Fall is here, leaves are turning, days are shorter, nights are longer and a little heat in the house feels pretty good. With most homes, one of the most important elements is the fireplace. The fireplace adds style and ambience like no other appliance in the home.

Today's fireplaces offer a plethora of creative options. The basic decision that has to be made is where the fireplace will be located and the type of fuel it will burn. Some of the decision on location will be based on the home structure and availability of gas (if gas is the selected fuel) and budget. Another important consideration is whether or not the fireplace will be used for heating some or most of the home. The basic decisions should be made before the search for a fireplace begins.

Some of the choices available today are electric which have fabulous flames and are quite easy to locate in the home. Bioethanol fireplaces are also a good choice when locating a wood burning or gas fireplace becomes very difficult.

Some simple steps that should be followed when planning your fireplace:

• Location - think a little outside the box like the powder room, den, foyer in addition to more common locations such as kitchen, great room or living room.
• Fuel Type - consider the fuel options with respect to the location you have chosen.
• Find the best fireplace - Attend trade shows, visit local dealers and search online . Todays fireplaces offer a wide choice shapes including linear, vertical rectangle, square. You can also choose wall mount, table top, and built-in. There are also multi-sided units that can serve multiple rooms with just one fireplace. It is important to consider the size and shape of the fireplace as it relates to the room it will be installed in.
• Sometimes when planning a fireplace being installed in an existing structure, it is good to use some painter's tape to outline the unit on the wall and floor. If you're building a new home, you architect and be a great asset in designing your fireplace. Also, many fireplace suppliers can provide assistance in choosing the right fireplace.

After you choose the type of fuel and the actual firebox, you will have many choices in decorative trims, logs, and other items to accessorize your new fireplace. Be creative, sometimes a mantel is esthetically pleasing and sometimes a clean look is desired.

Fireplaces have become a staple in today's homes. Spending a little extra time in your initial planning will assure you that the end result will be functional and esthetically pleasing.

Adding a fireplace to your home allows you to add an alternative heating method which can be enjoyed by the entire family. Gas fireplaces are available which require only a direct vent to the outside and do not require that you install a chimney. These direct vent gas fireplace units are easy to install because you need a single vent to the outside.

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The warm glow of a fireplace is one of nature's simple gifts. To keep things simple and safe, clean the fireplace regularly and know that it is well built. It's also a good idea to have a professional initially inspect the fireplace and chimney even if you plan to clean and maintain it yourself, according to Ken Robinson, of the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

When the chimney is cleaned by a technician he will lay down a drop cloth, place lights, plug in a vacuum system, and have an array of tools and brushes at hand. But before the chimney is cleaned, key areas of the chimney are first checked.

The lintel, which is the steel bar that supports the top of the opening up to the first combustible, should be at least 12 inches high.

The bricks need to be inspected. Regular bricks can't tolerate the higher temperatures that fire bricks are able to tolerate. The regular brick will begin to crack and the mortar will crumble. If you have regular brick, it's best to chisel out the old mortar and replace it with high-temperature cement.

Before cleaning, put on a respirator because it's unhealthy to have continued exposure to creosote dust. Creosote is unhealthy for the chimney as well since it's a combustible material up in the venting portion of the chimney. In that part of the chimney, everything above the damper is designed for hot gasses but not actual combustion. If a combustible substance overheats and catches fire, it can cause serious damage to those areas.

If you clean your own fireplace, the ashes and creosote can be sprinkled on flower beds, since they are a source of calcium and other nutrients.

During cleaning, the damper should be checked for correct positioning, ensuring energy conservation and fireplace safety.

With the vacuum running, a stiff brush is used to clean the fireplace walls. The damper ledge should always be cleaned, since creosote dust builds up there also.

The outside of the chimney should be checked for obstructions and wear.

A chimney cap, which has an important function in the proper functioning of a fireplace, should be installed if one isn't already in place. It keeps animals, rainwater, leaves and debris out of the chimney, and the mesh around the cap sides acts as a spark arrester.

Trees that overhang the chimney should be trimmed back; falling branches could cause damage to the chimney.

When burning wood, make sure it is seasoned -- not green wood.

