Fireplaces have a very long history. Their existence dates back from the prehistoric times. They were once used for heating a dwelling place, for heating water and for other domestic uses. But as time goes by, the use of a fireplace have become more modern. Modern fireplaces are now mainly used for creating a relaxing ambiance and for heating a room. New fireplace features like better heat efficiency are introduced in the new models. But there are also other important new fireplace features that you need to look for when you are purchasing one. It’s important that you need to understand these features, know how they work and how they can be beneficial to you.

Fireplace Fans

This is an important feature that you must look for in a modern fireplace. The purpose of having a fan inside a fireplace is not to produce more heat but to ensure that the heat being produced will reach the area where it’s needed. To be clear, putting a fan inside a fireplace doesn’t cause it to produce more heat. But it can help to ensure that more of the heat being produced actually reaches the space where it’s desired.  Fireplaces are usually installed in recessed alcoves with one of it sides exposed to the outside air. Installing a fireplace this way not only helps in reducing fire risk but it also allows the heat produced from the fireplace to reach interior areas in the house.

Fireplace fans and blowers will draw air from vents in the underside of the insert and then push that air out from the top, making sure that the heat is distributed evenly. Having fans in your fireplace will also improve the quality and circulation of the air inside a room.

Catalytic Converter

Fireplaces must also have a catalytic converter inside them. A catalytic converter is essential for reducing the amount of smoke coming out from your chimney. This also increases the heat being produced while reducing the amount of wood being burned in the process. However, not all fireplaces come with this important feature. With a catalytic converter you can use less wood while still getting a lot of heat which in turn helps you in saving money from buying too much wood as a fuel source for your fireplace.

These are only two of the most important new fireplace features that you need to look out for. These two are even more important if you are using your fireplace as your primary heat source. But if you have a reliable source of cheap firewood, then having one of these two features can still help you in saving money.