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A fireplace only heats a small portion of your home while a furnace heats the entire home.

The biggest issue when using a fireplace is that it only heats a small portion of your home while a furnace is designed to heat the entire home. The rooms that are farthest from the fireplace will likely remain very cold which might require extra work on the part of the furnace when you want to heat those rooms. Another potential problem is that your pipes might freeze if unheated rooms become too cold. The fireplace might provide additional warmth and a pleasing environment but its best not to use the fireplace to the exclusion of your furnace.