Fireplace Worthlessness

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  • pute62

    Master
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    23   0   0
    Jan 29, 2009
    2,178
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    Lawrence
    My son bought a condo in Fishers which was way overpriced and nothing more than a glorified apartment but that's beside the point. Lol. He has a fireplace which does absolutely nothing to heat the livingroom with the $30 bundle of firewood he buys at the gas station. The question is, (from the research I've done) is there any good way to make the fireplace actually viable to produce substantial heat? Doesn't seem like an insert will work due to lack of an actual flue and it's a total electric unit with a heat pump. I'm not sure he's even from my loins at this point.
     

    spencer rifle

    Grandmaster
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    66   0   0
    Apr 15, 2011
    6,544
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    Scrounging brass
    We used a heat exchange grate in our little fireplace. The grate was hollow and hand a fan that ran air through it from one end to the other. It would heat the living and dining rooms enough that the thermostat would shut the heat off in the rest of the house. Result - LR/DR 75 degrees, rest of the house 55 degrees.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
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    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
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    Speedway area
    My son bought a condo in Fishers which was way overpriced and nothing more than a glorified apartment but that's beside the point. Lol. He has a fireplace which does absolutely nothing to heat the livingroom with the $30 bundle of firewood he buys at the gas station. The question is, (from the research I've done) is there any good way to make the fireplace actually viable to produce substantial heat? Doesn't seem like an insert will work due to lack of an actual flue and it's a total electric unit with a heat pump. I'm not sure he's even from my loins at this point.
    If it burns wood there has to be a flu that is spec. Thing is all the heat goes up the flu. Is he using the damper properly...???

    And I have had doubts as to the origins of my sons/daughter at times.
     

    tsm

    Expert
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    1   0   0
    Feb 1, 2013
    857
    93
    Allen county
    When living in Florida we had a wood burning fireplace that actually would heat the house, although I doubt it would be as effective in Indiana considering the larger temp differential. Had glass doors that sealed the firebox, a pipe that drew in outside air for combustion and a grid of hollow tubes above the firebox that absorbed heat from the flue gasses. A fan blew indoor air thru those tubes and back out into the room. The combination of heated indoor air from that fan and radiant heat thru the glass would warm up about half of the small house when we used a ceiling fan to circulate the air from the room (was a great room concept where kitchen, dining and living area with the fireplace were essentially one big connected area).

    Something like that will work more or less, but it requires planning during construction and would be a bigger job as a retrofit. And it still sends most of the heat up the flue, not into the house.
     

    pute62

    Master
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    23   0   0
    Jan 29, 2009
    2,178
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    Lawrence
    It is a flu per se (or how ever you French call it) just not a actual flu like in a normal house. I believe it to be a sub- standard flu that wouldn't be able to handle the heat from a over heated fire that most people would like to have , if that makes sence.
     

    foszoe

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
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    24   0   0
    Jun 2, 2011
    16,052
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    We used a heat exchange grate in our little fireplace. The grate was hollow and hand a fan that ran air through it from one end to the other. It would heat the living and dining rooms enough that the thermostat would shut the heat off in the rest of the house. Result - LR/DR 75 degrees, rest of the house 55 degrees.
    Yes. this will recoup about 10-20000 BTUs. Have two fireplaces in our house, one upstairs and one downstairs, more for show because we run geothermal and are ducted for whole house wood furnace but when we do use the fireplace it adds heat into the room.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
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    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
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    Speedway area
    It is a flu per se (or how ever you French call it) just not a actual flu like in a normal house. I believe it to be a sub- standard flu that wouldn't be able to handle the heat from a over heated fire that most people would like to have , if that makes sence.
    No flu-damper....????
     

    femurphy77

    Grandmaster
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    30   0   0
    Mar 5, 2009
    20,268
    113
    S.E. of disorder
    A lot of fireplace hate here and rightfully so but the house I had in Greenwood had an insert in it and it would get the house so hot I don't know how the chimney and attic didn't catch fire based on the amount of heat pumping out into the living room. On more than one occasion we would have windows and the patio door open in the middle of winter cooling the place down. My lack of knowledge of how to safely use it led me to quit using it because I was seriously afraid of causing the house to burn down.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
    152
    Speedway area
    A lot of fireplace hate here and rightfully so but the house I had in Greenwood had an insert in it and it would get the house so hot I don't know how the chimney and attic didn't catch fire based on the amount of heat pumping out into the living room. On more than one occasion we would have windows and the patio door open in the middle of winter cooling the place down. My lack of knowledge of how to safely use it led me to quit using it because I was seriously afraid of causing the house to burn down.
    We have a stand alone Franklin wood stove. Not huge. Actually small compered to most I have seen. It is a basic science to use it and requires some attention.
    I look at the daily forecast to see what the highs will be. Any where close to 40 and I usually just do the morning warm up of the house with the wood stove. Pretty hard to keep the house controlled at 40*. But I do sometimes use that to open some windows about 2"s and run the stove so we can turn the air over in the house. Fresh air in the winter.......:)

    I run it days like today and just keep an eye on the temp in the house every couple of hours. Let the stove coast down and when it seems needed put a few pieces in on the coals, set the air vents and go on to other things. It is usually done around 5:00 and I let the house cool down for sleep.

    MVUPjsP.jpg
     

    Ingomike

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    May 26, 2018
    28,146
    113
    North Central
    A lot of fireplace hate here and rightfully so but the house I had in Greenwood had an insert in it and it would get the house so hot I don't know how the chimney and attic didn't catch fire based on the amount of heat pumping out into the living room. On more than one occasion we would have windows and the patio door open in the middle of winter cooling the place down. My lack of knowledge of how to safely use it led me to quit using it because I was seriously afraid of causing the house to burn down.

    Think big old drafty farm house 20 degrees outside, dad buys a Fisher Papa Bear wood stove, fills it it up and boy it's getting comfortable, then a little too warm, then it was open the windows and doors it too hot! Mom says get that out of the house, surely a comedy gig worthy of many laughs.

    Dad didn't know how to control the dampers, when he did, he could control that heat within a few degrees. It is just a learning curve, just don't burn the house down learning...
     

    femurphy77

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Mar 5, 2009
    20,268
    113
    S.E. of disorder
    We have a stand alone Franklin wood stove. Not huge. Actually small compered to most I have seen. It is a basic science to use it and requires some attention.
    I look at the daily forecast to see what the highs will be. Any where close to 40 and I usually just do the morning warm up of the house with the wood stove. Pretty hard to keep the house controlled at 40*. But I do sometimes use that to open some windows about 2"s and run the stove so we can turn the air over in the house. Fresh air in the winter.......:)

    I run it days like today and just keep an eye on the temp in the house every couple of hours. Let the stove coast down and when it seems needed put a few pieces in on the coals, set the air vents and go on to other things. It is usually done around 5:00 and I let the house cool down for sleep.

    MVUPjsP.jpg
    Yeah that's essentially what we had only twice as big. They do the job that's for sure!
     

    phylodog

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,745
    113
    Arcadia
    We had a fireplace in our last house. Live there 15 years and never came close to thinking about lighting a fire in it.
     
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