Fireplace Doors

We all love sitting around a big cozy fire... but could that be sending your heating bill higher?

Most folks like sitting around a cozy fire, but doing so could be sending your heating bill higher. While a chimney damper stops drafts when the fireplace is not in use, there is nothing that stops all the heat from being sucked out of the room when a big open fire is blazing away. This overall house-heat loss far exceeds any localized warmth. The solution? A good set of glass fireplace doors will prevent excessive heat loss by stopping expensively heated room air from being drawn up the chimney. In energy-efficient homes, a roaring fire can draw in through the chimney instead of out -- drawing in dangerous carbon monoxide. Again, fireplace doors with air intake control are the answer. A big cozy roaring fire is a wonderful thing, but only if it is not working against you. And that's the On The House tip for today.

See more tips in the Heating and Cooling category!