5 ON YOUR SIDE: Give your fireplace an update
When cold weather hits, a pellet stove or an electric fireplace insert can take the chill out of a room and give your home a cozier feel. Consumer Reports just evaluated pellet stoves and fireplace inserts to help you choose the right one for your space.
A pellet stove is a great way to provide supplemental heat in your home. It burns cleaner and more efficiently than a woodfired stove or a fireplace, and they’re also more convenient to use. You pour pellets into a hopper and let the pellet stove run automatically.
CR looked at how quickly each pellet stove heated up, how many pellets it could hold, and how easy it was to reload them.
The ComfortBilt Pellet Stove with 120lb Hopper HP42ALPINE, priced at $1,300, earned top scores and can provide heat for areas up to 28 hundred square feet. For smaller spaces, consider the United States Stove Modern Wood Pellet Stove with 50lb Hopper, priced at $999.
If your house is warm but you want a cozier feel, CR also evaluated 10 electric fireplace inserts that are designed to fit into an existing fireplace or even a custom-built space. The inserts aren’t meant to be a primary heat source; they operate more like space heaters. But many require more effort to install, so you may want to hire a professional if you’re not handy.
The Real Flame Vividflame Replaceable Electric Fireplace Heater Insert, priced at $276, is reasonably priced, and testers were impressed with its flame controls, colors, and ember brightness. You can skip the construction with the LegendFlame 23″ W Free Standing Electric Fireplace Insert, priced at $250. It’s designed to fit into an existing space, like an unused fireplace.
Many of the inserts change colors, offer adjustable flames, and have crackling sound effects. The flames will not fool anyone, but they can still be enjoyable.
If you’re considering a pellet stove, here’s an incentive: Some models qualify for a federal tax credit, so be sure to ask about that before you buy. For the cleanest and most efficient heating from a pellet stove, CR says choose one certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.