Napoleon provides all different models and styles of fireplaces for you to choose from, when getting a new fireplace. Napoleon fireplaces are available in gas, wood burning and electric styles. When picking out the style you prefer, you will need to consider how you plan to use the fireplace. If you are using it for decorative purposes and want the unit to remain looking clean, then you should select a gas or electric model. If you are using it to heat your home and save on energy bills, then you will want to look at wood burning units instead.

Napoleon Fireplaces Available with Free Delivery

Shopping for Napoleon fireplaces is easy, when you visit our website, here at Copperfield Chimney Supply. We also carry Napoleon brand accessories for completing the interior installation of your new fireplace, as well as any direct vents and chimney supplies you might require. We offer free shipping on all orders over $500, which saves you the hassle of having to pick up your fireplace from a shipping terminal.

Previously published at highschimney.com

The gas log fireplace has a number of advantages over a traditional wood burning fireplace. While some of the reasons might appear to be obvious others might turn a few curious glances. Gas fireplaces do not have the same amount of realism and the impact of a wood burning fireplace but with added features gas fireplaces are widely considered realistic and beneficial enough to exceed the expectations of the hearth design.

Nothing mimics a wood burning fireplace. The natural crackling and popping and sizzling of sap and the sweet, harsh olfactory effect of a wood fire triggers a physical sensation and psychological relaxation similar to the sounds and smells of the ocean. However, fumes can become toxic, crackling sap sends arcs of sparks off in random directions and a slowly dying fire leaves embers pulsing for hours waiting for an incendiary mistake. While gas fireplaces lack many of the features that create the allure of a wood burning fireplace the gas fireplace is safer, easier to use and more attractive than most wood stoves and wood burning fireplaces.

A gas fireplace offers a level of realism that doesn't take away from the effects that its traditional counterpart offers. Because of the advancement in technology gas fireplaces offer an authentic looking hand painted ceramic log that comes complete texture and charring. Well designed gas fireplaces have been commonly mistaken for wood burning fires. Although a wood burning fireplace has burning wood and a gas fireplace burner emits flames from just below the logs the design mimics real flames more reliably than wood logs that often burn inconsistently.

Different gas log manufacturers create gas logs with varying processes and materials. Gas fireplace logs are manufactured of ceramic that has been treated for flame, reinforced with steel supports, hand painted for realistic textures and molded from casts of wood logs. Some gas fireplace logs are also made of a heat resistant foam similar to the architectural foam used for the decorative exterior of homes. Foam refractory logs are lighter and easier to remove to clean and much less expensive but it is also easier to crack the external shell.

Because a gas fireplace doesn't operate on electricity gas burns at a reduced cost compared to a standard home heater. While fireplace wood can be expensive wood can also be found free. A gas fire will burn until it is turned off and will simply cool down until the next time it is used. In comparison, a wood burning fireplace has to burn down and go out, before it will be safe to leave it unattended with glowing embers dangerously hot several hours after flames have burned out.

A gas fireplace also offers more flexibility in temperature and the appearance of the flames. The fire level is easily adjusted to deliver the amount of warmth and aesthetic appeal that a home needs. When it gets too hota gas fire can be instantly lowered or be increased when the room gets too hot. With a wood burning fireplace a fire cannot be adjusted in a matter of moments to get the room the temperature to a comfortable place. While a talented use of the poker and flue can affect the heat of a wood burning fireplace it is certainly easier and more reliable to simply push a button and adjust flame height.

There are also dangers and headaches associated with a wood burning stove. For example, a wood burning stove needs to be cleaned after each use or at least often enough to remove fine silt ash. Ash build up can be messy and difficult if cleaned poorly or left unattended and the fine ash can ruin clothing, air conditioners and get everywhere. Burning wood fireplaces also generate creosote and a chimney must be cleaned on a regular basis to ensure that no chimney fires occur. A gas fireplace will only need to be checked periodically for carbon soot or a leak after a forceful storm there is no cause for alarm when setting it up for operation.

Ease of use should be noted as well. Many gas fireplaces keep a standing pilot like gas stoves and heater. When the gas fireplace is used a button pushed or knob rotated will have flames at a perfectly selected height and heat emitting from the hearth almost instantly. With any gas fireplace a manual control valve is operated like a barbeque. However, remote control options provide transmitters that function like a hand-held remote, wall switch, automatic thermostat and with a timer.

The wood burning fireplace must be built with lighter kindling setup around and below wood chunks stacked below the logs that will be burned. A wood fire must begin with a single flame nursed to the point that kindling burns and grows to burn chunks that burn to ignite actual heat producing logs. Wood fires are never easy to start and a poorly stacked fireplace can ignite, and go out only to be rebuilt until it burns properly to ignite the fireplace logs.

In the winter, a person will need to go out and pick up wood and kindling to build a fire and keep it going. While that might not be too bad in 50 degrees, when it is snowing or a blizzard outside it might become a problem. With a gas fireplace there is no need to worry about tracking down wood as long as gas is running into the home.

