Anybody know what type of fireplace this is?

[matty180]

Hi new to the board,

Just bought a house and trying to figure out how this fireplace works the best. It has 2 vents on top and 2 vents on the bottom. It does not have a fan or blower in it. When I close the doors the draft gets super high and seems to suck all the heat up the chimney. When I leave the doors wide open it seems to suck all the hot air from the inside of the room up the chimney. It seems to have way too much draft. I have also tried not opening the flue all the way. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Trying to get the most heat out of it until I have enoough money for a wood burning insert.

matt

 

[Todd]

Looks like a typical heatform/heatalator fireplace. There may be a metal plate inside the fire box some where with a Manufacture name. Not much you can do to keep it from eating mass amounts of wood. Best to burn it with the doors closed so it doesn't suck most of the warm room air up the chimney. One way to make these a little more efficient is to hook up outside combustion air and install a good set of doors.

 

[DAKSY]

Looks like a typical heatform/heatalator fireplace. There may be a metal plate inside the fire box some where with a Manufacture name. Not much you can do to keep it from eating mass amounts of wood. Best to burn it with the doors closed so it doesn't suck most of the warm room air up the chimney. One way to make these a little more efficient is to hook up outside combustion air and install a good set of doors.

I agree with the outside air rationale, but...
The BAD thing is, in order to burn with the doors closed, he's not gonna want tempered glass, because it may shatter from the heat. If he goes with PyroCeram at roughly a buck a square inch MINIMUM, he's gonna be about 1/3 - 1/2 the price of an insert...
His best bet would be to find an insert he likes from a dealer who offers financing...The insert will start paying for itself immediately...
Not exactly good news, I'm afraid, but the truth...
You can't heat your house with a campfire...

 

[matty180]

Thanks for the info. I have an outside air supply. I will make sure I open that up. What about the fire. The firebox is pretty deep. Should I keep the fire toward the back or the front of the unit.What I mean is that I can set the log holder way in the back or close to the doors. What is the best setup for this fireplace. And also what are some good brands for wood burning inserts?

Thanks Matt

 

[Todd]

I have my grate pushed all the way in back. This way it should keep your glass cleaner and keep smoke and ash from escaping out the door while reloading.