With colder weather taking hold and the official start of winter less than a week away, the Department of Environmental Protection is urging New Jersey's residents to be thoughtful of their neighbors when burning wood for heat. More

You can convert your old wood burning fireplace to gas by selecting from gas fireplace inserts which will fit into the current opening. You can choose to keep your existing chimney and run a chimney pipe to vent the gas fireplace, or you can close off the chimney and use a direct vent gas insert. You can find a variety of different models, as well as accessories and other hearth products when you shop Copperfield Chimney Supply .

A wood stove insert can help breathe new life into your old fireplace. Instead of having to completely tear out the old fireplace, which can involve also tearing out a section of the chimney, an insert fits into the existing space. Modern inserts are also much more energy efficient, which means that more heat stays in your home, instead of going up the chimney.

You Can Heat Your Entire Home with a Wood Stove Insert

Depending upon the size of your home, you can use a wood stove insert, like those available on our website, here at Copperfield Chimney Supply, as a means to heat the house during the cold winter months. When you are able to connect the wood stove to your duct work, along with a forced air fan, you can easily provide heat for other rooms in the home. Using wood is much less expensive than running your furnace and will help save on your energy bills.

September is finally here, and while there's still a little bit of late-summer warmth left to enjoy, it won't be long before the cool, crisp autumn weather is here to stay. This time of year is the perfect time for fathers to bond with their children over Jack-o'-lantern carving, apple picking, hayrides and playing in the leaves. After a long day of fun outdoors, it's also great to warm up beside a roaring fire. Here are a few fireplace tips to teach your kids to keep them cozy and safe all season long.

No garbage, please
It might seem like good fun for kids to toss in crumpled up newspaper, paper airplanes or other garbage to burn in the fireplace, but it's best to limit your fire to wood only. Excess material, particularly garbage, can cause smoke to build up, which can leak back into your home and become a health concern.

Parental supervision
Most kids understand that they should never approach a fire too close or use their hands to touch anything nearby, but that may not stop them from wanting to help stoke the flames. If you feel that your kids are responsible enough, demonstrate how to use fireplace tools and then carefully help your little ones do it themselves.

No liquid fuel
Kids tend to get a thrill out of seeing a large, roaring fire, but under no circumstances should you use liquid lighter fluid to start your flame. This fuel can cause the fire to spread beyond the safe confines of your fireplace grate. Additionally, a fire that's too large can cause damage to your fireplace in the form of cracks and creosote buildup. Smaller fires are much safer and easier to manage.

When you are shopping for a new fireplace for your home, you will be presented with many different types and styles. One type available is a direct vent fireplace which uses natural or propane gas to create heat and flames. This type of fireplace is ideal for homes which have a limited amount of interior space where a wood burning fireplace would not fit. Instead of requiring and extensive chimney system, gas fireplaces use a direct vent along an exterior wall of your home.

A Direct Vent Fireplace Uses a Single Vent to Draw Air in and for Exhaust

Unlike a traditional wood burning fireplace which uses a chimney, a direct vent fireplace uses this vent system instead. A single vent (pipe within a pipe) draws air into the fireplace as well as removes the harmful fumes given off by a gas fire. You will find a selection of energy efficient gas fireplaces with direct vents, for you home when you visit us here at Copperfield Chimney Supply.

When you hear someone talking about a direct vent fireplace, like the models available on our website here at Copperfield Chimney Supply, you should know that they are referring to a particular style of gas fireplace. This type of gas fireplace does not require a chimney for venting out the harmful gases left over in the air after burning. Instead, you use a direct vent, which is connected to the fireplace unit which draws fresh air in from the outdoors, while removing the unwanted air.

Always Make Sure Venting for Your Direct Vent Fireplace is Properly Installed

Without the direct vent properly installed to your direct vent fireplace , the air given off from the fireplace is released into the home and creates a hazardous situation. It is important to make sure that your fireplace is properly vented to keep fresh air being drawn into the home, whenever you are using your gas fireplace. It is normal to have a slight gas smell when first starting your gas fireplace, but it should quickly subside. If you notice the smell becoming stronger, you should shut off your fireplace immediately and have the venting inspected before using the fireplace again.