Chimney services
Sealed and efficientFireplace insert installation in Los Angeles
An insert turns a drafty open fireplace into a sealed, efficient heater. Done properly it needs a correctly sized stainless liner run to the top, sized to the firebox and the room it heats.
What an insert does
It drops a sealed firebox into your open fireplace, so most of the heat goes into the room, not up the flue.
An open fireplace is a nice thing to look at and a poor way to heat. It pulls warm room air up the chimney and can lose more heat than it gives back. An insert closes that off. It burns behind glass, draws its air in a controlled way, and pushes heat out into the room.
Inserts come in wood and gas. Wood suits people who like a real fire and have the fuel. Gas suits people who want heat at the flick of a switch with no ash. Both are far more efficient than the open hearth they replace.
The part people skip
An insert needs its own stainless liner run the full height of the flue, sized to the unit. Sliding one into the old oversized flue is the mistake we get called to fix.
The original flue was built for an open fire, which is far larger than an insert needs. Vent an insert into that big cold flue and it will not draw right, it sooots up, and on a gas unit it becomes a carbon monoxide risk.
So we run a correctly sized stainless liner from the insert to the top, connected and insulated. That is what makes an insert safe and efficient, and it is what a proper installation includes.
How we fit an insert
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Measure and size
We measure the firebox and the room, so the insert is sized to heat the space and fit the opening.
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Check the flue
A camera run confirms the flue is sound, and we plan the liner route to the top.
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Run the liner
A stainless liner sized to the unit goes up the flue, insulated and connected to the insert.
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Set and finish
The insert is set, sealed to the surround, and tested so it draws and runs the way it should.
Wood or gas
Wood for a real fire and lower running cost, gas for heat on demand with no mess. Both need the same careful liner work.
A wood insert is efficient and cheap to run if you have the fuel, and it still gives you flames and the feel of a fire. A gas insert lights with a switch, holds a steady heat, and leaves no ash or smoke.
Whichever you choose, the install is only as good as the venting behind it. We size the liner to the unit either way, so it is safe and it heats.
Questions
Fireplace insert questions
- Why does an insert need a new liner?
- The old flue was built for an open fire and is far too big for an insert. Vented into it the unit will not draw right and can be unsafe, so a correctly sized stainless liner is part of the job.
- Wood or gas, which should I get?
- Wood for a real fire and low running cost if you have the fuel, gas for heat on demand with no ash. Both heat far better than the open fireplace they replace.
- How much more efficient is an insert?
- A lot. An open fireplace can lose more heat than it gives, while a sealed insert puts most of the fire's heat into the room. It is the difference between decoration and a heater.
- Will it fit my fireplace?
- Most masonry fireplaces take an insert once we measure the opening. We size the unit to the firebox and the room, so it fits and heats the space you want.
- What does an insert installation cost?
- It depends on the unit you choose and the liner the flue needs. We measure and check the flue first, then quote the insert and the install together.
- Do you supply the insert or just install it?
- We can talk through the options and handle the full install, liner included. The key is that the unit and the liner are matched, which is what we make sure of.
Related
Work that goes with it
Water and caps
Service areas
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Turn an open fireplace into a heater
Tell us what the chimney is doing and where you are. Every visit starts with a look before anybody quotes a price.
818-348-1993Open every day, 8am to 8pm. Serving Los Angeles and the South Bay.
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