Traditional Fireplaces As a Heating Source

Fireplace Doors

• There is a two-fold benefit to installing doors on a fireplace. Opening the doors when using the fireplace helps guide the heat out into the home, and closing the doors when the fireplace is not being used helps prevent heat from escaping through the chimney.

Heat Reflectors

• Inserting a metal reflector behind the wood in a fireplace can increase the heat output and can allow for heat to travel out instead of up. Reflectors can also enhance the ambiance of a wood-burning fire by altering its appearance by making the fire appear bigger and brighter because of the reflection off the metal. Reflectors decrease the wear on brick fireplaces by protecting a portion of the brick from direct fire contact.

Dampers

• Dampers, also known as flues, are part of the chimney but play an important role when using a fireplace for heating purposes. Dampers help to direct the smoke from the fireplace out of the home when the fireplace is being used. When the fireplace is not in use, closing the dampers help keep heat from escaping through the chimney.