Is Your Chimney Adding to Your Heating Costs?

Have you been eyeing your fireplace, wondering if the chimney may be responsible for your skyrocketing heating costs? Your suspicions may be correct! For all the joy you may get out of the whole atmosphere created by wood fires in winter, the cost of the one-of-a-kind pleasure may be higher than you’ve imagined. Traditional masonry fires have long been outed as energy wasters. Read on to learn how your chimney and masonry fireplace may add up to higher utility costs year-round.

traditional fireplace roswell gaInefficient Fires

Your open fireplace may seem perfectly fine because the combustion fumes go straight up the chimney as they are supposed to. If you want fires to add to home heating, however, things aren’t that great. A full 90% or more of the heat from these fires goes up the chimney along with the toxic fumes. Experts say that such fireplaces are the least efficient of all heating appliances. Basically, for every $100 you spend in firewood, you get $10 worth of heat. Plus, the fireplace doesn’t provide enough warmth to cut off central heating for a while.

A Drafty Chimney

When your fireplace is not in use, it’s important to close the damper. There is a problem, however, in that dampers often don’t create an effective seal to prevent an exchange of air between the home and the chimney. A faulty damper is like having an open window all year. A significant percentage of the money you spend on heating is paying for the air that exits through the chimney.

Contact chimney experts like the professionals at Chimney Solutions if you think your damper may not work correctly. Repair or replacement may be needed. 

How to Stop the Air Exchange

The main problem you should address is costly airflow, if you want to eliminate the chimney-related drain on your finances. Although you may get a damper replacement, these components are exposed to extreme temperatures and are prone to become damaged. The following are a few effective ways to drive down your heating costs. 

Chimney Top Damper Installation

Chimney Solutions is an approved installer of energy-saving dampers added at the top of chimneys. This type of damper is less expensive than the replacement of your original damper, and it is a proven cost-saving solution. Research has found that homeowners who use this damper save $100 every winter. Opening and closing the rooftop damper is very easy. Simply pull down a lever in the firebox to close it and release the lever to open it.

Glass Door Over Fireplace Atlanta GAGlass Doors

Install glass doors. Schedule the professional installation of glass doors on your fireplace, and it will resolve the open-window effect.

Install a Fireplace Insert

As cost savings go, a fireplace insert is a twofer since you get two benefits for the price of one. First, your damper’s effectiveness is no longer a concern when you have a fireplace insert installed. Secondly, inserts use innovative technology to burn fuel more efficiently. The appliances have efficiency ratings between 65% and 75%. A fireplace insert will transform your inefficient fireplace into a viable supplemental heat source that can cut your heating costs.

If you’re tired of high heating costs, call us at Chimney Solutions. We can install a top damper or glass doors and discuss many EPA-approved heating appliances you can choose from, all of which are highly efficient. We also provide chimney maintenance services such as chimney inspections, chimney cleaning, damper replacement, masonry repair, and much more. Call us at 770-771-5501 today.

 

Chimney Solutions
1155 McFarland 400 Drive AlpharettaGA30004 USA 
 • (770) 255-1300
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