Fireplace worth it?

[phatfarmerbob]

After installing a jotul oslo i have noticed that my fireplace room has gone from being the hottest room to the coolest. i burn both 24/7 and they are on opposite sides of the house the fireplace has heatilators ( no fan, just convection) should i just shut down the fireplace.. any ideas would be helpfull..


ps the dog still likes the open fireplace the best

 

[RNLA]

If you can bare to do it put in an insert. I would go for a nice looking insert that sticks out a ways from the fire box, for the radiant heat. It may be hard to imagine doing that to your open fire place though. Some people just like the open fire...

 

[phatfarmerbob]

i was afraid someone would say that ... i just dont think i can do that yet .. love the fireplace too much.perhaps i just shouldnt burn 24/7 in it?

 

[BrowningBAR]

i was afraid someone would say that ... i just dont think i can do that yet .. love the fireplace too much.perhaps i just shouldnt burn 24/7 in it?

See what happens when the fireplace isn't in use. See where the heat goes.

 

[Hogwildz]

That fireplace is sucking the heat out of the house. You already answered that by describing the temp change while it is in use.
Maybe good for ambiance in the spring & fall, but in the winter, I myself would close that thing up.

 

[Texas Fireframe]

My dogs love an open fire too. I have to pick one of them up and move him away from the fire as he overheats and just sits there and pants!

(Edited in keeping with forum guidelines.)

 

[SpeakEasy]

If you like an open fire, but want more heat from your fireplace, check out the Texas Fireframe grate.
www.texasfireframe.com

My dad, now age 93, invented it 35 years ago, and we get lots of fan mail about how hot the fire is. Many repeat customers for gifts, etc.
http://www.texasfireframe.com/grate-customer-reviews.html

It uses the laws of physics to send more heat out into the room, less up the chimney.

(My dogs love an open fire too. I have to pick one of them up and move him away from the fire as he overheats and just sits there and pants!)

I really enjoyed reading the bio about your dad! Quite a guy! You are a very fortunate family to have such a man.

-Speak

 

[Todd]

You can't heat your house with a traditional fireplace, I don't care what kind of fancy grate you use. It may increase the radiant heat out into the nearby area but the fire in a fireplace consumes a huge amount of air and sucks it right up and out your chimney, this will be replaced by colder outside air being pulled in through cracks and leaks throughout your house making it much colder. Sure In the old days they heated with fireplaces but they had to huddle next to the fire or freeze.

Even when a fireplace isn't in use it will either create a cold down draft or you will lose some heat up the flue. I say close that fireplace up for the Winter, stuff some insulation or one of those flue pillows up there I think you will see an improvement.

 

[DanCorcoran]

If you really want the ambience of a fireplace fire, can't you just put an OAK (or some sort of piping) with a damper next to a fireplace? This would allow outside air to feed the fire without sucking air in from the rest of the house. Granted, most or much of your fire's heat would just go up the chimney, but at least it wouldn't be pulling a cold breeze through your house. Has this been tried? (Yes, you'd need to be able to close the damper when the fireplace wasn't in use).

 

[phatfarmerbob]

there is an OAK of sorts outside air is vented in under the fire alas there is no damper ... i guess i could install one

 

[Texas Fireframe]

If you like an open fire, but want more heat from your fireplace, check out the Texas Fireframe grate.
www.texasfireframe.com

My dad, now age 93, invented it 35 years ago, and we get lots of fan mail about how hot the fire is. Many repeat customers for gifts, etc.
http://www.texasfireframe.com/grate-customer-reviews.html

It uses the laws of physics to send more heat out into the room, less up the chimney.

(My dogs love an open fire too. I have to pick one of them up and move him away from the fire as he overheats and just sits there and pants!)

I really enjoyed reading the bio about your dad! Quite a guy! You are a very fortunate family to have such a man.

-Speak

Thank you Speak. That's very kind of you to say - I really appreciate it and I am proud of him.

I know there are strong views about whether or not a fireplace produces heat, so maybe it's best if I just mention the "Do Fireplaces Really Heat?" link on our website for one scientist's point of view and not get into a heated debate (no pun intended). Also, the link above has letters from people who use our grate in their fireplace - many for decades - and tell us how much heat it produces. We have customers in warmer states who tell us they can shut off the central heating completely when the fire is going, so that must say something about fireplace efficiency with this grate.

Hey FarmerBob, I'm curious - where is your thermostat located in relation to the fireplace and the wood stove?

