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A Fireplace Insert Or Freestanding Stove Can Transform Your Living Space

If sitting in front of a crackling fire is your favorite way to warm up during the cold winter months but your traditional fireplace isn’t quite cutting the mustard anymore, we have a solution for you that will add both beauty and heat to your family room. Fireplaces are a highly desired feature for many new homebuyers; unfortunately, they’re also a major air gap, sending as much as 8% of valuable heated air straight up the chimney. An energy-saving wood, pellet or gas insert or freestanding stove will help you transform your existing lackluster unit into an efficient heater that can significantly cut your energy bills.

Why Should I Choose A Wood Stove Or Insert?


Wood-burning stoves and inserts create real heat with real logs and can maximize heat output and minimize inefficiency. Inserts slide into your existing masonry fireplace, so you can enjoy added efficiency without altering the appearance of your hearth.

Your installer will snake a stainless steel liner down your chimney to connect to the top of the insert before fitting a decorative cast iron, steel, or colored porcelain flange around the insert to provide you with a finished look.

Freestanding stoves are incredibly popular because they can be installed just about anywhere, as long as there is proper clearance from combustibles. They don’t take up that much space, so if you need some extra heat in a smaller room in your home, a freestanding stove may be perfect for you.

Adding logs to the fire in your insert or stove is as easy as opening the front door and tossing some in. Wood-burning inserts can easily heat anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet of living space, depending on their size. Inserts designed to heat 1,500 square feet will typically burn for three to five hours before needing more wood, whereas inserts designed to heat upwards of 3,000 square feet will typically provide an 8- to 10-hour burn window. Many stove and insert front doors come with ceramic glass to help with radiating heat outwards into the room. That means you’ll be enjoying high heat output without spending money or time on re-fueling.

Why Should I Choose A Gas Stove Or Insert?

Converting to gas has never been easier. Unlike the older generation of gas fireplaces, today’s gas stoves and inserts are real heat producers that can use propane or natural gas to power a steady flame that dances across fake logs, decorative glass chips, or stones, all behind a sealed glass face.

A gas insert can be vented through the existing chimney or directly through an adjacent exterior wall, whereas a gas stove, much like its counterparts, will require additional installation work. In comparison to the other options, gas inserts and stoves are the easiest to use and require very little maintenance, beyond the customary annual inspection and cleaning. Lighting the fire is as easy as flipping a switch.

Why Should I Choose A Pellet Stove Or Insert? 

It’s not really a new technology, but one might say pellet stoves and inserts are hot right now. Interest in wood pellet heat is growing once again as oil prices keep climbing. With pellet stoves and inserts, the long-term savings are substantial and consumers can cut their overall energy usage and costs. During the colder months, heating costs account for approximately one-third of a homeowner’s annual utility bill, which is why many are seeking more affordable ways to stay warm and toasty.

Depending on your home’s size and layout, a pellet stove could supplement the current heating system or be used as the sole source in a zone heating setup. Despite their workhorse reputation, pellet inserts and stoves come in a variety of designs to complement any interior style and décor. Depending on the particular model or style of the unit you select, you could own a pellet stove and the pellet fuel to heat your home for the winter for less than half the price of oil heating.

Choosing The Right Style And Model For Your Home 

A properly installed insert or stove will help to keep your valuable heated air where it should be—inside your home. Deciding on the fuel type you want to use is the first step in the decision-making process. To help with this decision, you’ll need to decide what’s most important to you:

Regency Medium Insert with Gold Door

  • If burning real wood and having heat even when the power goes out appeals to you, wood is probably the best choice for you.
  • If burning bio-fuel without the hassle of chopping and hauling wood sounds more appealing, pellet is probably the best choice for you.
  • If push-button convenience for flipping on fast heat in a specific area of your home sounds the best, gas is an ideal choice for you.

Regardless of the route you choose to go, the professionals at Olde Town Chimney Sweeps can help you every step of the way. Want to know more about a particular product or perhaps see it for yourself? Just give us a call at 804-693-2859 or stop in and see us today!


You’ll have a lot to choose from when you look at a Regency fireplace, stove or insert and our appliance sales crew

can guide you to the best choice for you.

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