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Bad technology for heating a house? Absolutely. Bad technology for emotional comfort? Certainly not. There's nothing quite like a fireplace.

They really aren't worth the hassle of cleaning the ash and getting the wood and cleaning the chimney. An outdoor fire pit is much better.

I generally don't start a fire in the fireplace unless the temperature is below 10F. I'm not hanging out around the firepit at that temperature.

At the very least you should use a gas or wood insert

Not when it's below freezing and/or raining outside