This Old House

[Bill]

I was channel flipping this weekend and one show I like to see is TOH. They had a masonry fireplace, with a 10x10 beam installed flush with the top of the hearth. The side walls angled in and the open face was extremely large. Looked like on of those old fireplace's that you could swing a cast iron pot in.

Any how the building inspector would not approve the installation because of the wood mantel. So TOH called in an engineer to place sensors all over the wood mantel. He hooked these up to a lap top computer and ran the fireplace for 7 hours. He had special wood grates, that mirrored the inside profile of the floor of the firebox. He needed to add another one of these pallets every so often.

He needed reading of less than a 90 degree rise from ambient room temperature. But after the test the installation failed. So instead of going through all the trouble to rebuild part of it and retest it, they just ripped out the old timber. Must of been one disappointed home owner, because he had a professional install it. Must of cost him a few buck's to pay the engineer also.

 

[restorer]

I seem to remember the program from a few years ago. My fascination was with the Rumsford style fireplace. I can not for the life of me understand how they are so efficient for an open hearth, but that's another topic. As I recall the engineering test was a standardized test to approve the fireplace, and it failed. The problem with TOH is you only get the top layer of information. You don't get enough details to explain what the problem was and what the solution options are. For some reason, I don't remember them removing the mantle, but it's been awhile. My past reading seems to suggest that this is the same test burn that stoves and inserts go through to get certified, I might be wrong. I don't remember where the home was located, but I think it was good to show the attention that some inspectors pay to the safety of construction.

 

[Burn-1]

For your reading pleasure UncleRich, Buckley Rumford fireplaces

I thought about trying to 'Rumfordize' one of the old fireplaces in my house before I got the Isle Royale
to stick inside it instead. Much cheaper than all the masonry work and more usable heat.

 

[restorer]

For your reading pleasure UncleRich, Buckley Rumford fireplaces

I thought about trying to 'Rumfordize' one of the old fireplaces in my house before I got the Isle Royale
to stick inside it instead. Much cheaper than all the masonry work and more usable heat.

Thanks for the link. What a site, almost enough information to fill my mind. Put it at the top of my must read in detail list. Careful folks, I might get educated here.

Thanks for the link.