When hiring a chimney sweep, look for a certified sweep, one who has taken a test on the standards and codes and knows how chimneys are suppose to be built. He should also have insurance and workman's compensation in case of an accident.

The Chimney Safety Institute suggests cleaning the chimney when creosote is 1/4 inch or thicker on the chimney walls. Schedule the cleaning at the end of the season, as acids in the creosote can damage fireplace mortar and when humidity combines with creosote, strong odors can result.

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By KATE GALBRAITHMAY 1, 2012

AUSTIN, TEXAS — A century ago, rural homes in the United States and Europe commonly relied on wood for heating. Now wood is making a comeback, thanks largely to pellet technology.

The energy-dense pellets, which resemble dry dog kibble and are mostly made from mill residue like sawdust and wood shavings, can be used to generate heat or electricity — or both at the same time. Demand is strong in Europe, where high prices for heating oil and clean-energy requirements have fostered interest in alternatives, but analysts say that over the long term, markets in Asia and North America could grow rapidly, too.

Modern pellet furnaces for homes are a “very convenient way of heating,” said Christian Rakos, president of the European Pellet Council, an industry group. “The only thing you have to do is empty an ash box once a year.”

Europe accounted for close to 85 percent of the global pellet demand in 2010, according to a report issued in December by an international group called IEA Bioenergy Task 40.

Although many pellets used in Europe are manufactured on the Continent, the rising demand has caused an increase in new export-oriented pellet plants in Canada, Russia and especially the United States, whose mills already make more pellets than any other country. In the heavily wooded American South, nine huge industrial pellet plants are under development, according to Forisk Consulting, a timber research group in Georgia.

Pellet production worldwide more than doubled between 2006 and 2010, according to the IEA Bioenergy report. Because pellets are small and compact, they are easier to transport in bulk than other forms of biomass, like wood chips.

The price of pellets has been rising. Hakan Ekstrom, the president of Wood Resources International, a consulting firm in Seattle, said a delivery of industrial pellets from North America to Rotterdam, a major port, costs about €135, or $180, per ton, nearly 10 percent more than it cost a year ago.

“Some are buying pellets even if in some cases it would be cheaper to use coal or natural gas or oil, because they are going to switch over to renewables,” Mr. Ekstrom said.

European Union countries aim to get 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020, and analysts say a crucial source of demand is coal-fired power plants switching to “co-firing” with pellets — using them jointly with coal.

Britain is being particularly aggressive in its efforts to replace some coal power production with pellets; Mr. Rakos predicted that in a few years it would be the largest pellet market in Europe, overtaking Sweden.

Utilities are moving in this direction. E.ON, the German energy company, has sought to add pellet-burning capabilities to a coal-fired power plant in Shropshire, England. It received local approval last month to move ahead in its planning process.

Still, the markets remain tiny, relative to other energy sources like coal and natural gas. In the Netherlands, for example, less than 3 percent of electricity was generated using pellets in 2010, according to calculations by Martin Junginger, an assistant professor at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University. However, that figure “could easily double” by 2020, he said.

Mr. Rakos said that in Austria, pellets accounted for about 4 percent of the energy used for heating. Heating with pellets has also become “hugely popular” in Italy, he said. Companies in both countries have found an economic niche manufacturing pellet boilers and stoves.

But the growing use of pellets has alarmed environmentalists. They worry that pellet producers are no longer limiting themselves to making pellets from logging leftovers, like sawdust and wood shavings.

“Now what we see is entire forests being dedicated for pellet production,” said Nicolas Mainville, a forest campaigner for Greenpeace Canada and author of a critical report last year on the biomass industry. That makes the greenhouse gas effects problematic, he said.

Mr. Rakos said pellet producers were aware of the environmentalists’ concerns, which could pose a threat to their business, and were taking steps to ensure that the material was produced sustainably. In addition, he said, “if you do not burn coal but you burn biomass, that coal has not been used. So that carbon savings is a fact.”

