Can I replace this fireplace?

[DoubleB]

I have a wood furnace and I’m in other forums a lot, but first time here to The Hearth Room.

I’ve owned this house 4 years, and now I’m updating the bonus room above the garage. The room has a large wood fireplace. I don’t plan to use the fireplace much, but it does leak hot air out and moisture in (rain or other). So mostly I want that to stop. I also wonder if I can replace it with an LP fireplace. I know almost nothing about fireplaces, and I’m open to any advice.

This bonus room was built sometime in the 1970s. I'm not impressed with the workmanship or quality of just about the whole room. The stone perimeter around the fireplace is about 11 feet wide and 5 feet deep. Stone above the fireplace rests on thick metal that is rusting. Firebox is all metal. Includes a handle to what appears to be a damper that won’t close, and I can see daylight up the chimney. I think the chimney has rectangular tile liner. On both sides of the stonework are an air intake supplying a fan that blows into a duct, then the air discharges out of a few holes in the front of the stonework. The whole shebang is supported on 8x16 cinder blocks built up in the garage below. The firebox includes a cast iron trap door through which you can shovel ashes into the 5x11-foot storage room formed by the cinder block foundation.



I’ve done some looking online and think it’s a prefab fireplace? Everything I’ve seen says they can’t be easily removed or replaced. Especially with all the stone work in the way.

Some of my questions are:

-Is this indeed a prefab fireplace?

-Does it appear feasible to easily remove the wood fireplace without disturbing all the stonework, or is it better to just leave it there?

-If I just leave it there, will it cause problems (more water, etc.) if I put on aesthetic doors, seal it shut, and abandon in place?

-What kind of tradesman is qualified to repair this fireplace and/or replace it with an LP fireplace?

-What kinds of questions do I ask to see if he knows what he’s talking about?

-What else should I be aware of as potential problems or opportunities?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[begreen]

This looks like a heatform fireplace. It doesn't necessarily need to be replaced. A gas insert would be an option.
The water leak should be addressed. Is there a cap on the top of the chimney?

 

[DoubleB]

Thanks for the pointers Begreen. That helped me to look up Heatform on here https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/heatform/ and it sounds like mine:

"If your firebox walls are steel, yet your Damper is rectangular and your flue tile (looking up through the Damper) is square or rectangular (usually orange or red), then you have a Heatform. Some of these units also have small fans mounted in the walls to the left or right of the fireplaces."

I also found water damage in the attic/roof above the fireplace, and noticed a lot of condensation in the winter. I think the masonry around the fireplace only goes up into the attic without any top to it, so room air is probably getting into the air inlets in the stonework and going straight up into the attic. In other words, that sounds consistent with the description of how the Heatform is installed.

No cap on top of the chimney. Sounds like I should do that as soon as I can.

Is this all something a good chimney/masonry guy can do? I'll start there.

Thank you!

 

[begreen]

Is this all something a good chimney/masonry guy can do? I'll start there.

Yes a good certified sweep or mason should be able to help here. Ask for references.
Most good stove and fireplace shops will have gas inserts for sale. There are a lot of them. We have a gas forum here where you can ask questions about options and brands. Moderator Daksy is an expert.