Wood burning fireplaces and vented gas log fireplaces both require a chimney or similar ventilation to remove dangerous chemicals created by burning fuels. Direct vent and B-vent gas fireplaces are capable of safely venting through horizontal ventilation flues that offer interior design versatility unavailable with wood burning fireplaces that can only vent vertically. Ventless gas fireplaces are capable of burning in a reduced vent or vent-free environment by minimizing carbon emissions and detecting oxygen levels within the control valve. While wood burning fireplaces were a great item in their time they don't hold up to the efficiency that a gas fireplace can offer. If your having either type of fireplace installed, consider a stress-free remodeling company to help improve the entire room from floor to ceiling.

By Associated Press and Carole Feldman

People are drawn to a fire, whether for roasting marshmallows in summer or cuddling up near the fireplace in winter.

Just as you take precautions to prevent campfires from getting out of control, there are things you should do to make sure fireplaces and chimneys are safe.

Burning fuel in fireplaces or wood stoves leave the gummy residue creosote, which can stick to the lining of the chimney. Creosote — created by soot, smoke, gases and other particles — is flammable, and can be the source of a dangerous chimney fire.

From 2005 to 2008, an average of 26,900 fires annually were blamed on fireplaces, chimneys or chimney connectors, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Experts recommend that chimneys be inspected every year by a certified chimney sweep and cleaned if necessary. The cost can range from $100 to $300 or higher.

Cleaning a chimney is not a do-it-yourself project, says Kit Selzer, a senior editor at Better Homes and Gardens. It’s a dirty job, and it also can be risky, especially if you have to climb onto the roof.

Chimney sweeps are trained to determine whether chimneys are structurally sound and whether they need to be cleaned, says Ashley Eldridge, education director for the Chimney Safety Institute of America. They also will make sure the chimney is up to code, which is especially important in older houses.

Selzer recommends that homeowners use the institute’s website, www.csia.org, to select a certified chimney sweep.

To become certified, a sweep must pass two tests: one on the inspection process and tools, and the other on the international residential code, as it applies to chimneys.

“Each job is different,” said Christina El-Hagen, a certified sweep with Pride Clean Chimney Sweeps in Bethesda, Md., but there are some basics. “We’re looking to make sure the flue is fully safe,” she said. “We’re making sure there are no third-degree burns of creosote on the lining.”

Chimney sweeps also check to see if there are any birds or animals in the chimney, or anything that would block the flow of smoke. They also check that there’s no water coming in.

Cleaning the chimney also involves removing creosote.

When thinking of chimneys, El-Hagen says, many people focus on the one attached to the fireplace. “Yes, they can catch on fire, but we’re not dealing with a deadly gas, carbon monoxide,” she says, as is the case with chimneys leading from furnaces. Whether they burn oil or gas, furnaces vent carbon monoxide outside into the atmosphere, and those chimneys also need to be inspected.

“It’s the No. 1 reason why we are in business,” El-Hagen said. You can choose not to use a fireplace, she said, but “you have to use your heat.”

There are steps you can take at home to reduce creosote buildup and the risk of a chimney fire.

Foremost is picking dry wood to burn, Eldridge said. To determine whether wood is sufficiently dry, “take two pieces and bang them together. You get almost a ring as an indication it’s ready. If not, it’s a dull thud,” he said.

Dry wood also will appear gray on the surface and have cracks on the end.

Don’t throw combustible trash in the fireplace, El-Hagen said, because it causes a thicker smoke, which lowers the temperature in the chimney. “The hotter the fire, the better the burn,” she said.

While many people use a newspaper to start a fire, she recommends a fire log or fire starter instead.

To reduce the risk of a spark flying out of the fireplace, use a screen and stay in the room while the fire is burning.

Also recommended: a smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector and fire extinguisher.

When deciding to add a direct vent fireplace to your home, the first step is to decide where you will be installing this fireplace. Once the area has been determined, you can begin to shop for the different styles, models and designs available to pick the one you desire. You can choose from the many sizes, shapes and styles all available from Copperfield Chimney Supply Distribution .

Older homes often were built with a fireplace to provide a way to make heat during the cold winter months. Over time people discovered that when heat escapes from the fireplace, it can actually begin to draw heat out of the room in the home. You can convert your existing fireplace by installing fireplace inserts, which offer energy efficient fireplace operation and keeps the heat in your home rather than going out the chimney.

Shop Fireplace Inserts Here

Burning Money
A fire in an open hearth is only 10 percent efficient at best, which means that 90 percent of the heat energy you’ve paid for goes up in smoke. Heated room air is drafted up the chimney as well, so your main heating system actually works harder to keep the house warm. Glass fireplace doors raise the efficiency somewhat but only to about 20 percent.

Wood-Burning Fireplaces
While wood burning is becoming less viable in heavily populated areas, if it’s still your fuel of choice you should invest in an EPA-rated wood stove with a catalytic combustor. And only burn seasoned wood or wood that’s been split and stacked in the sun for about 6 months. Green wood makes for a smoky fire that pollutes more and coats your chimney with resins, which can lead to chimney fires.

Gas-Burning Fireplaces
If you’re tired of shoveling ashes and hauling wood, a gas-burning fireplace insert is a more efficient option that also saves space. A built-in fan distributes heat into the room and a thermostat allows you to set a target temperature. Some models even have a timer so a roaring fire welcomes you when you get up in the morning. One gas fireplace insert can heat a whole small house in all but the coldest weather, which can save you a lot if your main heating system is oil-fired or electric.

Shop Efficient Fireplaces Here!