NDL Hearth Blog

Chimney Caps are a small investment considering the immense amount of work they do for your chimney system.  They sit atop of the chimney and do several different things.  They keep animals and debris from getting in the chimney and clogging up your flue from the fireplace;  they stop down drafts from going through the chimney and allowing smoke to enter your house;  and most of all, they keep rain from entering your chimney preventing water from entering the firebox and deteriorating it.

Different types of chimneys take different types of caps and all metal chimneys need one. Metal Chimney caps come in 3 different types, galvanized steel, stainless steel, and copper. The steel caps will essentially last the life of the house and are the best value, unless you’re looking for decorative features.

What kind of chimney cap should you purchase for your home? The type of chimney system, the look want, as well as the type of fuel you use for your fire all need to be considered. Contact your local hearth supplier for help.

Vent free gas fireplaces literally do not have any venting which makes them more economical to install. People often love the practicality of these heating appliances because they only require propane or natural gas along with the air circulating in the room where the fireplace is being used.

Ventless gas fireplaces can produce enough BTUs to be considered an alternative or secondary heating source. They can efficiently heat a room, and you will find there are a wide variety of styles and designs that look just like a traditional fireplace and mantle. Keep in mind when you are purchasing a vent-free gas fireplace that you should never purchase one that is too large or small for the room; make sure the room is at least the minimum size required by the manufacturer.

A ventless gas fireplace is an excellent addition to any household and can improve the décor greatly while providing a roaring fire just as well as a traditional fireplace.

Believe it or not, summer is on its way out and the fall is on its way in. When it’s cold outside, there is nothing better than coming home to a warm, cozy wood burning fire. Today's wood burning fireplaces and inserts allow homeowners to enjoy the traditional wood fire while benefiting from innovative technology in heating and efficiency. Not only do wood fireplaces and wood inserts improve the ambiance of your home they give you more control over heating bills, heat and energy independence, convenience, and reduced emissions.

Northeast Distribution LTD provides wood burning fireplaces and inserts to local retailers in and around New England, New York and New Jersey. We offer a complete line of wood burning fireplaces to directly compliment your decorative taste. We provide many styles and brands of wood fireplaces and wood inserts including, but not limited to Majestic, Vermont Castings, Archgard, Supreme and Pacific Energy.

Are wood burning fireplace inserts more efficient than a traditional wood burning fireplace? This is a question that we hear very often. If you have a wood fireplace and you want to save money and energy, you should install a wood burning insert. While a fireplace insert is an easy and effective way to update the look of your home, they are also energy-efficient. They hold the heat inside the fireplace rather than let it escape up the chimney with the draft. Traditional fireplaces have very low efficiency ratings. As you know, they need air for the fire to burn. The air is drawn to the fire, the fire burns very quickly, the air is heated, and then most of it goes up the chimney. This is called a draft. The reason conventional fireplaces are ineffective and inefficient is because they pull air from inside the house and up the chimney, the vacuum created by the draft pulls cold air into the house. Inserts are similar to burning a fire in a box and letting the heat radiate out from the box. Therefore, little energy is wasted, the heat is more effective, and you save money on your heating bill. Fireplace inserts have closed insulated doors that slow the fire down which increases the temperature of the fire. This makes the fire burn hotter. Inserts also come with features like blowers, fans and thermostats which increase their efficiency and usefulness thus providing a good way to help lower utility bills as well as adding charm to any room.

Wood fireplace inserts are a great improvement to your existing fireplace giving you convenience and efficiency while still allowing you to keep the flickering flame in your fireplace. Even better, the cost to purchase and install a fireplace insert will more than be made up in the tax credit incentives and the energy savings you will incur by using one.

Northeast Distribution Ltd's fireplaces provide warm and pacifying ambiance to every room. We have seen an abundance of satisfaction from our clients saying that out fireplaces let the people around it to unwind and make them feel comfortable. At the same time, it can alter the look of your room in a big way. Nowadays, fireplaces have become an integral part of almost every house to provide warmth in winters. With that in mind, we'd like to share with you a popular new fireplace, the ethanol Eco Feu fireplace.

First let's explain what ethanol is; ethanol is also known by the names 'ethyl alcohol' or 'grain alcohol'. Ethanol used in fireplaces is de-natured alcohol which is the non-consumable ethanol, formed by adding certain chemicals, thereby making it safe, environment friendly, non-polluting and odorless.

Our ethanol fireplaces are burned using this denatured alcohol. These portable fireplaces can be kept anywhere in the house as no chimney is required. Hence, there is no need of creating a chimney and there is no fuss of chimneys getting blocked. These are easy to use and maintain as there are no burnt logs, ashes, etc., to be cleaned and there is no fear of embers falling out of the fireplace. Ethanol fireplaces look extremely stylish. With their attractive and sleek looks, they add to the beauty of any room making it look more elegant and beautiful like never before. To go along with your new eco-friendly fireplace, we offer a wide range of accessories to further the enjoyment of your new fireplace.  Your new fireplace and accessories add a new dimension to interior design and create a focal point in any room. It is a smokeless and vent-free fireplace that can be easily matched with any interior design.

You can place an ethanol fireplace anywhere, be it on carpet, dining table, near the sofas, patio and even in the garden. It can be moved to any location in the house or apartment. Ethanol fireplaces are designed keeping in mind the health, environmental and decorative factors. At the same time, these fireplaces are very cost-effective. Owing to their numerous features and advantages, these are becoming quite a rage and are perfect for every home. Few things should be kept in mind while maintaining an ethanol fireplace. No object should be placed on the fireplace when it is working. Only bio ethanol liquid fuel should be used for ethanol fireplace.

