A fireplace can make a wonderful addition to your Seattle home, but there are some notable drawbacks to a conventional fireplace that might give you pause. Fireplaces are notoriously wasteful, as most of the heat they generate is lost through the chimney. They can also be cumbersome and expensive to operate, which means that many homeowners don’t end up actually using their fireplaces as often as they had expected. They also require a great deal of maintenance and regular cleaning.

If you want to be able to enjoy the warmth and comfort of a traditional fireplace without any of the associated mess, expense, and inefficiency, you may want to think about a fireplace insert . Fireplace inserts are highly efficient, so they allow you to enjoy the heat they produce. They are easy to operate, and they can also be stylish and aesthetically appealing, making them an especially attractive option for today’s homeowners.

One of the most important steps you can take to keep your HVAC system running smoothly is to have your furnace checked before the weather starts to get cold. A pre-winter furnace tune-up can help to ensure that your Seattle home stays warm and comfortable even when the temperature outside plummets. You may be wondering, though, whether this yearly investment is strictly necessary. Here are some of the advantages of having a pre-winter maintenance check for your home heating system:

You’ll need fewer repairs.

Getting a tune-up greatly reduces the chances that you’ll need to call for emergency repair for your furnace during the long winter months. Maintenance means that you’ll be able to identify and fix small issues before they have a chance to develop into larger problems. Nobody wants to end up paying for a repair that could have been avoided with a simple tune-up, so schedule the tune-up and you can avoid this issue.

You’ll avoid potential hazards.

A furnace with a problem won’t just make your home uncomfortable—it can also be dangerous. If there is a gas leak, it could put everybody in your household in jeopardy. Having your heating system checked over by a professional before the season of heavy use will help to ensure that you can use it safely.

You’ll extend the life of your furnace.

The more frequently you have your furnace checked for small problems, the less likely it is that these problems will add up to a breakdown. Annual system tune-ups help to extend the life of your furnace, sparing you the expense of a replacement.

You’ll keep your heating costs down.

The less efficiently your furnace is working, the more energy you’ll have to expend in order to keep your house warm. Investing in yearly maintenance will help to keep every component of your furnace working at top capacity, allowing you to stay comfortable without breaking your budget.

Having a fireplace insert allows you to enjoy all of the benefits of a traditional fireplace without the expense, inefficiency, and hassle associated with them. If you don’t find yourself making much use of your fireplace—whether because of its condition or because it wastes too much energy—then a fireplace insert may be ideal for your home. You may be wondering, however, how easy it will be to use a fireplace insert regularly. The good news is that fireplace inserts are easy and intuitive to use. All you need to do is switch the insert on in order to have a fire in your fireplace whenever you want one.

If you want to be able to use your fireplace insert safely, it’s essential to make sure that it is installed correctly. Professional fireplace insert installation will allow you to enjoy your insert as often as you want in your Seattle home.

Even homeowners who appreciate the good qualities of fireplaces may balk at the expense of purchasing firewood and the chore of maintenance. If you want to be able to enjoy a fireplace in your Seattle home without any of the drawbacks, consider having a fireplace insert installed. When you have your insert installed by a seasoned professional, you can count on all the advantages of having a fireplace without any of the problems. Here are the answers to questions that homeowners often have about fireplace inserts.

Will an insert fit in my fireplace?

This is actually the first question you should ask before making the decision to purchase an insert. It’s important to make sure that your fireplace is actually the appropriate size for an insert. Do thorough measurements of your fireplace’s height and width—including both at the front and back of the fireplace—to ensure that you don’t inadvertently buy an insert you can’t use.

What kind of fireplace insert should I buy?

You can choose between an insert that runs on wood, gas, or pellets. The type of insert you pick depends on your budget and on how you intend to use it. A wood insert is the best option if you want to replicate the look and feel of a traditional fireplace. Gas inserts can be used in tandem with your current furnace system to help curb your heating expenses. Pellets are an inexpensive option but do require a good deal of maintenance.

What kind of venting do I need for a fireplace insert?

