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Originally Posted by Cut-Throat
The Fireplaces are sealed units with glass fronts and are more efficient than the furnace. Sitting about 10-12 feet in front of the Fireplace on a cold January night the temps are easily in the high 70's - very cozy.
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C-T,
If your fireplaces, using inserts but without using auxillary fans to aid the convective flow of heat, are more efficient than your furnace, I respectfully recommend that you buy a new furnace. The modern condensing furnaces have exhaust gasses so cool that PVC pipe is the recommended material for the flues. That is a good indication that they are transferring a lot (approx 95%) of the heat of combustion to warm the air of the house. If your fireplaces have exhaust gasses cool enough to vent through PVC--Then you've got some amazing stuff happening there.
But, I agree with your basic point-it is possible to have en efficient fireplace. But, most fireplaces I've seen in homes are not efficient. They are primarily to be looked at.
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