The fireplace has been improved upon considerably since early times. Early wood burning fireplaces were not efficient. They were built into a wall and had a chimney leading straight up. The majority of the heat went right up the flue along with the smoke and ash. Benjamin Franklin did wonders for the efficiency of the stove when he invented the Franklin stove. He decided that since too much heat was lost when the fireplace was open, the solution would be to create an enclosed fire in a metal box. His efforts paid off, and the box style wood stove proved to provide much more heat. Since Franklin’s improvements, perhaps the biggest single upgrade to the stove of any nature (wood, gas, propane) is the fireplace blower. The most important benefit of the blower is that it can be used with a box style stove, or with the insert fireplace to drastically 
improve performance and keep your heat from going straight up the chimney.
What Is a Fireplace Blower?
A fireplace blower allows heat from the stove to better circulate throughout your house. By gathering the air from the surrounding room, the blower pushes the head through a special chamber leading to the fire. The flames make the air warm, and the hot air is pushed back into the room. In a circular motion, the cold air goes in, gets warm and then comes out. This process is repeated for as long as the fireplace blower motors are running, 
helping the heat from the fire to penetrate the cold air of winter.
How to Select a Fireplace Blower
It is essential to pick a fireplace blower that is designed for the type of stove that you have. A firebox for instance, will require a different type of blower than an insert style stove. Some modern insert styles already include blowers, so it might not hurt to consult your manual or do some research to determine if one already exists. You may also find that your insert stove has a fireplace blower grate and just not the actual blower. If this is the 
case, you will only need to purchase the fireplace blower fan and motor assembly. Once you know the style that you are looking for, you will find that there are several options to choose from.
The designs of fireplace blowers are numerous. There are many brands and styles to select from, so pick something that you think will accent the style of your fireplace and the surrounding room.
Benefits of a Fireplace Blower
The biggest benefit of installing a blower is that your heat will not get sucked straight up the chimney. You’ll be recirculating air and moving warm air into the house. This will 
drastically help to improve the efficiency of your stove. Other benefits may vary, depending on the model you select. For instance, some blower motor assemblies have a built in thermostat and will automatically turn on when the fire gets going to a certain temperature. This is great because it also kicks off when the fire dies, which will help you to avoid blowing cold air throughout the room.
Regardless of the model you pick, installing a fireplace blower will help you to heat your house and make your fireplace more efficient.