Rumford Fireplace
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I cannot say I have "proof" but what I do have is a Rumford I built in the mid-80s. It puts out a lot of heat; we are known to open a door to the outside deck sometimes in the room with the fireplace, it gets so hot in there. This is the only fireplace I've lived with full time, but I've been around many others [which were not Rumfords] and I can say this one leaves them in the dust. I would build another one, were I to build another home. People who visit, if we have the fireplace going, are always very impressed and ask how we get a fireplace to put out so much heat. And another benefit is that it does all this on less wood than other fireplaces I've used. Which may or may not matter, but it is ok with me.
I bought a little book on Rumford fireplaces, how they work and why and how to calculate all the angles, heights and widths and etc. of the firebox and followed it completely. I don't know how much one can "fool" with the numbers and still do ok. Ours is 36" wide at the front opening and 36" tall with an arch; the face and arch are all stone and the inside is all firebrick.
To get the angles all right, I built guides of 1/2 inch plywood to keep my brick laying correct, so I could lay a course of brick and then check the angle with the piece of ply. I built the arch by taking a strip of plywood, cutting cross grooves in it, soaking it overnight in water, then bending it over a 2x4 and 1x4 frame and nailing it down. I built the stone arch over that and removed the wood when it had cured enough--the mortar I mean. That way, I was able to build the arch in one go and it saved a lot of time and measuring and hair-pulling.
I bought a little book on Rumford fireplaces, how they work and why and how to calculate all the angles, heights and widths and etc. of the firebox and followed it completely. I don't know how much one can "fool" with the numbers and still do ok. Ours is 36" wide at the front opening and 36" tall with an arch; the face and arch are all stone and the inside is all firebrick.
To get the angles all right, I built guides of 1/2 inch plywood to keep my brick laying correct, so I could lay a course of brick and then check the angle with the piece of ply. I built the arch by taking a strip of plywood, cutting cross grooves in it, soaking it overnight in water, then bending it over a 2x4 and 1x4 frame and nailing it down. I built the stone arch over that and removed the wood when it had cured enough--the mortar I mean. That way, I was able to build the arch in one go and it saved a lot of time and measuring and hair-pulling.
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