Meanwhile, interest in pellets is growing around the world. Mr. Junginger of the Copernicus Institute predicts a strong increase in demand from Asia over the next several years. South Korea in particular has set ambitious renewable-energy goals, along with a target for greenhouse gas reductions, he said. Japan is showing interest, too, and China is a “big wildcard,” Mr. Junginger said — poised to become, potentially, either a large producer or a large consumer of pellets, or both.

In Canada, most of its pellets, especially from British Columbia, are exported to Europe, but its domestic market could grow.

Bryan Pelkey, an alternative energy specialist with the government of the Northwest Territories, said that some businesses in Yellowknife, the capital and the region’s biggest city, have begun using pellets manufactured in the neighboring province of Alberta.

“You can heat for half the cost of oil,” Mr. Pelkey said.

There's nothing like sitting in front of your fireplace for an enjoyable and comforting way to spend the evening. Fireplaces add a design element to nearly any space. Fireplaces provide an atmosphere for that special time whether you are enjoying it yourself or with family and friends.

Recently there has been somewhat of a shift in the importance of a fireplace. New home are being designed with well sealed windows, high quality insulation and very efficient heating and cooling systems. While years ago may people depended on wood to heat the home, the objective for many now is more about how it looks and sounds. However in the event one wishes to heat their home with a fireplace, those type units are available and very efficient.

There are also bioethanol fireplaces and fireplace inserts for those old inefficient fireplaces.

This page gives you a glance to the world of Fireplace through its common terms.

BTU

• Unit to measure heat. Stand for " B ritish T hermal U nit"

Gas, Firewood, Kerosene, Crude Oil.

• Fuel use to burn in a Fireplace.

Circulation Fan

• A Fan installed in a Fireplace that help to heat a home by force the Hot air to circulate around.

CFM:

• A measure unit for air flow. Stands for Cubic Feet per Minute. Indication for the strength of the fun.

Wood Burning.

• Fireplace that use Firewood as fuel.

BVENT.

• Stove that needs to be vented up through the roof or into an existing chimney. In most cases, B-Vent appliances get their combustion air from inside the home.

DIRECTVENT.

• Direct-Vent - These appliances use a double wall pipe system to pull outside air for combustion and to exhaust the flue gas back to the outside.

VENTFREE.

• A vent-free gas heating appliance operates without a chimney, flue or vent, so you can install one just about anywhere.

REALITY LOGS®

• Artificial wood log that are placed in a Fireplace that is burning Gas Kerosene. It gives a looks and feel like a read wood. REALITYLOGS is a trademark of Martin Fireplace.

WOOD SURROUNDS ® .

• Refer to the frame around a Fireplace that is installed inside a wall.

Flame Pattern.

• Sophisticate Fireplace can control the way the flame looks. This gives a more realistic look. Realistic means "More real wood a-like..."

Beautiful glowing embers.

• "A Reality log set (fiber), with a realistic flame pattern and beautiful glowing embers, provides the incredible look of a true wood-burning fire"

Firebox.

• Refer to the place where the fire is burning.

Hidden Control Panel.

• A panel with all required controls of the Fireplace that is installed in a hidden place.

Standing Pilot.

• A small fire that is always burning and lit the main fire soon as the gas valve is opened.

Electronic Ignition.

• A more sophisticated Fireplace are electronically ignited by an Electronic Ignition units.

LPG:Liquefied Petroleum Gas

• a mixture of commercial propane and commercial butane. It also has minor quantities of other hydrocarbons such as ethane, methane along with other gases.

Fireplace Insert

• Refer to the "Firebox" - The metal part where the fire is burned in the Fireplace.

Fireplace Surround

• Refer to the design on the wall around the Fireplace.

Fireplace Chimney

• A Pipe that take the burned gases (Smoke) from the Fireplace to the outside.

AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency)

• Measurement for rating furnaces and wall heaters as an official heat source.

Regulator

• Usually it is a part of the combination valve. It reduces the pressure to the appropriate level for the type of gas used in the appliance.

Blue Flame Rectification

• Safety shut-off device. Proves the flame and the control center maintains the gas flow.

Burner

• Device for the final conveyance of gas or a mixture of gas and air to the combustion zone. The gas burners in gas burning appliances are made of either aluminized steel or stainless steel. The parts of the main burner include: the burner orifice, a mixing tube, and the burner head.