Todd, it's funny to hear you call it a fancy grate. It's so not fancy. Just a simple steel grate - no tubes or fans - with two adjustable arms that lift the upper logs and open up the hottest part of the fire to the room.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Fireplaces are fantastic for ambiance, and can heat a room while negatively affecting other rooms, unless every room has a fireplace - just as old houses did...

According to Consumer Union ((broken link removed)) , the most effective way to heat in a fireplace is using NO grate at all. Having tried a standard grate, a system similar to the Grate Wall of Fire, and no grate, I can anecdotally say that no grate has worked best for me.

And, while referring to Mythbusters is like citing Wikipedia,in one eprisode Adam and Jamie showed how other rooms got colder when a fireplace was lit.

Texas Fireframe - you should rightfully be very proud of your father and the company, but I actually think the 'scientist's' viewpoints on your website do you more of a disservice than a benefit.

 

[Lucy]

We block off our fireplace (stuff insulation above the damper) during the wood stove season, and put in an electric fake fire for visual effect in the opening. The fireplace is great to take the damp out of the room in the spring and fall and of course to look at, but certainly not a whole house heater and does not work with the wood stove operating.

 

[RNLA]

Like I said before if you want heat from that firplace you will have to get an insert. I think even if you went with a flush face unit you would be better of than an open fireplace. I had tried a flush unit and did not like it for lack of out put. It was explained to me that it was more of a highefficiency fire place than a wood stove insert. It was able to give off heat but not like a wood stove...

 

[Texas Fireframe]

Carbon Neutral, thanks for your nice comments about my dad.

There's just one problem with relying on Consumer Reports. They can be wrong:
http://www.consumersunion.org/products/car_safety_findings.pdf

I've found no scientific basis for Consumer Reports' recommendation to not use any grate at all.

With a grate, your fireplace floor is protected from the extreme heat of the fire - extending the life of your fireplace. Raising the logs puts more oxygen beneath the fire for better combustion. When coals drop down from a raised grate, they create a glowing hot bed of coals which provides radiant heat and helps the logs burn from beneath. Lifting a fire off the floor brings it closer to the chimney, reducing the chance of smoke escaping into the room. And a grate cradles the logs to help keep them in contact with one another. When logs roll apart, they extinguish.

I don't know how Consumer Reports could have overlooked all that in recommending people build fires on their fireplace floors. I haven't seen their recommendation implemented in any home I've ever visited, in the 25 years since they made it.

Last I checked, Consumer Reports does not disclose testing methods to its readers, nor does it disclose credentials of those doing the testing, nor their "experts'" possible commercial conflicts of interest.
Sadly, their deficits seldom come to light; it takes life or death consequences, such as shown in the link above.

So I guess you'll understand why these are the only consumer reports I'm interested in: http://www.texasfireframe.com/grate-customer-reviews.html

Farmer Bob, you say there's no damper in your fireplace, and outside air is allowed in beneath it. That may explain the cold room.

 

[ispinwool]

If you like an open fire, but want more heat from your fireplace, check out the Texas Fireframe grate.
www.texasfireframe.com

My dad, now age 93, invented it 35 years ago, and we get lots of fan mail about how hot the fire is. Many repeat customers for gifts, etc.
http://www.texasfireframe.com/grate-customer-reviews.html

It uses the laws of physics to send more heat out into the room, less up the chimney.

(My dogs love an open fire too. I have to pick one of them up and move him away from the fire as he overheats and just sits there and pants!)

Ya...your dad sounds like an amazing guy!

 

[Hogwildz]

I wonder if what your thinking is outside air is actually an ash cleanout?

 

[DanCorcoran]

Carbon Neutral, thanks for your nice comments about my dad.

There's just one problem with relying on Consumer Reports. They can be wrong:
http://www.consumersunion.org/products/car_safety_findings.pdf

I've found no scientific basis for Consumer Reports' recommendation to not use any grate at all.

Last I checked, Consumer Reports does not disclose testing methods to its readers, nor does it disclose credentials of those doing the testing, nor their "experts'" possible commercial conflicts of interest.
Sadly, their deficits seldom come to light; it takes life or death consequences, such as shown in the link above.

So I guess you'll understand why these are the only consumer reports I'm interested in: http://www.texasfireframe.com/grate-customer-reviews.html

Sorry, TexasFireframe, but I'll take Consumer Reports' lack of commercial bias over yours any day.

