Bought a house and found out the chimney flue tiles have cracks in them rendering it unusable unless we fork up the money for a chimney liner. We also would like to put a tv above the fireplace but I understand that is not a good idea with a wood burning fireplace.
One option is to put in an electric fireplace insert. Has anyone done this and is it worth it? Ideally I would prefer the wood burning but between the cost of the liner and our desire to put a tv above we're thinking electric might be the way to go. (We don't have gas here)
Talk me into/out of it.
Thanks
x2, you still get to burn wood and don't have to repair your chimney. Check models though, most are enclosed meaning it won't be an open air fire like your typical fireplace. That may/may not be for you. The good news is you can supplement your head if you get one with a blower. My parents have on on theirs and it generates a ton of heat for the house - they leave their HVAC blower on to circulate. Wont do your whole house (depending on layout) but the room its in and above will definitely get warm.
I don’t have one personally but always thought they were very effective and a bonus no power or gas in the winter you can cook on the top of the unit.
Either way you go electric, fireplace insert, or offset it’s going to cost a good bit of money IMO.
After moving in I did a 180. The wood burning would have been a pain in the ass, messy and less safe with the kids around.
The insert has been fantastic. it looks the part (except for the glass infront), adds a nice element to the room and you just turn it on and off with a remote. Also it has a smart feature so I can set it at a thermostat and it will kick on and off to meet the temp in the room. This is key because that room is on a slab with large windows and vaulted ceiling so the room gets cold in the winter.
Was completely against it and disappointed until I actually started using it and love it now.
About 10 minutes up the road. We still need to meet up for a game this fall!
So far so good...real fire, cheap heat $65-75 a face cord. My heating bill dropped dramatcially.
Plus electric craps out after a few years.
Good luck!