The weather is fickle. Even the best meteorologists can’t always predict it, especially weeks and months ahead. You never really know if the winter will be mild or frigid, so it’s best to prepare for the worst. Heat pumps are popular because they can provide both heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. However, they are inefficient in freezing temperatures and a backup heat source is needed for those times. Some people use an oil or gas furnace, while others use a wood stove or fireplace. If you are interested in fireplaces, you should know that there is one solution for backup heat that combines many of the best aspects of all options: the gas fireplace.
In general, gas is more efficient than oil. A fireplace is preferable to a wood stove because it’s less messy and more attractive. Therefore, it seems logical that a gas fireplace installation might combine the best of both worlds in terms of a backup heat source. What exactly makes a gas fireplace worthy of consideration among the best backup heat sources? First of all, when you’re cold, absolutely nothing makes you feel better than a fireplace. The fact of the matter is that most people prefer radiant heat to ambient heat. That is, a fireplace warms you directly instead of warming the air around you like your heat pump does.
A gas fireplace is even better than a traditional fireplace or wood stove because it’s cleaner, safer and more efficient. A gas fireplace won’t produce ashes and smoke like a woodburning fireplace. In fact, a gas fireplace produces less than 1% of the particulate emissions that its woodburning counterpart does. The direct vent gas fireplaces are very safe because they draw air from outside and exhaust outside as well. This eliminates the need for a chimney, although existing chimneys can be used to house gas fireplace venting. While woodburning fireplaces are purported to be about 10% efficient, gas fireplaces are around 85% efficient.
There is a special characteristic about gas fireplaces, which is that the flames emit a soft, glowing light that is pleasing to the eye and almost therapeutic. Of all home heat sources, only fireplaces possess this aesthetic quality. Because it is unique in its combination of cleanness, safety, efficiency and aesthetics, a gas fireplace should be taken under careful consideration as a backup heat source.