 

[Hogwildz]

LMAO, great attempt to "educate" consumers how an open fireplace doesn't rob the house of heat, because the colonials used them way back when. Of course they did, that was the only type of heat at that time.
Kinda of like trying to convince folks that we should use horse and buggies because that is what they used 200 years ago, and even the Amish do today as a test of time.
Only a very naive person, or pure simpleton would truly believe that PR nonsense. Go push your BS elswhere.

 

[begreen]

TF, retailers are welcome. Have you read the invite? https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewannounce/65_2/
However, advertising via the forum or PMs to its members is not allowed, but do check the options in the link above.

Consumers Reports does have an open policy about how they test. You can even visit there and see how they do it. It's fascinating, kind of like mythbusters. They don't get all calls right, but by and large they are a reputable testing lab that provides useful information. OTOH, I don't place a lot of credence in website reviews on manufacturer or seller's sites. It is too easy to plant great reviews and filter out critical reviews. Witness Northern Tools' glowing reviews for $300 electric heaters, Magic Heats, Vogelzang box stoves, etc.

For the open fireplace I would look at installing one of these devices at a minimum. (broken link removed)
Or better yet, a nice Jotul insert to match the F500 in looks and performance.

 

[RNLA]

I've used two open fire places with poor to moderate heat output. That fireplace radiator is kind of cool. I would never have thought I would buy any of that crap but that one looks like it could work... :-/

 

[bboulier]

I go with those who recommend an insert. I have one and like it immensely. I concur with those who recommend one that juts out into the room. Pick one that has a good view of the fire - lots of open glass. You won't regret it.

 

[Texas Fireframe]

TF, retailers are welcome. Have you read the invite? https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewannounce/65_2/
However, advertising via the forum or PMs to its members is not allowed, but do check the options in the link above.

Consumers Reports does have an open policy about how they test. You can even visit there and see how they do it. It's fascinating, kind of like mythbusters. They don't get all calls right, but by and large they are a reputable testing lab that provides useful information. OTOH, I don't place a lot of credence in website reviews on manufacturer or seller's sites. It is too easy to plant great reviews and filter out critical reviews. Witness Northern Tools' glowing reviews for $300 electric heaters, Magic Heats, Vogelzang box stoves, etc.

For the open fireplace I would look at installing one of these devices at a minimum. (broken link removed)
Or better yet, a nice Jotul insert to match the F500 in looks and performance.

I did read that, and when I clicked on Forum Rules and Mission I saw no rules against a company recommending a product. Unfortunately, I did not see that within that page.... https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewannounce/1_2/ ...was another link that brought me to more rules. Now that I know, I'll remove my posts that violate your guidelines. Very sorry. (If my screen name is a violation of your rules, let me know and I'll deactivate my account.)

About Consumer Reports' testing, I said "last I checked" because I have not looked into it recently. Thank you for updating me on much needed improvements at CR. I'm glad you agree they don't get all calls right. (Too bad for companies and consumers affected by their wrong calls.)

I also agree with you that it's possible for a disreputable manufacturer to plant great reviews. The opportunities for fraud are everywhere, including this forum, if someone with industry connections posed as a consumer making product recommendations. Buyer beware, as they say.

Well, it was nice chatting with you BeGreen. Thanks for the heads up on the rules.

 

[VCBurner]

One Winter, we used the fireplace for an entire February to heat the entire house. It got really cold at night after the fire died, but I could keep the fire going for a good 4-5 hours on a hugr amount of wood. The livingroom was really warm, the rest of the house was in mid 60's. Most of the day. Some mornings low 60's to high 50's. Furnace was completely off. I would not recommend the fireplace being used for a regular heat source, especially in place of a wood stove. But, had there not been fires in my fireplace that month the house would have been too cold to live in. The pipes would have frozen too.

should i just shut down the fireplace..

My guess is yes, what's the worst that can happen? Put the fireplace out of service, then stick some insulation up there, so no hot air can go up the flue. See if the temperature goes up in that room. Try some fans to move the warm air aroud into that area!

 

[Texas Fireframe]

LMAO, great attempt to "educate" consumers how an open fireplace doesn't rob the house of heat, because the colonials used them way back when. Of course they did, that was the only type of heat at that time.

Hogwildz, we're in agreement. You called an open fireplace a "type of heat." That's all I'm saying. (A fireplace can't both rob the house of heat and be a heat source at the same time.)