Fireplaces

Why you need to be concerned over the equipment chosen

Not all wood burning fireplaces operate the same way. They are designed to burn wood at various efficiencies.

Less expensive conventional fireplaces can be as little 5% efficient, meaning that 95% of the heat energy goes up the chimney with only 5% given off to the interior space. These units use large volumes of interior house air to supply the combustion process and can lead to depressurization problems with other combustion devices.

Advanced combustion wood fireplaces are more expensive but can be up to 70% efficient and produce as little as one tenth of the combustion particulates as standard fireplaces. These units are the appropriate choice for installation in an R-2000 Home. A list of approved wood stoves meeting EPA 1990 or CSA B-415 for use in R-2000 Homes is available from the program office.

If choosing a natural gas fireplace consumers have the option of installing a naturally aspirating or direct vent sealed combustion fireplace. Because of concerns over potential backdrafting of the products of combustion, if a gas fireplace is installed in an R-2000 Home it must be a direct vent type.