fireplaces
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
Likes: 37
A standard open wood burning fireplace will probably be a net heat loss below 35°F outside because they draw combustion air thru every crack in the house.
I have an open wood burning fireplace. Fortunately it had an ash cleanout that went to the outside. I converted the ash cleanout to a combustion air inlet. I also did like TigerDan said and put glass doors on the front and sealed them tight so I could see the flames and prevent indoor air from flowing up the chimney. I got radiant heat from the fire plus I installed several heat tubes thru the fireplace door frame that are heated by the fire. Small computer fans placed inside the tubes transfer heat real well and will drive you out of the room.
If you have a convenient or free source of fuel and can use it effectively, GO FOR IT!
I have an open wood burning fireplace. Fortunately it had an ash cleanout that went to the outside. I converted the ash cleanout to a combustion air inlet. I also did like TigerDan said and put glass doors on the front and sealed them tight so I could see the flames and prevent indoor air from flowing up the chimney. I got radiant heat from the fire plus I installed several heat tubes thru the fireplace door frame that are heated by the fire. Small computer fans placed inside the tubes transfer heat real well and will drive you out of the room.
If you have a convenient or free source of fuel and can use it effectively, GO FOR IT!
Last edited by Torque1st; Sep 26, 2005 at 12:07 AM.
Elder User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 790
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From: Danville, Pa
http://www.centralboiler.com/
Central Boiler - Outdoor Wood Furnaces
Heres how I heat my house now. 1200SqF 2 story. Burn about 2 cords a year. Including heating water in the summer months. In the winter I fill firebox every 2 days. In summer I throw 1 log on every 2 days to heat water.
Central Boiler - Outdoor Wood Furnaces
Heres how I heat my house now. 1200SqF 2 story. Burn about 2 cords a year. Including heating water in the summer months. In the winter I fill firebox every 2 days. In summer I throw 1 log on every 2 days to heat water.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 297
Likes: 0
From: Spokane, WA
I use wood heat as my primary heat in the winter. If you are serious about truly heating with your fireplace an insert will be needed. Doors over the opening help with heat loss but do not get the job done. I have used a system similar to Torque1st and it worked but not nearly as well as a stove or insert. Have your chimney inspected and find a quality insert to fill the hole. You will love being more than just warm this winter and you'll get a little thrill when your utility bill is the same as in the summer months. How can you say no to free wood and low cost heating???
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 165
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My uncle's old house had a masonry fireplace that he put an insert in. The cold air return for the furnace was right in fron of the fire place. He would shut the other cold air return and run the furnace on "fan only". The heat from the fire place circulated through the whole house. I thought that was ingenious.
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
Likes: 37
Originally Posted by LilDuke
http://www.centralboiler.com/
Central Boiler - Outdoor Wood Furnaces
Heres how I heat my house now. 1200SqF 2 story. Burn about 2 cords a year. Including heating water in the summer months. In the winter I fill firebox every 2 days. In summer I throw 1 log on every 2 days to heat water.
Central Boiler - Outdoor Wood Furnaces
Heres how I heat my house now. 1200SqF 2 story. Burn about 2 cords a year. Including heating water in the summer months. In the winter I fill firebox every 2 days. In summer I throw 1 log on every 2 days to heat water.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
Thje best thing I can suggest is how I came up with the link I gave you earlier: just Google "Fireplace Inserts" and click on the Image link to bring up pics. There are so many different ones out there, and it may depend somehwt on your fireplace size and construction. Are you thinking about using this as your primary heat source, or just backup/ambiance?
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 445
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From: Prince George B.C.
I have a fresh air intake and a free heat machine set up inside my fireplace, and up untill - 20 C I can keep the upstairs fairly toasty . I go thru about 4 cords of wood a year and clean my own flue 2X a year. So far after 10 years all is well and the fireplace saves me a ton of money/per year. I've had it inspected 3 times so far at about 70 bucks a pop. It's cool watching the monitor when they drop that little camera down the flu. With Natural Gas going up again this year ( and gas companies and gov'ts making record profits ) I plan to burn wood as long as I can.
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Hotshot
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 13,589
Likes: 2
From: NW burbs of chicago
as your primary heat source, or just backup/ambiance?
About the inserts, I wanted an example becayse I dont understand how thay differ from glass doors (what functions they do compared to doors) I can find plenty of images, but I dunno what they do.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
The insert is more like a woodstove that fits into your fireplace. It has it's own built-in firebox and is more tightly sealed, and therefore more efficient than just adding doors to the fireplace.
One of the best woodstoves I ever had was a glass-doored fireplace insert that I scrounged and, with a little welding, converted to a free-standing woodstove. That baby would pump out the BTUs, I tell ya! If I stoked it up good and got busy doing something then forgot to damp it down soon enough, pretty soon I'd be dripping sweat...with it in the 30s outside!
One of the best woodstoves I ever had was a glass-doored fireplace insert that I scrounged and, with a little welding, converted to a free-standing woodstove. That baby would pump out the BTUs, I tell ya! If I stoked it up good and got busy doing something then forgot to damp it down soon enough, pretty soon I'd be dripping sweat...with it in the 30s outside!
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,045
Likes: 0
As far as outdoor boilers, read this first.
http://www.woodheat.org/technology/outboiler.htm
They are one of the most inefficient wood-hogs in the world.
And, the rest of that website,
http://www.woodheat.org
is a very handy starting point if you're considering wood heat.
http://www.woodheat.org/technology/outboiler.htm
They are one of the most inefficient wood-hogs in the world.
And, the rest of that website,
http://www.woodheat.org
is a very handy starting point if you're considering wood heat.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 297
Likes: 0
From: Spokane, WA
I love my Blaze King stove. You can see their inserts at www.blazeking.com. My father has a Quadrafire stove and loves it, they also make inserts. Good luck, new ones are not cheap. I have not heard good things about the catalyst stoves when burning softwood ie. Pine, Fir, Larch. Reburn units such as the Quadrafire, Lopi, and many others handle this wood much better. You must be careful when buying used stoves etc, lots of old old junk out there.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta GA
You should have your chimney inspected before you use it. If the lining is gone, you can let hot exhaust gases escape within your walls and burn the house down or kill yourself with CO2. To reline a chimney with a 5 year warranty probably costs about $1700.00.
Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 9,653
Likes: 3
From: in the adirondack mts
2 things to keep in mind here are 1; with a pellet stove, if you dont have a battery back up, if the power goes so does the heat. no feed , no igniter. 2; an insert is a good way to go but you need good fans to feed the heated air to the living space. they are pricey but if you have free wood it's a no brainer as long as the flue is in good shape. really good shape. and if the power goes out you still have passive heat
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 931
Likes: 0
From: Cool, CA
We use a wood stove as the primary heat source in winter, although for us winter is usually no less than 30 at night and 40s during the day. The house is 18 years old but whoever built it put an anique wood stove and I wouldn't give it up for anything! Once I get the fire going and can close the doors I have to watch it or it will get the house too hot. I had a few days last winter where I had to open windows to cool the place down! Cool thing about ours is the main room is vaulted ceilings (20+ feet high) and the stove sits on a brick hearth with brick all the way up the wall to the ceiling. The stovepipe is close to the brick so the brick absorbs the heat for an even warming effect.