This depends on what type of fireplace insert you have invested in. Wood and pellet inserts generally have the same type of venting as traditional fireplaces. Some types of gas inserts don’t require any venting, while others use chimney venting similar to the kind used by wood and pellet inserts. If you’re using an electrical insert, you will not need to worry about venting it at all.

A fireplace insert is a fuel-burning device that you can place inside your fireplace and use like a stove. Fireplace inserts are eco-friendly and energy-efficient, they require little maintenance, and they are convenient to use whenever you want. If you’re thinking of picking out a fireplace insert for your Seattle home, you’ll need to know the size and shape of your fireplace so you can choose one that fits it. You’ll also want to decide whether you want an insert that is fueled by gas or wood. This video provides a helpful look at 10 of the best fireplace inserts available on the market today, including the Jensen Metal Real Flame, the Dimplex DFI2309, and the Puraflame Western.

Many homeowners love the thought of warming themselves before a cozy fireplace on a cold winter’s evening. Unfortunately, fireplaces are extremely wasteful of energy. When you use your furnace to warm up the rooms in your house that don’t have a fireplace, you may discover that much of that warm air goes right up the chimney. In addition, the pollutant-heavy wood smoke emitted by older fireplaces isn’t good for the environment.

If you want to enjoy the benefits of a fireplace without the drawbacks, you might consider a fireplace insert . Watch this video from The New York Times to hear the story of one couple who decided to opt for a fireplace insert for their house. If you’re trying to decide whether to have a fireplace insert installed in your Seattle home, the video may help you make your decision.

No Seattle homeowner ever wants to be left without a working air conditioner when the summer is at its hottest. That’s why it’s essential to have an air conditioning contractor you can always depend on to provide you with capable service in a crisis. At Olson Energy Service , we offer emergency HVAC service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to customers in the Seattle area. If you’re experiencing any issues at all with your air conditioning system, our expert technicians can diagnose the problem and repair it in short order. Our team has experience responding to a wide array of HVAC problems, from failed compressors to cracked refrigerant lines. We offer preventative maintenance services to help extend the life of your AC system, and we’ll also be happy to replace your current system with a brand-new one. When you’re having trouble with your AC system, don’t hesitate to contact our team for immediate assistance.

In order to protect yourself and your loved ones against the dangers of a household fire, it is critical to install smoke detectors throughout your home. A contractor that repairs boilers and air conditioners serving Seattle can also provide you with a new smoke detector installation. To improve the safety and reliability of your smoke detectors, it may also be a good idea to talk to your HVAC contractors about the possibility of choosing a hardwired smoke detector.

A hardwired smoke detector offers many benefits to your household. Unlike battery-powered smoke detectors, which will cease to function if their batteries run out of power, hardwired smoke detectors are connected to the main electrical grid of your property. Whether your fire has been caused by a furnace problem or another type of emergency, your hardwired smoke detector will immediately alert you to the presence of fire dangers. Since hardwired smoke detectors also contain battery backups, they will function properly with or without power from your home’s electrical system.

If you want to boost the heating power of your heat pump or furnace, you may want to consider installing a fireplace insert. In this video from This Old House, you will take a look at how the professionals install fireplace inserts. After the original fireplace has been prepared, your technicians will carefully run a vent pipe through the damper. A company that repairs your heat pump near Seattle can also assist you with a fireplace insert installation.

If you have questions about whether a fireplace insert will work for your home, be sure to consult a team of experienced HVAC technicians. Your professional contractors can evaluate your current fireplace and determine whether an insert can be safely installed.

There are numerous reasons why you might want to buy a tankless water heater for your home. Tankless water heaters require less space than traditional water heaters, and they can provide you with hot water on demand. As this video explains, there are some things you should know before you make the decision to switch to a tankless water heater for your home. If you live in an area with hard water, your tankless water heater will probably require more maintenance in order to prevent mineral buildup. Tankless water heaters also run on electricity, so a power outage will deprive you of hot water. To learn more about tankless water heaters, watch the full clip.