Don't forget there are major federal tax incentives associated with your new clean burning fireplaces.   Also if you have any other questions feel free to contact us at any time. We would be glad to assist you in any way possible.

Pellets stoves offer an alternative means for heating your house. They are traditionally compared to the wood burning stove, because the heat they put out is similar, but in some schools of thought, pellet stoves offer some advantages over traditional wood stoves.

At the top of the list of advantages is the fact that pellet stoves are easy to load as compared to wood burning stoves. The pellets themselves are small and can be stored in a small space efficiently, whereas wood needs to be stacked and hauled, and needs a large space to be stored. Pellets burn very hot, therefore, they create very little ash because they burn very efficiently.
Pellet stoves run on electricity. The hopper electronically feeds the pellets into the stove. The hopper can be programmed to evenly and consistently dispense the pellets, so in effect; pellet stoves can be programmed to burn at an even rate and can remain at a consistent temperature over time which is a huge advantage.

Overall pellet stoves can save people quite a bit of money in areas where heating costs are typically higher than in other parts of the country.

Traeger Pellet grills also have a smoke setting. So you want to grill, no problem, pellet grills are safe and easy to use and they have temperature settings. You can grill baby back ribs or salmon on the low setting of 180 degrees, or you can turn it up and sear or blacken your steaks.

You want to smoke some chicken or pork? No problem. The smoke setting on these grills is what makes the Traeger pellet grills famous. It is very easy to maintain a constant temperature while smoking Brisket or Duck, or any of your favorite meats.  Just set the temperature control to smoke and let the Pellet Grill do the rest. Not only is it a pellet grill, but it is a smoker and it smokes your cut of choice to perfection while keeping the cooking temperature just right.

But guess what, the pellet grill and pellet smoker also bakes! Baking on your backyard grill is certainly underutilized.  You can actually bake pizza, bread, cookies and cobblers in your backyard. The Traeger pellet grill has a fan that makes the pellet grill function like a wood-fired convection oven.

Here is one of Northeast Distributions best grilling recipes. In our opinion, this is the best hamburger recipe. 

• Gold Nugget Burger
•  1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin or chuck (10% fat; see notes)
• About 1/2 teaspoon salt
• About 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 8 slices cheddar cheese
• 1 red onion peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 4 Kaiser, onion, or crusty round rolls, split
• 1 1/2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (4 oz.)
• 1 firm-ripe tomato (about 8 oz.), cored and thinly sliced
• and our special spicy sauce, which is just ¾ c ketchup, ¼ c Worcestshire sauce and some garlic powder and/or hot sauce to taste.

Gently mix ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Divide into eight equal portions and shape into 4-inch patties. Top four of the patties with 2 slices of cheese. Lay another patty on top of each and press edges together to seal. Using a gas grill set on high, lay burgers and onion slices on an oiled grill rack, close grill lid. Cook burgers, turning once, until browned on both sides and done to your liking (cut to test), about 7 minutes total for medium-rare. Cook onions, also turning once, until browned on both sides, 7 to 8 minutes total. Remove from grill. Lay buns, cut side down, on grill and cook until lightly toasted. Spread Sweet-and-Spicy Sauce on bun bottoms. Add lettuce, tomato, burger, onion, and Guacamole. Dig in!

Voted best 2010 NEHPBA!! (if they voted): ATB’s – automatic buffalo turds – hey, I didn’t name them

Ingredients   

• 25 jalapeno peppers
• 1 block of cream cheese
• Teaspoon  each onion and garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
• Bacon

Directions

• Slice the peppers in half lengthwise – clean all seeds and membranes from inside
• Let the cream cheese soften a bit and mix in the onion, garlic and pepper.
• Wrap with ½ slice of bacon – toothpick may be used to hold it.
• Grill around 250 degrees for 2 to 3 hours or until the bacon is done to your liking. Of course a Traeger Pellet grill on medium is the best tool for this!

Serve and watch them disappear!!  This is the basic recipe – use your imagination. I did some with pineapple and/or mandarin oranges and some with small sweet peppers. There is no such thing as a bad ABT.
Should look something like this.

Outdoor grilling is a cooking experience.  For most it is an enjoyable time to spend with family and friends. And with the heat wave we have been experiencing in New England and New York, who wants to turn on their oven, so here are some outdoor grilling tips.

First, be sure you have a large enough grill to cook for the crowd you intend to feed. If your family is large, be sure you buy a gas grill with enough space. No need for the chef to get stressed. If you are having a large get together, consider the guest count and perhaps borrow another grill from a neighbor.

There are some very interesting grilling recipes out there so do not stop at thinking your grill will only be used for beef or chicken. You can grill sandwiches, seafood, skewers, pizza, and even vegetables. Be willing to experiment with your gas grill and keep your cooking options open, there are many grill recipes available.

One of the most useful grilling tips that may seem like common sense is to ensure that your grill is hot and clean. Light the grill a few minutes before you want to start cooking to heat it up and use a grill brush to clean off the rack. It is much easier to clean the grill when it is hot, so clean it right after use, or heat up the grill and clean right beforehand. When the grill is hot before you put the food on it, you get less sticking and better grill marks. Now it is time to grill. Be sure you have all of your ingredients marinated or prepared properly, and that you have all of the right grilling utensils at your side. With these grilling tips and your imagination, cooking on a gas grill can be a great cooking experience.