Q&A Blower on a wood fireplace

Question:

I have a regular wood burning fireplace(Martin) and they sell a blower that goes under the fireplace and blows out hot air from above the fireplace, it is about $200. (The room its in is 20x15 and open to a dining room and foyer)I'm wondering if anyone thinks this is worth it, I want to try and get more heat from my fireplace, I looked into gas inserts and like those but I cant afford it right now and don't think I want vent-free logs because of the possibility of a gas smell. Someone please help. Thanks in advance.



Answer:

In my experience, the blowers for prefab fireplaces such as your do not make a huge difference in the heat released....sure, you'll get a bit more, but I don't think you'll consider it $200. worth.

Maybe you should save for an insert or another solution.