Grate wall of fire smoke reduction

[Squisher]

Hello I've been poking around here a lot as I had finally upgraded to a modern stove for heating our house in the basement. As well as the basement we have an open rock fireplace on the main floor that we like to use for 'ambiance'. Often if drafting conditions aren't great we'll get smoke spillage out of it and often will have to crack a window or door to keep it drafting well, or atleast as an afterthought to clear the smoke.

We don't use it/need it for heat the basement stove easily cooks us out but I would enjoy more open fires if I wasn't always worried about the smoke. So I figured I would try out the 'grate wall of fire'. By all reports/reviews that I've come across it doesn't add nearly the heating efficiency that is claimed but consistent in all the info I could find about it was that it did help with smoke overflow. I ordered it with a Fireback too for the added safety factor.

I'm hoping to hear possibly from other users about how the 'grate' may have worked or not for a smokey open fire.

I burn only well seasoned wood d. Fir mainly and already burn hot and active when I do use it.

Again I have no hope of efficiency gains just use ability gains. If I was certain it was sucking heat out I'd light it right now if it wasn't for the smoke as we're rounding 80 in the upstairs today as the weather warmed up to about 27f.


As you can see Christmas is a coming fast! Lol.

Any comments/tips in my plight to beat the smoke would be appreciated. I'm guessing it would be prudent to get accurate chimney/firebox measurements to make sure they are sized up properly but I don't really know much about what I would do with those measurements or how to compare?

 

[Michael6268]

I've heard mixed reviews on it. Here is a thread that was posted some time ago on this forum about it.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/great-wall-of-fail.59166/

 

[Squisher]

Thanks yah I perused that thread and even the OP that posted it did mention that it did reduce smoke spillage but was bitterly disappointed with the lack of efficiency.

 

[Michael6268]

It's tough to get any kind of efficiency out of an open fireplace. I use it for looks occasionally. But the whole house turns into one big draft.

 

[BrotherBart]

Just don't buy something like a local guy was selling on craigslist last year.

 

[Squisher]

Wow. That's crazy.

Like I mentioned I'm not looking for warmth just want to enjoy the open flames without sucking smoke. If nothing else I'll report back whether it solves or helps with my smoke issue. I don't get a lot of smoke but I would prefer to get none.

It's supposed to arrive on the tenth. Just one of the joys of being Canadian, forced patience. Lol.

 

[Squisher]

Well I had typed a large reply but the software of this forum is frustrating when using a iPad so all was lost.

-grate wall of fire arrived
-need to inspect the chimney today and pull the cap that I place on it for summer as the damper doesn't work
-will report back after use if I feel it's made any difference in smoke spillage
-I know that an open fireplace is inefficient and the goal of this little project isn't heat, it's aesthetics without sucking smoke.

 

[Squisher]

Well the Grate wall of fire has burned successfully for me on its first run in that I've had no smoke spillage at all on a fairly warm night. It's hovering around freezing.

The Boters Rat gives it two paws up so far.

 

[BrotherBart]

Great. Pun intended. Be interesting to hear actual experience with it.

 

[Squisher]

So far I've noticed I'm able to build a much smaller and longer burning fire it would seem over my previous setup in there of just a standard grate. Before I had to burn really hot and fast in hopes of not having any smoke spill out if the flame got lazy at all.

 

[Squisher]

So last night in Christmas was the second time I burned with the Grate wall of fire and it performed well although I noticed I had to fuss with it fairly often to keep flames instead of coal/embers/smoldering. I did have some smoke spillage on initial start up but it went away quickly. I was surprised that it needed to 'warm up' a bit to establish draft as its a side by side flue in a masonry chimney that my basement stove shares and it has been running for atkeast a week non-stop.

Now I know open fireplaces are inefficient to the point of removing heat but with the basement stove and it going and 15+ people in the house with a bird in the overn all day we were in serious inferno mode pretty quickly even with a overnight low of -13C last night.

 

[vanubee]

Just don't buy something like a local guy was selling on craigslist last year.

View attachment 168465 View attachment 168467 View attachment 168468

What in the world is going on there? That setup looks incredibly sketchy.

 

[Smoke_eater]

Hello I've been poking around here a lot as I had finally upgraded to a modern stove for heating our house in the basement. As well as the basement we have an open rock fireplace on the main floor that we like to use for 'ambiance'. Often if drafting conditions aren't great we'll get smoke spillage out of it and often will have to crack a window or door to keep it drafting well, or atleast as an afterthought to clear the smoke.

We don't use it/need it for heat the basement stove easily cooks us out but I would enjoy more open fires if I wasn't always worried about the smoke. So I figured I would try out the 'grate wall of fire'. By all reports/reviews that I've come across it doesn't add nearly the heating efficiency that is claimed but consistent in all the info I could find about it was that it did help with smoke overflow. I ordered it with a Fireback too for the added safety factor.

I'm hoping to hear possibly from other users about how the 'grate' may have worked or not for a smokey open fire.

I burn only well seasoned wood d. Fir mainly and already burn hot and active when I do use it.

Again I have no hope of efficiency gains just use ability gains. If I was certain it was sucking heat out I'd light it right now if it wasn't for the smoke as we're rounding 80 in the upstairs today as the weather warmed up to about 27f.

View attachment 168457
As you can see Christmas is a coming fast! Lol.

Any comments/tips in my plight to beat the smoke would be appreciated. I'm guessing it would be prudent to get accurate chimney/firebox measurements to make sure they are sized up properly but I don't really know much about what I would do with those measurements or how to compare?

 

[Smoke_eater]

Hi. I live in BC as well and was wondering where you ordered the grate wall of fire from. We have a smoke problem with our fireplace and I am hoping that this is our answer.

Thanks!

 

[Michael6268]

You can order it online. Just type in Grate wall of fire grate.
Several places sell them.

They also have a website gratewalloffire.com

I think you can order direct from them.
They are located in Litchfield CT.

 

[Squisher]

Yes I ordered straight from them and just had to eat it on the dollar, shipping, and duty.

I haven't updated this thread as with the holidays over and milder weather settled in now I haven't used it. Initial burns were very positive though, but that was in colder weather too.