If you’re looking to upgrade your fireplace, you may want to install a firebox insert. Firebox inserts are available for most types of fireplaces. As the name suggests, they are designed to fit into the firebox. It won’t affect the masonry of your fireplace. Nonetheless, a firebox insert offers several benefits.
What Is a Firebox Insert?
Not to be confused with a firebox liner, a firebox insert is a fire-containment unit that’s placed inside of a prebuilt firebox. All fireplaces have a firebox. The firebox is the open area at the bottom of the chimney that’s directly exposed to the fire. A firebox insert is simply a secondary, typically smaller, firebox that’s placed inside of an existing firebox.
Protection From Damage
A firebox insert will protect your fireplace from damage. Over time, fireboxes can degrade. Each time you build a fire, the firebox will be exposed to heat. All of these heating up and cooling down cycles may cause the firebox to crack. A firebox insert, however, will shield your fireplace’s existing firebox.
Increased Heat
With a firebox insert, your fireplace will radiate more heat into your home. Not all of the heat produced by your fireplace will enter your home’s living space. Some of the heat will inevitably be lost through the chimney. A firebox insert won’t necessarily increase the amount of heat produced by your fireplace, but it will minimize the loss of heat through the chimney.
Firebox inserts are smaller than the existing fireboxes in which they are placed. As a result, a firebox insert will force more heat to enter your home’s living space. Less heat will exit through the chimney, and more heat will enter your home’s living spaces out the front of the firebox.
Energy Efficiency
You can make your fireplace more energy efficient by upgrading it with a firebox insert. Fireplaces produce heat by consuming energy. Even wood fireplaces consume energy in the form of firewood. For a more energy-efficient fireplace, look no further than a firebox insert. Your fireplace will consume less energy to generate the same amount of indoor heat if it has a firebox insert.
Retains Masonry
Using a firebox insert won’t affect your fireplace’s masonry. You can retain the chimney and all other parts of your fireplace’s masonry by using a firebox insert. If you install an entirely new fireplace, on the other hand, you may have to replace some of the masonry.
