Fireplaces are perfect for any household. They can create a warm and inviting atmosphere in your home and serve as a means to generate heat and light without the need for electricity. Moreover, they can save you money on your utility bills during the winter months. A closed-combustion fireplace elevates a conventional woodburning fireplace to new levels of efficiency and functionality. In this article, we compare a standard open fireplace to a closed-combustion fireplace.

What is the Difference Between an Open and a Closed-Combustion Fireplace?

• The Design: An open fireplace is designed to deliver a traditional and conventional function: where the fire is open and can radiate its generated heat into the room. A closed combustion fireplace is a highly efficient, sealed unit that burns wood more effectively than a traditional open fireplace. Its key functionality relies on a sealed firebox with a glass door, which draws oxygen to burn fuel efficiently, retaining more heat and reducing heat loss. Adjustable air controls allow users to regulate the burn rate, heat output, and wood consumption. The radiation heat into the room from the ceramic glass window of a closed combustion fireplace is significant more than that of an open fireplace.
• The Functionality: An open fire is susceptible to its surroundings. It requires a properly ventilated area or room to function and provide efficient heat generation. A closed-combustion fireplace seals the woodburning fire in a combustion chamber, creating a controlled environment for airflow and removing any unwanted exterior influences on the fire. This increases the overall burn time for the concealed fire in direct comparison to an open fire, making it more cost-efficient.

• Safety Elements: It is always recommended to remove any flammable materials from the vicinity of a fireplace. In the case of an open fire, you can expect sporadic embers and sparks to emanate from the fire and shoot into the room or area in which the fireplace is installed. By concealing a woodburning fire in a combustion chamber, it will still emanate embers and sparks, but they won’t be shot into the room when the fireplace is closed. This adds value to closed-combustion fireplaces, especially if you want to install and regularly use a fireplace in your home.

• Additional Factors: If your home does not a have brick-masoned wall cavity and chimney, but you still wish to buy and install a closed-combustion fireplace, you have 2 options. You can either construct such a wall cavity for a built-in fireplace or simply buy a freestanding option that does not require additional extensive construction to install.

Home Fires is your first choice in closed-combustion fireplaces for sale in South Africa. We also sell a variety of installation accessories to ensure that you can get everything that you need when purchasing your ideal fireplace. Browse our website for prices and details and place your order with us before the year runs out.