Choosing the right hearth product for your home

What's right for you?

Today, there are more choices than ever in fireplace and stove products. That's where we can help. Answering a few basic questions will help you arrive at the most efficient, most economical product for your home:

1. Gas, wood, or pellet?
2. What are your goals?
3. Freestanding or built-in?
4. How much should you spend?

1. Gas, wood, or pellet?

NATURAL GAS or PROPANE burning fireplaces, stoves and inserts provide the most flexibility. Because venting requirements are minimal, they can be installed in almost any location, offering instant heat and realistic flames. You can heat a room quickly, then turn the fireplace off when you leave, avoiding having to heat your entire home. Many can be tied to a thermostat, allowing you to use a gas fireplace or stove just as you would use forced-air or electric heat, but without the expense.

Gas fueled hearth products are clean-burning and require no attention and virtually no maintenance or cleaning.

Here at Western Fireplace Supply we are experts in gas line installation and fully licensed in all phases of gas line work (in most of our locations). The gas fireplaces, gas inserts, gas stoves and gas logs we offer are simply the finest on the market.

WOODBURNING fireplaces and freestanding stoves can produce a huge amount of heat and canWood stove be very economical if you have a ready source of wood like we do in Colorado. They do not depend upon electricity to operate.

Today's woodburning fireplaces and stoves have come a long way. They are efficient, clean-burning, and environmentally sound. Many of the EPA-approved products we carry burn so cleanly, they can be used even on "no-burn" days. The manufacturers we represent—the most advanced in the nation—have applied modern technology to the oldest heat source on earth to achieve levels of efficiency and economy unheard of even a few years ago. Some models can heat a large home all by themselves, and innovative new designs are strikingly elegant.

While woodburning fireplaces and stoves are the perfect fit for some of our customers, chimney requirements limit where you can install them and you must be comfortable with continually stocking and loading the wood.

We carry the latest woodburning fireplaces, incorporating sophisticated convection chambers, heat tubes and even positive pressure systems. Woodburning inserts are the perfect way to turn an old, drafty fireplace into a highly efficient heat source. Woodburning stoves can be installed in almost any room and are capable of producing vast amounts of heat.

PELLET stoves and fireplace inserts burn renewable fuel and offer many of the conveniences Pellet fireplace associated with gas. Pellets are compressed wood by-products which are readily available and provide excellent heat. Unlike traditional woodburning fireplaces and stoves that must be constantly loaded and attended, pellet-burning appliances can be regulated by a thermostat and/or remote control and set to feed fuel automatically.

Most pellet-burning stoves and inserts include a large hopper that you fill with pellets. Simply turn the device on, and a precise amount of pellet fuel is dispensed into the firepot. It is ignited automatically and within minutes you have heat. An electric variable-speed fan disperses warm air and can be set in conjunction with the pellet feed rate. Larger units will hold up to 115 pounds of fuel, which will burn for many hours. There is none of the mess and hassle associated with wood.

Because their heat levels are more constant than woodburning stoves, you have more venting options with pellets. This means you can install them in many rooms and locations that would be impossible with a woodburner. Depending upon the unit, a pellet stove can heat an entire house.

We stock what we have found to be the highest quality, most dependable pellet stoves and pellet inserts on the market.
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2. What are your goals?
If you wish to heat a large area, woodburning stoves produce the most heat, but you sacrifice convenience. Our larger gas fireplaces and stoves will easily heat large rooms by themselves. Pellet stoves will also heat large areas. We can advise you on the heating capacity of every product we offer.

If you would like to add warmth to a single room, especially if you are retrofitting your existing home and have limited space, a gas fireplace or stove is the ideal choice.

If you have an existing woodburning fireplace you would like to make more efficient and functional, an airtight gas, pellet or woodburning fireplace insert is the answer.

An important consideration is if you intend to use your new stove or fireplace as a primary source of heat or as a supplement to an existing furnace or electric heating system.
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3. Freestanding or built-in?
This depends upon the product, its location, and your personal preference. Free standing fireplace stoves can be installed almost anywhere, ideal for log homes or if your home simply will not accommodate a built-in fireplace. Pellet, woodburning and most gas stoves require installation of non-combustible materials (tile, for example) underneath them. Built-in gas fireplaces offer the greatest choice in design and esthetic appeal, and don't take up floor space.
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4. How much should you spend?
Our job is to maximize your investment both in the short and long term. You can purchase a lower-quality fireplace or stove from a discount store that may save you a few dollars at first, but could cost you dearly over the years.

A fireplace or stove that is too large will cost you more than you need to spend. Conversely, one that is too small will not meet your needs and will not perform efficiently.

Installation is another issue. You are bringing a burning device into your home, and safety is a primary concern. We have performed countless thousands of installations of every type of product, and we are fully licensed in gas installation. Proper installation will save you money, aggravation and even from potential disaster.

We stock fireplace and stove products designed to fit almost any budget and need, and we will make certain that you end up with a fireplace or stove that will provide the maximum return on your investment.
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