What am I?

[kfraszczyk]

So we are in the process of renovating our open hearth area, and we have this opening? (A vent? Maybe?)
We’re not sure what the purpose of it would be, and whether it’s wise to just seal it and proceed with overlaying stone on top.

We are installing an insert as soon as it’s delivered.

 

[bholler]

So we are in the process of renovating our open hearth area, and we have this opening? (A vent? Maybe?)
We’re not sure what the purpose of it would be, and whether it’s wise to just seal it and proceed with overlaying stone on top.

We are installing an insert as soon as it’s delivered.

View attachment 304840 View attachment 304841 View attachment 304842

The only way to know is get up there and see what's behind it.

What type of fireplace is it

 

[EatenByLimestone]

If it wasn’t for the ceiling fan I would have guessed floor drain. What’s on the outside of that wall?

 

[kfraszczyk]

If it wasn’t for the ceiling fan I would have guessed floor drain. What’s on the outside of that wall?

There is no outside to that wall. That wall runs through the center interior wall of the house, with the upstairs staircase running alongside the back of it.

 

[kfraszczyk]

The only way to know is get up there and see what's behind it.

What type of fireplace is it

Behind it lies the inside of a flue which we believe leads to inside a pantry with a tiny oven/bread oven? We have a open hearth masonry fireplace opening into the living room, a tiny bread oven/coal oven in the kitchen pantry and a third flue that doesn’t seem to have any entrance point

 

[EatenByLimestone]

How old is your home? The older the place is, the more chances for something that was perfectly logical to the person who did it, but confusing to those after.

 

[ajayabb]

Looks like an old style exhaust fan I grew up with in our kitchen

 

[kfraszczyk]

How old is your home? The older the place is, the more chances for something that was perfectly logical to the person who did it, but confusing to those after.

The home was built in 1921

 

[mellow]

If you are doing the install yourself at a minimum I would recommend you have a sweep do a level 2 inspection with a camera on the chimney to make sure everything is OK and give it a good cleaning. They would be able to tell you what that goes to better than anyone.

 

[kfraszczyk]

If you are doing the install yourself at a minimum I would recommend you have a sweep do a level 2 inspection with a camera on the chimney to make sure everything is OK and give it a good cleaning. They would be able to tell you what that goes to better than anyone.

We had the chimney sweep do a cleaning and inspection earlier this season. Couldn’t figure out what the vent is or where a third opening is to a third flue. Shrugged their shoulders, said “I don’t know” and left.