how to get some life back into my fireplace??

[Shaggs]

I bought an old house years ago and have not utilised this fireplace and just wondering if anyone can tell me a bit more about it? i want to get it going again and wonder what steps i need to get it working again? i am contemplating customising and insert so I can get a fire back in there. a few questions that come to mind are:
1. where the wind draft comes from under the house what can a make to situate the fire on?
2. i want to build a thin sheet of tin into the fireplace going up to the chimney?

anyway any information or guidance would be greatly appreciated as we head into winter in brisbane australia. I have provided a pic of my fireplace also.

cheers

 

[Grisu]

That looks pretty unique. Just guessing here but maybe there was some coal burner in there and they had air coming in from below?

Anyway, your best option may be to put a freestanding stove in there kind of like this:

Fill the bottom with concrete and/or bricks and then look for a stove that will fit in the fireplace. What are the dimensions of the fireplace? It would probably be a good idea to get a licensed chimney sweep in to take a look at the flue and clean it. Make sure you can put an appropriate liner down the chimney. Do you already have dry, seasoned wood at your disposal? If not, I am not sure if your idea of burning this winter will work out. Any modern stove requires dry wood to burn properly and safely. How many sqft are you trying to heat and how well insulated is your place?

 

[begreen]

I lightened up the image to make it easier to see details. This is definitely an odd setup. Looks more like the basis for a forge than a fireplace. I would bring in a pro to assess what is there and talk about options.

 

[webby3650]

To me it looks like you have a gutted fireplace. The hole under it is where the ash-dump would have been, that's why there is a hole there. The floor would have been covered with firebrick, with the exception of 1-2 brick where the ash-dump door was.
That appears to be a liner hanging there in the picture with a custom adaptor for an insert. I'm guessing that they gutted it to fit a big old stove in the hole.
Your best bet would be to dress it up with some new bricks and set a freestanding stove in there. See if that liner goes all the way to the top, If so, it is likely re-usable.

 

[begreen]

Good eye webby. The 3 red bricks look like they may be supporting the liner now that the stove is out. Unfortunately this doesn't look like it is stainless, but maybe the liner is? Hard to tell from the photo. If it is not and instead you find it is a rusting steel liner I would pull it and replace with a stainless one.

 

[Shaggs]

yeah mate the 3 bricks are supporting the flue it was up higher and more bricks were in there so i used those 3 to support it. it is very rusty and i think i will fill it in and put a stove in there as i love a fire especially living in the city.

cheers

Good eye webby. The 3 red bricks look like they may be supporting the liner now that the stove is out. Unfortunately this doesn't look like it is stainless, but maybe the liner is? Hard to tell from the photo. If it is not and instead you find it is a rusting steel liner I would pull it and replace with a stainless one.

 

[Shaggs]

That looks pretty unique. Just guessing here but maybe there was some coal burner in there and they had air coming in from below?

Anyway, your best option may be to put a freestanding stove in there kind of like this:

Fill the bottom with concrete and/or bricks and then look for a stove that will fit in the fireplace. What are the dimensions of the fireplace? It would probably be a good idea to get a licensed chimney sweep in to take a look at the flue and clean it. Make sure you can put an appropriate liner down the chimney. Do you already have dry, seasoned wood at your disposal? If not, I am not sure if your idea of burning this winter will work out. Any modern stove requires dry wood to burn properly and safely. How many sqft are you trying to heat and how well insulated is your place?

yeah mate thats the setup i will aim for! I am now thinking before the bloke i brought the house off must of sold the fireplace off before i brought the house! pity i didnt know much about fireplaces in a house otherwise i would have asked a few more questions about it. only fire i ever knew about were in the great outdoors so i didnt pay much attention to one in a house! cheers thanks for photo and i can begin searching for a suitable stove.

 

[begreen]

yeah mate the 3 bricks are supporting the flue it was up higher and more bricks were in there so i used those 3 to support it. it is very rusty and i think i will fill it in and put a stove in there as i love a fire especially living in the city.

If the liner is rusting, get it out and replace it with a stainless steel liner. Living in a city you will need to be extra clean with wood burning. This will require having a very efficient stove burring only fully seasoned, dry wood in a proper manner.
(broken link removed to http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/node/18271)
(broken link removed to http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/airquality_cleanairstrategy_cleanenergy_homeheating.pdf)