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best wood burning fireplace insert

Can I Put a Wood Stove Insert in My Fireplace?

Your fireplace has become more than just an attractive focal point in your home — it’s also a functional way to heat your house, especially during the winter months when outside temperatures drop below freezing and heating bills soar through the roof. If you don’t want to go to all the trouble of installing a full-fledged wood stove in your living room, you can add a wood stove insert instead! With this type of device, you can have the best of both worlds — an attractive, easy-to-use fireplace that helps keep your family warm and saves money on your energy bills at the same time.

Should you convert your firebox to an insert?

There are many reasons why you might consider converting your wood-burning fireplace to an insert, but one of them is not so that you can convert it back to an open fireplace later. Converting a wood-burning fireplace to an insert allows you to enjoy its benefits year-round, something you may appreciate during years when snowstorms seem endless, and it’s difficult to start a fire. For example, once converted, your insert will be easy to create and easier on your chimney—two more good reasons for considering conversion. 

Ventless inserts can be up to 90% efficient.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests ventless wood burning fireplace inserts as one way to heat your home with clean-burning, renewable fuel. Although they’re typically more expensive than adding a stove or furnace, they can also be up to 90% efficient and don’t require additional space for ductwork. 

Additionally, ventless fireplaces are safer than conventional wood stoves because they don’t include exposed flame—and some models can be equipped with catalytic converters for improved indoor air quality. As long as you have an existing best wood burning fireplace insert, you should be able to install these ventless options fairly easily—although make sure your flue is tall enough if you plan on using your fireplace as a primary source of heat.

Which type of insert should you choose?

If you have a fireplace, there are several types of inserts to choose from, each with pros and cons. The most common type is a freestanding unit that doesn’t require installation into your fireplace. A wood stove insert is installed inside an existing fireplace, taking up all or part. This can be especially useful if you want to get more heat out of your existing fireplace but don’t have room for a bigger stove. It also may be beneficial if you need to make modifications such as venting and chimney work since you may not have enough room to do so with another type of unit.

Installing an insert can be challenging

This can be an expensive project, so make sure you have a firm grasp of your plan. You’ll need to know how much time and money you want to put into it, what kind of design will work best with your space, and how complex an installation will be. Do your research! The U.S. Department of Energy has guides for designing different kinds of stoves depending on where you live, and its website has more information about improving your home’s energy efficiency.

Benefits of installing a wood stove in your fireplace

If you’re looking to heat your home with wood, you have plenty of options. 

  • One of those is installing a wood stove insert into your fireplace. You may have heard that there are many benefits to doing so. They’re easier to use than building an entirely new firebox or adding on to your existing fireplace (if it’s not already equipped with one). 
  • Plus, having another source of heat can help reduce fuel consumption costs during cold winter months—that’s because, during moderate temperatures, you can use your stove as supplemental heat while saving up your energy for when it gets colder. 
  • This makes them great for heating small spaces like bedrooms and studio apartments. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you install a wood-burning stove in an existing fireplace?

Installing a wood stove in an existing fireplace is possible; however, you may face limitations and complications. First, you must ensure that your home has adequate ventilation to vent smoke and heat from your new insert. This is required by law. Smoke can’t just go anywhere—the chimney has to be connected to another chimney or outside air. 

In addition, it’s important to make sure that your fireplace is at least 8 inches deep before you install a wood-burning stove. The rule of thumb here is simple: wood stoves should be able to sit two inches above where they touch walls or fireplaces.

How do you install a wood stove insert in a fireplace?

Installing a wood stove insert is not that hard if you know what you’re doing. There are several key steps to follow, so it’s worth reading through our instructions before getting started. In general, you’ll need first to dismantle your existing fireplace and wall, then replace them with wood stove-specific framing and sheet metal walls. Note that you should take some safety precautions when working with gas lines and power outlets.

How do you convert a fireplace to a wood-burning stove?

There are many pros and cons to installing a wood burning stove in your fireplace. If you have decided that you do want to keep your wood burning fireplace, there are a few things you will need to think about before installing your wood burning stove insert. Installing a wood burning stove is fairly simple if you have all of your research done ahead of time and have ordered all of your parts. 

How to Install a Wood Burning Stove? 

Preparing Your Space Before You Begin: While you can use almost any type of drill with any bit to make holes in brick, stone, or concrete walls, it is best to use special masonry bits explicitly designed for drilling through these materials. 

Masonry bits are designed so that they don’t get stuck while drilling as quickly as regular drill bits. They also feature replaceable carbide tips, so they don’t wear out as soon as regular drill bits. The two main types of masonry bits available today are diamond-tipped and tungsten-carbide-tipped. Both work equally well, but diamond-tipped bits cost more than tungsten-carbide-tipped ones.