Burner Ports

• Holes in the burner.

Carbon Dioxide

• A gas which is product of combustion resulting when carbon units with sufficient oxygen to produce complete combustion. Carbon dioxide is a component of many natural gases.

Carbon Monoxide

• A poisonous, combustible gas formed by incomplete combustion of carbon or reduction of carbon dioxide.

Catalytic Combustor

• A device used on some wood burning Stove to reduce the temperature at which smoke is ignited.

Chimney

• One or more passageways, vertical or nearly so, for conveying flue gases or vent gases to the outside atmosphere. See also: gas vent, vent, and venting system.

Clearance

• The distance required by building and fire codes between stove, smoke pipe or chimney and combustible materials such as wood furniture or carpets. Clearances must be obeyed even if the combustible materials, such as wood furniture or carpets, are protected by noncombustible plaster or other masonry materials.

Creosote

• A very flammable by-product of combustion that can buildup within the smoke pipe and chimney and then ignite, causing "chimney-fire".

Decorative Front

• Fixed mesh screen front placed in front of glass panel for aesthetics and safety. Installed on all direct vent Fireplace.

Decorative Gas Appliance for Installation in a Vented Fireplace

• A self-contained, free-standing fuel-gas burning appliance designed for installation only in a vented fireplace and whose primary function lies in the aesthetic effect of the flame.

Decorative Vented Appliance

• A vented appliance whose only function lies in the aesthetic effect of the flames.

Direct Spark Ignition

• A type of electronic pilot ignition. It ignites the gas directly at the burner from a spark.

Direct Vent Appliance

• An appliance that draws combustion air from outdoors and exhausts its combustion products to the outdoors eliminating the need for a standard chimney system. A glass panel in direct vent units is critical to keeping the combustion system sealed from the home, maintaining high efficiency and indoor air quality.

Direct Vent Wall Furnace

• A system consisting of an appliance, combustion air and flue gas connections between the appliance and the outside atmosphere, and a vent cap supplied by the manufacturer and constructed so that all air for combustion is obtained from the outside atmosphere and all flue gases are discharged to the outside air.

Draft Hood/Draft Diverter

• A device built into an appliance or made a part of the flue or vent connector from an appliance, which is designed to (a) provide for the ready escape of the product of combustion (flue gas) from the combustion chamber in the event of no draft, back draft, of stoppage beyond the draft hood; (b) prevent a back draft from entering the combustion chamber of the appliance; (c) neutralize the effects of stack action of the chimney or gas vent upon the operation of the appliance.

Electronic Ignition System

• A device to light the burner or pilot that requires electrical current but not a match.

Emissions

• By-products of combustion vented out of the home.

EPA Regulations

• Government regulation of wood burning appliances mandating that products sold after July 1, 1992, emit no more than 4.1 grams of particulate matter per hour for catalytic-equipped units and no more than 7.5 grams for non-catalytic-equipped units.

Factory-Built Chimney

• A chimney composed of listed factory-built components (usually stainless steel and galvanized steel) that is easy to assemble to form the completed chimney. They conform to safety and building codes. They are air cooled or insulated. Designed to remove combustion by-products.

Firebacks

• Protect fireplace masonry and mortar, shielding them from extreme heat of the flames. Cast-iron firebacks store heat from the fire and radiate it into the room after the fire has died down. Firebacks work just as well in a modern gas fireplace as they do in a traditional wood burning one.

Fireplace Insert

• A type of decorative appliance consisting of an open-flame radiant-type appliance mounted in a decorative metal panel to cover the fireplace or mantel opening and having provisions for venting into the fireplace chimney.

Fire Stops

• Devices of noncombustible material that seal any openings separating floors so that smoke or fire can not penetrate from one level to another.

Flue

• Vent or chimney for a combustion device.

Freestanding Stove

• A heating appliance normally on legs or a pedestal that occupies an area roughly equal to that of an easy chair.

Flue Collar

• Ring on appliance designed for the attachment of the draft hood, vent connector or venting system, that determines the size of the vent.

