Help me identify this stove/fireplace

[Uncle Banjo]

Does anyone know who made this stove/fireplace? It looks very similar in shape to the Meridian:

Meridian Ceramic Stove

The Meridian is a stove made of Ceramic materials covered with a layer of tile. It was made in California from the late 1970's until approx. 1983. Here is a sell-sheet with some information on the Meridian Tile Stove http://hearth.com/images/uploads/meridian.pdf Here is one of the original...

www.hearth.com

but doesn't have tiles on it and there's no opening at the bottom.

I would like to buy (or make) a glass door to improve its efficiency so any tips on that is also appreciated.

 

[coaly]

First you have to check the chimney pipe system to see if you have chimney made for a controlled combustion stove. This is a free burning fireplace. An open fireplace burns fast, hot and looses tons of heat up the chimney. This does not create creosote. Creosote is formed when you slow the air, and the chimney flue temp drops below 250*f allowing water vapor from combustion to condense on flue walls. This allows smoke particles to stick, forming creosote. now you have the possibility of a much hotter flue if and when this ignites in the chimney flue. So chimney pipe for a stove is tested at a higher temperature than chimney pipe made for a fireplace. Make sure the rating tag on chimney pipe is 103 HT. (High Temperature)This pipe is tested to 2100 intermittent and the lower temperature rated #127 pipe is 1700 intermittent. Both are tested at 1000 continuous. This may very well have the lower rated chimney pipe.

Doing what you are planning on doing is going to raise the temperature of the fireplace drastically. It won't have all the cool air rushing through it keeping it cool. Is it made to heat up and radiate heat? Surface temperatures over 500 - 600*f ? It is not a radiant stove as built. Are there combustible walls behind the brick? An unlisted stove (what you are making it) would require 36 inches clearance. With solid brick against combustible wall that can be reduced by 33%.

Notice the chimney is a large diameter for smoke (and heat) evacuation. An efficient stove is going to need a 6 inch chimney.

Then you have an elevated fire that should be burned on a firebrick bottom, not raised in a stove. It is elevated in a fireplace to allow lots of air to the bottom of fire so it burns clean and hot with less smoke. A stove needs to be burned on a bed of ash to prevent air from getting to the fuel to prolong the fire. Totally different designs of what you have. Glass requires an air wash to keep clean. For starting it requires a primary air intake.

If you want a radiant stove for heat, replace the chimney with the correct type and size and get a stove made for the purpose. This is a fireplace for ambiance.

To get the most heat out of it; Install spark screen as supplied and required. Light fire with pipe damper open. This is your only air control slowing the air moving through fire. When fire is established, close pipe damper slowly until smoke rolls in at top. Open slightly to evacuate smoke, slowing the draft as much as possible to extend burn time and radiate a bit of heat from front. That is as good as it gets. When the fire dies, you will lose more heat up the chimney than you put into the building if you don't close the damper as soon as possible.

Sorry, that's as delicate as I can put it.

 

[Uncle Banjo]

First you have to check the chimney pipe system to see if you have chimney made for a controlled combustion stove. This is a free burning fireplace. An open fireplace burns fast, hot and looses tons of heat up the chimney. This does not create creosote. Creosote is formed when you slow the air, and the chimney flue temp drops below 250*f allowing water vapor from combustion to condense on flue walls. This allows smoke particles to stick, forming creosote. now you have the possibility of a much hotter flue if and when this ignites in the chimney flue. So chimney pipe for a stove is tested at a higher temperature than chimney pipe made for a fireplace. Make sure the rating tag on chimney pipe is 103 HT. (High Temperature)This pipe is tested to 2100 intermittent and the lower temperature rated #127 pipe is 1700 intermittent. Both are tested at 1000 continuous. This may very well have the lower rated chimney pipe.

Doing what you are planning on doing is going to raise the temperature of the fireplace drastically. It won't have all the cool air rushing through it keeping it cool. Is it made to heat up and radiate heat? Surface temperatures over 500 - 600*f ? It is not a radiant stove as built. Are there combustible walls behind the brick? An unlisted stove (what you are making it) would require 36 inches clearance. With solid brick against combustible wall that can be reduced by 33%.

Notice the chimney is a large diameter for smoke (and heat) evacuation. An efficient stove is going to need a 6 inch chimney.

Then you have an elevated fire that should be burned on a firebrick bottom, not raised in a stove. It is elevated in a fireplace to allow lots of air to the bottom of fire so it burns clean and hot with less smoke. A stove needs to be burned on a bed of ash to prevent air from getting to the fuel to prolong the fire. Totally different designs of what you have. Glass requires an air wash to keep clean. For starting it requires a primary air intake.

If you want a radiant stove for heat, replace the chimney with the correct type and size and get a stove made for the purpose. This is a fireplace for ambiance.

To get the most heat out of it; Install spark screen as supplied and required. Light fire with pipe damper open. This is your only air control slowing the air moving through fire. When fire is established, close pipe damper slowly until smoke rolls in at top. Open slightly to evacuate smoke, slowing the draft as much as possible to extend burn time and radiate a bit of heat from front. That is as good as it gets. When the fire dies, you will lose more heat up the chimney than you put into the building if you don't close the damper as soon as possible.

Sorry, that's as delicate as I can put it.

Thanks for the advice. I do have a metal screen but I took it off for the photo.
I figured it must be more of an ambiance type fireplace but after seeing the post on the Meridian stove, I thought that there was a possibility that a glass door might be available for it.

Do you happen to know who made the fireplace?

 

[coaly]

No, not without a tag.