As winter approaches, heating and more importantly heating bills are on the minds of Utahns. Fireplaces have gained popularity recently not only as an aesthetic element of a room but as an economical option for heating.
Unfortunately, not everyone owns a home with a working fireplace or with a fireplace located in the ideal location for heating.
"Two years ago, vent-free fireplaces were legalized for installation in Utah homes," says Florian Pamer at Innsbruck Fireplaces, which specializes in the systems. Fireplaces have always been a distinguishing feature in a home. However, there have always been concerns about remodeling for venting and a chimney.
"Vent-free fireplaces are not new, but new to Utah," says Pamer. "No venting or chimney is necessary; you can put a fireplace anywhere."
Homeowners can pick any location in a room to install it.
Four out of five fireplaces being installed nationally today are now vent-free. These fireplaces and stoves do not need exhaust; they are all heat generated. This makes them 99.9 percent efficient and the most economical fireplaces on the market.
It also means that owners no longer have to worry about Utah's air quality control and red light days. They can be used anytime, under any conditions.
Homes with a regular masonry fireplace can also benefit. Wood-burning fireplaces also accommodate vent-free logs. These logs are also exhaust free and only generate heat.
Innsbruck Fireplaces will display a variety of vent-free fireplaces and options for installing them.
Stoves and fireplaces have come a long way in a short time. So much so that new wood-burning stoves can be used on "red-burn days" and natural-gas fireplaces, in some cases, cost less to operate than the home furnace.
All of which has made both stoves and fireplaces very popular with today's homeowners.
The new stoves are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency because of their burning efficiency. The difference is they have a secondary burn chamber, which means owners can actually close the damper and continue to burn. Instead of losing the heat up the chimney, the heat is kept in the stove. People end up using less fuel and getting more heat than with the old stoves.
Natural-gas fireplaces are more popular with homebuyers today than ever before.
Today's fireplaces come with a number of special options. One of the more popular is a remote system that allows the owner to turn the fireplace on or off from anywhere within the room at the touch of a button. The new remote system also allows the user to change the intensity of the flame.
Some of the new fireplaces can heat up to 2,000 square feet within a home, which makes them a comfortable complement to the regular heating system.
With the likelihood of heating bills increasing, fireplaces are now more popular than ever. The Deseret Home Improvement, Remodeling and Decorating Show will have companies throughout the Salt Lake Valley with fireplaces and stoves on display.