Gas Cock Assembly

• Also called valve control, a part of the combination valve that is a multi-positioned and tapered valve. When in the "on" position, it allows for the flow of gas to the burner. In the "off" position, it shuts off the gas supply to the appliance.

Gas Log

• An open flame type appliance consisting of a metal frame or base supporting simulated logs.

Glass Doors

• Close off the opening of the hearth so heat from the central heating system does not escape up the chimney when the fireplace is not being used.

Hearth

• Traditionally refers to the floor of a fireplace on which a blaze is built. Today it is also used to refer to all the devices and equipment used in connection with the fireplace and stove industry.

Heat Shield

• A non-combustible protector used around appliances, smoke pipe or chimney.

Hot Surface Igniter

• A type of electronic ignition system.

Ignition Systems

• Devices that ignite the pilot burner and/or the main burner assembly.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LP gas, sometimes called LPG)

• Colorless, odorless and non-toxic gas. It is separated from wet natural gas, light crude oil and oil-refinery gases.

Manifold Pressure

• The amount of wc inches that can be supported by different types of gas: the manifold pressure for natural gas is 3.5" wc and for LP gas the manifold pressure is 11" wc.

Mantel

• An ornamental facing surrounding the fireplace or simply a shelf above a fireplace.

Metal Liner

• Used primarily with fireplace inserts and placed inside an existing chimney (usually masonry) to reduce the diameter of the flue for more rapid exit of smoke and combustion gases. Also used when an existing chimney is unlimited or deteriorating.

Natural Draft (B-vent) Appliance

• An appliance that takes in combustion air from the home and vents products of combustion outside of the home.

Natural Gas (NG)

• Colorless, highly flammable gas consisting mainly of methane. A highly popular gas because of its flammability and high energy value. This naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon gases is found in porous geologic formations beneath the earth's surface, often in association with petroleum.

Oxygen Depletion Sensing Device

• This device on a spill switch senses the lack of oxygen and shuts down the electrical flow, shutting off the appliance.

Piezo Starter

• Red button that places pressure on the crystal in the standing pilot system.

Pilot

• A small flame used to ignite the gas at the main burner.

Propane

• A liquefied petroleum gas (see LPG) containing more heat value than natural gas. It is colorless, odorless and non-toxic.

PSI

• Pounds per square inch.

Safety Pilots

• A safety shutoff, stops the flow of the gas to the appliance, and provides a heat source to ignite the main burner (often called standing pilot system). Safety pilot systems have three basic components: the pilot assembly, the thermocouple, and the electromagnetic power unit (EMU).

Seasoned

• Refers to fuel wood that has been allowed to dry before burning. Seasoning generally takes six to twelve months. Wood burns much easier when its moisture content has been reduced. Freshly cut wood contains over 20 percent water.

Spillage

• Process that occurs when flue gases cannot exit the vent system and back up into the dwelling. This usually creates a dangerous situation as incomplete combustion may result in the production of carbon monoxide.

Spill Switch

• Devices used to detect spillage of flue gas, but similar to high limit switches in that they are activated based on temperature.

Standing Pilot Ignition

• A means to light the main gas burner through the use of a standing pilot light.

Therm

• A unit of heating value equivalent to 100,000 British thermal units (BTUs).

Thermo Sensor

• Automatically turns blower on and off.

Unvented or Vent-Free

• An appliance that draws combustion air from inside the home. The appliance is designed to burn so efficiently that it eliminates the need for venting.

Vent-Free

• Gas appliance that has no need for a flue.

Vented Wall Furnace

• A self-contained vented appliance complete with grills or equivalent, designed for permanent attachment to the structure and furnishing heated air by gravity or fan.

Venting System

• A continuous open passageway from the flue collar or draft hood of a gas-burning appliance to the outside atmosphere for the purpose of removing flue or vent gas. It is usually composed of a vent or a chimney and vent connectors assembled to form the open passageway.

wc (water column)

• Measurement of pressure of gas. There are 28 wcs in one pound of PSI.

Wall Thermostat

• A heat sensitive electrical switch that maintains the temperature and controls the on-off action of the heat source. NOTE: thermostats should only be used with gas appliances that have been tested and listed for use with thermostats.