As you sit by the fireplace enjoying the warm glow on a cold winter night, are you completely satisfied with your fireplace system? Depending on the type of fireplace you have, it may actually waste more energy than it creates throughout the season. Homeowners looking to boost the heating efficiency of their fireplace may well want to pay very close attention to this. Grab a cup of coffee, find a cozy reading nook, and prepare to be amazed. Pre-cast fireplaces live up to all the hype.
Pre-cast Fireplaces: An Introduction
These units are comprised of three pre-cast refractory components: the fireback, the hearth, and the side flares. The unit is laid out in a half-pear shape in order to give it the greatest efficiency possible (we’ll go more in-depth into the design momentarily). Your wood pile will stand in awe of these impressive units; they burn better, easier, and more completely than a conventional fireplace, leaving less behind for you to clean up. Who doesn’t like that? Customers find that they use at least 50% less wood than they would’ve with a traditional masonry fireplace. So far, so good? Let’s continue on!
More of what you do want and less of what you don’t…
Pre-cast are designed to achieve maximum heating efficiency and complete combustion. The real genius of these units is their design. The firebox and smoke chamber, the heart of the fireplace, are constructed in a matter of minutes, whereas the construction of a traditional firebrick unit could take days or weeks. Their fireboxes are shaped so that the hottest point – referred to as the Apex – is on the back wall. This creates a condition where the heat is redirected back into the fire, thereby achieving a nearly complete combustion of the wood fuel while at the same time radiating the maximum amount of heat possible into your living space. This feature turns the fireplace into an incinerator of sorts, creating inordinate amounts of heat for your home. This equates to an increase in fuel efficiency, with you getting more heat from less wood (your back will thank you).
The Magic Word is “Refractory”
The use of refractory materials in the construction process helps to store a tremendous amount of radiant heat, thereby allowing temperatures inside the firebox to elevate well above the range of your conventional brick fireplace. A virtually complete combustion with no visible smoke emitting from your chimney top are Pre-cast trademarks. The refractory firebox continues releasing its stored up heat into your living space long after the fire has subsided. The potential money savings are tremendous!
Environmental Chimney Service offers a wide variety of chimney and fireplace services in North Carolina regarding the new build, maintenance, and repair of chimneys. We take great pride in our work and endeavor to provide each of our clients a system that is environmentally safe for your family. Call us today to schedule an appointment to discuss your pre-cast options and to see how our team can best serve you.