A fireplace grate blower is a device that will increase the flow of warmed air into your room and home. While these come in a couple of different forms one being a fireplace insert and another common less expensive type is a tubular grate blower.
Fireplace grates with blowers operate on a very simple principle. Take in cool air and heat the air in the tubing and blow it out with a fan into the room to distribute the warmed air thus increasing the room temperature. A fireplace on its own will contribute warmth to a room but the actual efficiency is very low. Some poorly designed hearths will allow all of the warmth to go up the flue and not contribute to the home heating. I have been in one house where the fireplace took with its draft, warmth from the home up the flue. Using a fireplace blower will greatly increase the fireplace efficiency many times. The return on investment will be seen quickly on your heating bill.
The process itself is straight forward. The unit is placed into the hearth. Remove the old cast iron fireplace grate first; then, set in the new blower. This unit does require electricity and you may need to have an electrician run a power outlet appropriate for the application. When ready to use,build a fire directly onto the grate. The special heat resistant tubing is designed just for this. The fan is then turned on and the air coming in the air intake will be quickly heated to as hot as five hundred degrees. The air is then pushed back into the room. This will increase the temperature in the room. Other helpers in the process for the home could be the use of ceiling fans for circulation and something as inexpensive as a box fan to move warm air from one room to another.
While using the fireplace to help or be the sole heating of your home, other safety precautions need to be observed. First and foremost is at least a single fireplace screen. This is the first line in fireplace safety. Secondly, use of a hearth rug of fiberglass will increase your safety factor many times. These are non-flammable and are very sturdy rugs. Another option would be a wool hearth rug.
Please remember to have the flue checked and cleaned by a professional, burn hard dry wood and enjoy your family time around the home hearth.