I would like to know what to do to make my open fireplace , that is my main heat source, more efficient .
MLMCLTDsjp
| Posted in General Questions on
I have an open stone fireplace. When it was built the builder made it so that there are open vents on the bottom in the stone and the inside of the fireplace is lined with metal which at the top where there are more vent holes there is a metal insert with 3 circular vents. The idea is that the cold air goes up and then out through the top. For this to be efficient I think I should use a blower. What kind would work? Any suggestions at all would be great. It is our main heat source for the house. I thank you for any help in advance !
GBA Detail Library
A collection of one thousand construction details organized by climate and house part
Search and download construction details
Replies
Depending on how it's built, it may or may not be possible to install a blower. You need to talk to your local woodstove/fireplace store and get them to look at your fireplace to make a recommendation.
By the way, I don't know how long you've lived with this fireplace but you may have already discovered that you will only begin to get warm air from the vents after the fire has been burning for a couple of hours. Many users of these constructions try to keep them burning more or less continuously during the heating season for this reason. Technically, adding the blower will make little or no difference to the fireplace's fundamental *efficiency* (which is extremely low). But it may add to its *effectiveness* in distributing the heat it produces through the house.
The sheer amount of air required to run a fireplace makes it the second worst heatsource available.
Woodstoves are so much more efficient that they changed architecture in the early 1800's, and by the middle of that century houses started having decorative mantles without fireplaces and parlor stoves. They came back as decoration once people had 'real' central heat.
They make fireplace stove inserts, that while not pretty are much more efficient. You will not be dragging air from every room in the house to feed the fireplace.
I thank you for your thoughts. I am the renter in this case and the house is the "original " ,log cabin built on the property long ago. There are 5 fireplaces in the house I have the one small "original" side. The landlady has a wood stove as well as she put an insert in one of the other fireplaces. My part of the house is like an L shape and the fireplace is in the kitchen. My son's room is in the back toward the main house. It does not get any of the heat from the fireplace. I , at this time , do keep the fire going , if I can , 24/7 . I was thinking a fire grate blower would work , but they are spendy. I thought I could make one , but ... Maybe I can convince her to put in an insert...