There’s nothing like sitting by the fireplace with a mug of hot cocoa, to warm yourself from the cold, Ohio winter. But is that little bit of heat all it can give off? Or can you actually use it to heat your home, like people did in olden times? Here are a few ways to increase your fireplace warmth and help it spread throughout your house.
Turn on the fan.
Instead of turning on the furnace to heat your home, just turn on the fan. The air will help circulate the heat from the fireplace to the rest of the house, which will save energy. You can also turn on your ceiling fans. By reversing the blades, they push back down the hot air that rises towards them.
Clean the chimney.
As soot builds up, it restricts your airflow, reducing the amount of heat distribution your fireplace can provide. So clean it about once a year. Set some plastic down over the floor below, and use a chimney brush to clean it, brushing up and down inside the chimney. Or you can hire a professional chimney sweep to do the job for you. Yes, they still exist outside of Mary Poppins.
Use seasoned firewood.
The amount of fireplace warmth you get depends largely on the wood you use. If the wood is green, or has been cut just recently, it won’t burn as well. But seasoned firewood has been left to age for at least a year, making it dryer and helping it burn more efficiently.
Home renovations.
If you really want to heat your home with your fireplace, there are a few small home renovations you can invest in to help the heat spread. You can add a vent or two in strategic places, to allow the warmth to carry more efficiently. You can also add windows in strategic places. Used in conjunction with your ceiling fans, they often help increase airflow.
To learn more about using your fireplace warmth, contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide quality HVAC solutions to the Elyria and Oberlin areas.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area