Can I cost-justify a fireplace insert?

I have a woodburning fireplace & electric forced air heat. Any way to cost-justify a fireplace insert of any kind? I'm curious about both wood stove and pellet stove inserts.

Public Comments

1. You can if you use electricity to heat your house. Inserts have much better control over heat management, that is they don't lose much heat. Many of them also use blowers to keep the warmer air circulating, whereas a real fire-place would provide heat only in the area immediately around the fire.
2. If youve got the money to spare go right ahead
3. It depends what type of fireplace you are talking about. A regular ordinary fireplace with a chimney you know 80% of your heat goes out the roof. It is also a energy burden in the winter becuase all you heat goes out the roof. A gas fireplace is more efficient but it only will heat the surroounding area. Surprisenlly though there are central heating systems designed to heat the entire house that utilize wood and gas. It is esentially like a large stove that you put wood in. The gas ignights the wood and that wood heats your house. Its efficient because your not using gas and just a little electricity. It will reburn the ambers to ash as well
4. Well an electric fireplace inserted would add to the value of yur home r when you finally sell it.
5. inserts are nice because they don't take up much room.Whatever you decide I would go with gas.