15,000$ minimum for a u/peninsula shape wood fireplace. Am I missing something!?

[byQ]

My bag, it isn't a masonry heater. I wonder what the insides look like.

 

[Snoochers]

Contact Rais Canada and see what they say. Otherwise, maybe rethink the design and put one of their stoves on the end of the peninsula?

View attachment 258117

As you are noting, peninsula wood-burning fireplaces are not in high demand. Gas units are easier to locate.

Oh I didn't even know there was such a thing as Rais Canada! That is a start

 

[ABMax24]

1. Check with your municipality, most require the unit to be UL listed as well as certified to the most recent emissions standards CSA/EPA.
2. Just because an insurance company says they don't care, doesn't mean they won't ask questions in the event of a claim where the heater causes a fire. The WETT inspector that did my inspection had just came from a consult on a total loss fire caused by a wood stove. The installer in that case neglected clearances (chimney I believe) causing the fire, the installer was also the WETT inspector and passed their own install. The insurance company was suing the installer for the costs. There is no reason why the insurance company wouldn't do the same to you in the event of a non-certified appliance. Insurance companies hate paying out money.

 

[Mech e]

I don't know that they hate paying. it's just good business. If you give them an out, they will take it.

BTW. I really like begreen's idea of the standalone unit at the end of the peninsula.

 

[Snoochers]

Unfortunately a standalone stove at the end of a peninsula is very different look from what we’re going for. Also, the stoves don’t have the clean thin lines and the viewing dimensions that these peninsula fireplaces have.

 

[begreen]

Unfortunately a standalone stove at the end of a peninsula is very different look from what we’re going for. Also, the stoves don’t have the clean thin lines and the viewing dimensions that these peninsula fireplaces have.

Go gas or good luck keeping the glass clean in that aquarium.

 

[SpaceBus]

An aquarium would probably be more useful.

 

[Snoochers]

Lol aquarium. Would the glass be that bad? It’s only a bit more glass compared to the two sided ones. I thought glass didn’t need as much cleaning these days.

 

[SpaceBus]

Lol aquarium. Would the glass be that bad? It’s only a bit more glass compared to the two sided ones. I thought glass didn’t need as much cleaning these days.

With that much glass area it will be hard to keep clean. Most stoves (and "zero clearance" fireplaces) keep the glass clean with intake air being directed over the glass. In a three sided fireplace this is somewhat impossible. Smoke particulates will easily build up on the glass until it reaches 250df+. Perhaps the Rais unit would work, but there's a reason you don't see many two sided fireplaces, much less three sided. You are fighting a lot of inherent design flaws.

 

[Snoochers]

With that much glass area it will be hard to keep clean. Most stoves (and "zero clearance" fireplaces) keep the glass clean with intake air being directed over the glass. In a three sided fireplace this is somewhat impossible. Smoke particulates will easily build up on the glass until it reaches 250df+. Perhaps the Rais unit would work, but there's a reason you don't see many two sided fireplaces, much less three sided. You are fighting a lot of inherent design flaws.

Thanks for this. Maybe glass is the way to go then if we stick with this peninsula idea. I’ve also identified a Superior three sided fireplace from the WRT40PF model I think it’s called. It sells for like 1000$! But I imagine the tech is old and it’s very inefficient.

 

[SpaceBus]

Thanks for this. Maybe glass is the way to go then if we stick with this peninsula idea. I’ve also identified a Superior three sided fireplace from the WRT40PF model I think it’s called. It sells for like 1000$! But I imagine the tech is old and it’s very inefficient.

Any three sided fireplace is going to be really inefficient. All the heat is going right up the 12"(!) chimney. Some high efficiency fireplaces take advantage of this and have heat exchangers to duct the heat throughout the house. I don't think there are any three sided fireplaces like this. Another handicap is all the glass itself. Most fireplaces and stoves have insulated fireboxes for increased performance and lower emissions. A hot firebox will allow for burning the smoke or keeping it hot enough to burn in a catalytic combustor. All that glass will just cool the fire making for more smoke (and the energy trapped in the smoke) up the chimney.

I do think the peninsula fireplaces are beautiful, but also hugely wasteful. A gas fireplace would be the easiest and least expensive install that also won't send the heat in your house up the chimney, even with the fire out.

 

[Snoochers]

Any three sided fireplace is going to be really inefficient. All the heat is going right up the 12"(!) chimney. Some high efficiency fireplaces take advantage of this and have heat exchangers to duct the heat throughout the house. I don't think there are any three sided fireplaces like this. Another handicap is all the glass itself. Most fireplaces and stoves have insulated fireboxes for increased performance and lower emissions. A hot firebox will allow for burning the smoke or keeping it hot enough to burn in a catalytic combustor. All that glass will just cool the fire making for more smoke (and the energy trapped in the smoke) up the chimney.

I do think the peninsula fireplaces are beautiful, but also hugely wasteful. A gas fireplace would be the easiest and least expensive install that also won't send the heat in your house up the chimney, even with the fire out.

Yes I am leaning towards gas now. Although a lot of these three sided European fireplaces have over 80% efficiency, so I’m not sure that efficiency would be a problem with these models.

 

[SpaceBus]

Yes I am leaning towards gas now. Although a lot of these three sided European fireplaces have over 80% efficiency, so I’m not sure that efficiency would be a problem with these models.

Yeah, there are a lot of claims of 80% efficiency with no evidence to back it up. Worse yet Europeans rate emissions differently so it's hard to compare even if the unit has been tested in a lab. My cookstove is European, ul listed, and has claims about efficiency that I find to be very optimistic.

The only wood burning appliances to come close to 80% or more are gasification boilers, which are not nice looking.

 

[SpaceBus]

I take it back, I saw a free standing downdraft gasification wood stove on here recently, I think begreen posted it. Perhaps it would be a good option for you?

Edit: found the stove, Wittus Twinfire. Probably not what you are looking for.

 

[bholler]

I take it back, I saw a free standing downdraft gasification wood stove on here recently, I think begreen posted it. Perhaps it would be a good option for you?

Edit: found the stove, Wittus Twinfire. Probably not what you are looking for.

Quite a few 2020 stoves are 80% or slightly more now. But I don't believe any 3 sided fireplace can get there

 

[begreen]

Lol aquarium. Would the glass be that bad? It’s only a bit more glass compared to the two sided ones. I thought glass didn’t need as much cleaning these days.

Think about the difficulty of maintaining a uniform air wash on all three surfaces. These fireplaces are more for show than go.

 

[Ludlow]

I actually thought of an aquarium when I saw the picture. Regret not saying it!

 

[Nigel459]

I believe with good dry wood and hot fires you could keep that glass pretty clean. But yeah, a bunch of heat, and thus efficiency, would go "up the flue" in that case...