to the EPA, “Fireplace drafts pull the warm air up the chimney, causing other rooms to be cooler. If you use central heat while burning in a fireplace, your heater will work harder to maintain constant temperatures throughout the house.” That’s why installing a gas fireplace insert within an existing fireplace opening significantly improves the heating power and efficiency of the fireplace. The gas fireplace insert is designed to contain and radiate heat back into the room, rather than sending the majority of that heat up a chimney flue.

In addition to heating efficiency, a gas insert brings back the ambiance by updating the space you love, while adding a sense of calm and wellness as there's no heavy wood to haul or stack.

In its simplest form, a gas fireplace insert fits inside your wood-burning fireplace opening, and is fueled via a gas line, bringing instant warmth into your home – all at the touch of a button. For homeowners without natural gas service, a liquid propane (LP) tank can be installed and used to fuel the fireplace. Vented fireplace inserts utilize a flexible, aluminum flue liner through the existing chimney and many gas inserts have a blower that helps direct the hot air into the room through the insert’s front vents. (For more on gas fireplace venting, check out this article on Venting for Fireplace Inserts.)

While gas inserts are a popular option, electric inserts, as well as wood and pellet inserts work in a similar fashion, transforming the drafty and inefficient fireplace into a beautiful focal point of the home.

Electric fireplace inserts: With electric fireplace inserts, instead of a ‘live’ flame that you normally get with a gas insert, the flame effect is created by LED lighting effects to provide the fire experience that homeowners are looking for.

“The ease of install and the cost-effectiveness of electric inserts are what make them a very popular choice,” says Joe Kuefler, director, brand marketing at Hearth & Home. “With a gas insert you need to have a gas line to run to your fireplace and you need to vent it. Both of those require professional help from an installation standpoint. With an electric insert, you can simply choose your insert and surround and slide it into your fireplace opening. You do need an electrical connection as well.”

Electric inserts are ideal for those homeowners who may not have a gas line accessible to the fireplace area. Electric inserts are also shallower so if depth is constraining your ability to install a gas fireplace insert, they are a great solution. Like gas fireplace inserts, electric fireplace inserts are also available in a range of sizes.

Pellet fireplace inserts: Pellet inserts also are designed to fit within an existing fireplace opening and as the name implies, are fueled by wood pellets, which are stored inside a hopper in the insert. Pellet inserts are a great option for areas where natural gas or liquid propane isn’t readily available.

A sister brand of Heat & Glo, Harman’s collection of premium pellet fireplace inserts are built with uncompromising quality and timeless styles married to innovative pellet technology to ensure efficiency and ease-of-use. Harman pellet inserts are easy to own and provide the most accurate temperature control, and boast technologies like wireless room sensors, programmable thermostats and intuitive controls.

Wood fireplace inserts: Wood-burning fireplace inserts can transform a wood-burning fireplace into a powerful, highly efficient and clean-burning heat source. Available via another of Heat & Glo’s sister brands, Quadra-Fire, wood fireplace inserts or Vermont Castings, wood fireplace inserts, allows you to get more heat from less wood with exclusive technologies. And, durable construction means warmth and comfort will be delivered year after year.

Depending on the features and capabilities selected by a homeowner, the cost of a electric fireplace inserts start at around $1,000. Most gas, wood and pellet fireplace inserts have starting prices at mid-$2,000 and go up from there. Items to consider beyond the cost of the fireplace insert will be installation, including labor, running a gas and electric line if needed, and venting. Except for electric inserts, venting will be required. Fireplace inserts that require venting can run venting up a chimney with liners, making them much more cost effective than having to fix a fireplace chimney that is not up to code.

People often ask the question, “how much does it cost to run a fireplace insert?” The answer is that the cost to run any fireplace insert is overall pretty low, but the exact cost depends on the type of fuel, as well as how often the fireplace is used. For example, for a traditional wood or pellet burning fireplace insert, using wood logs or pellets means energy costs to run the fireplace are low, but this will likely be offset by higher cleaning and maintenance costs, plus the cost of the wood or pellet fuel.

For gas or electric fireplace inserts, the cost to run depends on:

• Size of your home
• Volume of space being heated
• Fireplace usage
• Cost of fuel in your area