This is a great forum, I am learning a lot. I have to decide whether to block up my fireplace and am hoping for your input on whether a fireplace insert (wood or pellet) is a worthwhile alternative.
I live in a two-story townhouse with a walk-out basement -- so three levels, 2200 sqft in all, and only half the basement (370 sq ft) is finished. We heat entirely by electric heatpump, which works great upstairs but not so much for the basement; it also can get a little expensive at about $0.09 kwh. The finished part of the basement has a traditional brick fireplace on the outside wall and a glass patio door, so that room is cold. My heatpump has a fan setting and the cold air return is about 10 feet from the fireplace, low on a wall that is perpendicular to where the fireplace is located. Any wood/pellet storage would be outdoors under the deck.
I had the chimney inspected and learned the clay liner is badly cracked, unusable. It's looking like my insurance might (knock on wood) pay for a spray sealant to make the chimney usable. The traditional fireplace "ambiance" does not do much for me so I am likely to block up the fireplace with insulation and boards to try and mitigate the heat loss. I have thought about asking the insurer to put the money toward a fireplace insert and metal liner instead of the proposed repair. Before I ask, I'd like to know:
1. Could a fireplace insert in my basement, with the heat pump fan running, partially or wholly heat the upper stories?
2. In order to heat the upper stories, would the basement have to be unbearably hot?
3. Given the scenario above, is there much advantage to a hearth stove vs an insert?
4. Given the initial expense, plus all the fire tending and cleaning and finding fuel ($200-$300 for a delivered cord here; maybe $200/ton for pellets if I really shop around), would you personally think that an insert is worthwhile in this situation?
Many thanks!
I live in a two-story townhouse with a walk-out basement -- so three levels, 2200 sqft in all, and only half the basement (370 sq ft) is finished. We heat entirely by electric heatpump, which works great upstairs but not so much for the basement; it also can get a little expensive at about $0.09 kwh. The finished part of the basement has a traditional brick fireplace on the outside wall and a glass patio door, so that room is cold. My heatpump has a fan setting and the cold air return is about 10 feet from the fireplace, low on a wall that is perpendicular to where the fireplace is located. Any wood/pellet storage would be outdoors under the deck.
I had the chimney inspected and learned the clay liner is badly cracked, unusable. It's looking like my insurance might (knock on wood) pay for a spray sealant to make the chimney usable. The traditional fireplace "ambiance" does not do much for me so I am likely to block up the fireplace with insulation and boards to try and mitigate the heat loss. I have thought about asking the insurer to put the money toward a fireplace insert and metal liner instead of the proposed repair. Before I ask, I'd like to know:
1. Could a fireplace insert in my basement, with the heat pump fan running, partially or wholly heat the upper stories?
2. In order to heat the upper stories, would the basement have to be unbearably hot?
3. Given the scenario above, is there much advantage to a hearth stove vs an insert?
4. Given the initial expense, plus all the fire tending and cleaning and finding fuel ($200-$300 for a delivered cord here; maybe $200/ton for pellets if I really shop around), would you personally think that an insert is worthwhile in this situation?
Many thanks!