How to Install a Fireplace Insert | Ask This Old House

In this video, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey helps a homeowner supplement their living room heat by installing a wood-burning insert in their existing fireplace. SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse. Richard Trethewey helps a family deal with a cold addition. The family’s living room was added to the home in the 1980s and only has electric heat to condition it, and would like to use the fireplace in the adjoining room to spread some heat. Once Richard explains how inefficient a fireplace can be, he solves the family’s issue by having a wood-burning insert installed in the fireplace. A homeowner’s living room needs supplemental heat, and plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey knows how to use a fireplace in an adjoining room. The problem is that fireplaces themselves are unbelievably inefficient. While they do emit some radiant heat, they cause a draft that pulls the heated air from the rest of the home and sends it up the chimney. A better option is a wood-burning fireplace insert, which emits radiant heat and forced hot air, while also preventing warm air from the home escaping. Richard helps the homeowner come up with this solution and then finds a local pro for the installation. Where to find it? Richard Trethewey helps a homeowner troubleshoot how to supplement heating their home by using their fireplace. Richard explains fireplace convection, why it’s not an efficient source to heat the home, and why a wood burning insert is a great option for the homeowner. After, a team of installers install a stainless-steel liner and wood burning fireplace insert. Richard does a demonstration showcasing how fireplace convection works. The fireplace insert works by: • Pulling air from the room into the lower chamber. • Air circulates behind the firebox, picking up the heat. From there, a fan pushes the heated air back out of the front facing vent above the fire. • The heat from the central burner also emits more radiant heat from the face of the insert, back into the room. • Combustion fumes and smoke vent out of the top of the insert through an installed chimney liner. • The insert works as a seal, so even if there’s no fire burning, there are no drafts. Expert assistance was provided by The Chimney Chap [https://www.thechimneychap.com/]. The fireplace insert was manufactured by Vermont Casting [https://www.vermontcastings.com/]. Looking for more step by step guidance on how to complete projects around the house? Join This Old House Insider to stream over 1,000 episodes commercial-free: https://bit.ly/2GPiYbH Plus, download our FREE app for full-episode streaming to your connected TV, phone or tablet: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/pages/streaming-app About Ask This Old House TV: From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. ASK This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment—your home. Follow This Old House: Facebook: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter Pinterest: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest Instagram: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG How to Install a Fireplace Insert | Ask This Old House https://www.youtube.com/user/thisoldhouse/