Hey folks, new to the group — hoping to get some professional input. We live in a 1948 flat roof house that has a very unusual, over-engineered fireplace and flu system. I have struggled to figure out the proper way to use it the way its designer intended.
First off, there are three flues in the chimney — all for one fireplace. Two appear to act as chimneys. The third I'm not sure about, but all are sooty. There are glass (or ceramic perhaps?) doors on the front of the fireplace with an adjustable vent at the bottom of the frame. On either side of the front of the fireplace, there are two large vents integrated into the masonry. Inside the fireplace are a row of pipes that run front to back above the flames. There are two large holes in the masonry on either side of the chimney inside the house that blow hot air when a fire is going. My assumption is that air is sucked into these front vents, heated in the steel pipes above the flames and them blows into the living space.
So far, I have attempted and struggled to use it in a conventional manner. I usually leave the doors open (it seems to be much cooler with them closed and I worry about them shattering if they are glass). Getting a draft going in this manner is extremely difficult. Usually this looks like shoving a heat gun up both flues for some time while battling smoke billowing into the house. Even when the flames are going, some smoke sneaks into the room. One hint that I'm probably doing this all wrong is that when the doors are closed and the bottom vent is open, the fire roars to life. It just doesn't seem to generate much heat with glass doors in the way.
Images attached. Any insight into how this unusual system works and how best to use it is much appreciated!
First off, there are three flues in the chimney — all for one fireplace. Two appear to act as chimneys. The third I'm not sure about, but all are sooty. There are glass (or ceramic perhaps?) doors on the front of the fireplace with an adjustable vent at the bottom of the frame. On either side of the front of the fireplace, there are two large vents integrated into the masonry. Inside the fireplace are a row of pipes that run front to back above the flames. There are two large holes in the masonry on either side of the chimney inside the house that blow hot air when a fire is going. My assumption is that air is sucked into these front vents, heated in the steel pipes above the flames and them blows into the living space.
So far, I have attempted and struggled to use it in a conventional manner. I usually leave the doors open (it seems to be much cooler with them closed and I worry about them shattering if they are glass). Getting a draft going in this manner is extremely difficult. Usually this looks like shoving a heat gun up both flues for some time while battling smoke billowing into the house. Even when the flames are going, some smoke sneaks into the room. One hint that I'm probably doing this all wrong is that when the doors are closed and the bottom vent is open, the fire roars to life. It just doesn't seem to generate much heat with glass doors in the way.
Images attached. Any insight into how this unusual system works and how best to use it is much appreciated!
