Why Is My Fireplace Not Heating My Home?

For many of our customers in north Georgia and the western Carolinas who own a fireplace, the fireplace is functioning only as an aesthetic feature of their home. Some Southern Chimney and Fireplace customers enjoy the ambiance of a roaring fire but unfortunately have found that to keep a fire going to warm their home requires much effort, not to mention firewood.

A fireplace customer will generally call with the complaint that their fireplace does not heat their home well and will go out quickly if not constantly fed with firewood. Why? The fireplace with an open damper is acting as an open window that pulls air in the chimney up the flue. However, this also means pulling the already warm air in the remaining areas of the house as well as cold air from outside up the chimney flue. This can cause a drafty feeling in certain areas of the home.

Feeling a draft throughout the home is common when an inefficient fireplace is in use. This can cause the heat pump or furnace to run longer in an attempt to keep the home at a comfortable temperature. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, conventional fireplaces are one of the most inefficient heat sources. All warm air lost up the chimney must be replaced by cold air brought from outside and then reheated by the furnace. 

How Can I Fix An Inefficient Fireplace?

Give Southern Chimney and Fireplace a call. We are happy to perform a thorough chimney inspection to determine what options are available to you to turn your just-for-looks fireplace into one that can actually heat your home. Southern Chimney and Fireplace specializes in high-efficiency fireplaces, wood stoves, and wood stove inserts. For you, this means savings on home heating bills, longer burn time and less firewood, and less wear and tear on your heating system.