Save on Heating: Fireplace Tipsby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 21 Jan 2007 09:04 AM
Being frugal, I wondered how much using the fireplace would help us save on our heating costs. I was really surprised to learn that most fireplaces are really inefficient when it comes to warming a room. Did you know that the typical fireplace can exhaust (move out) as much as 24,000 cubic feet of air per hour? All of that air is going outside to be replaced by cold air entering the house. A better solution might be a wood stove, but for now I want to stick with the fireplace. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to make that fireplace more efficient and save on heating costs. Here are some of the tips I have learned. First of all, if you never use your fireplace, you should plug and seal it up to prevent it from acting as an open window. When you aren't having a fire, make sure the damper in the flue is closed. Check the seal on the damper to make sure it is snug. Buy and install good quality fireplace doors. We plan on doing this almost immediately. Not only do the doors look nicer than simple screens, but they are a big safety feature when their are kids in the house. Most doors allow you to close them and still allow heat into the room by opening built in vents. You can also close the doors when you are going to bed but still have smoldering coals in the fireplace, to eliminate the danger of stray sparks in the night. Caulk around the hearth, just as you might caulk around a window. Do you have any more frugal tips on using a fireplace? Related Articles: Save Money on Home Heating: Install a Dryer Diverter One Simple Way to Lower Your Heating Cost Frugal Gift Basket: Romance at Home Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments  texflower (56) 21 Jan 2007 12:06 PMWe have a blower in our fireplace to push the heat out into the room. I am not sure if you can get one installed on an existing fireplace or not but you should check into it.  Mary Ann Romans |
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Well, it looks like we will finally be 
