what is this? ( antique cast iron fireplace insert)

[zoecohen]

Hi all,
A newbie here... I'm looking to buy a house, and it has two fireplaces with cast iron inserts in them.
The house is circa 1906.
I'm wondering what this is called, and how it's used. (see image attached)
Does it provide better efficiency in heating the room/house than an open fireplace?
Thanks for your help!
Zoe

 

[mtarbert]

Zoe,
I think you are going to find that this is a coal burning insert.
Mike

 

[zoecohen]

Thanks Mike. Do you know if this sort of thing can be used to burn wood as well? Would we need to get rid of it in order to burn wood?
Zoe.

 

[mtarbert]

Why not use coal. It is cheap by the ton,never rots,has no bugs and there is not the mess as with wood.

 

[zoecohen]

Hm... how about the toxins and serious health hazards of burning coal, for one?
Also, I can usually find wood for free.
Can anyone else let me know if this kind of fireplace insert can be used for wood burning?

 

[woodzilla]

Maybe al gore will chime in

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Hm... how about the toxins and serious health hazards of burning coal, for one?
Also, I can usually find wood for free.
Can anyone else let me know if this kind of fireplace insert can be used for wood burning?

It probably wouldn't throw off enough heat with wood to make it worth your time to burn in it. Fireplaces generally are pretty inefficient.

I normally don't throw up this link, but the "Hm" part above made me think this is a guy who could really put this info to use.

http://burningissues.org/car-www/index.html

Matt

 

[Michael6268]

Hm... how about the toxins and serious health hazards of burning coal, for one?
Also, I can usually find wood for free.
Can anyone else let me know if this kind of fireplace insert can be used for wood burning?

What kind of Health hazards??? If coal is burn correctly it is no more "toxic" than wood or anything else that is burnt. As far as "envirnmental issues" your car probably is polluting the air more than a coal fireplace but I wont argue with you on that one.. If you have a free wood supply I would definetely go with wood. You wont be able to do it very efficiently or easily in that thing though.

 

[rphurley]

Hm... how about the toxins and serious health hazards of burning coal, for one?
Also, I can usually find wood for free.
Can anyone else let me know if this kind of fireplace insert can be used for wood burning?

It probably wouldn't throw off enough heat with wood to make it worth your time to burn in it. Fireplaces generally are pretty inefficient.

I normally don't throw up this link, but the "Hm" part above made me think this is a guy who could really put this info to use.

http://burningissues.org/car-www/index.html

Matt

I just read your link, Matt. We need to stop that lunatic and his band of crazies before they push their agenda any further. I agree that everyone should burn in the cleanest way they can, but to ban wood burning all together just seems rediculous. The funny thing is that many of these people live in huge homes with sprawling lawns, and we all know how bad lawns are for the enviornment. Maybe we should start a group to ban them!
Rich

 

[EatenByLimestone]

:LOL: Sounds good to me! A little less gas in my lawnmower wouldn't make me cry too much. I think you'll find half this board is banned from that site. I guess I was trying to say in a round about way that some think wood smoke is toxic also. The EPA looks much harder at wood stoves than coal stoves... but you never hear that...

The longer I burn the more I realize that I didn't know everything I thought I did when I started.

Matt

 

[zoecohen]

Thanks everyone! Very informative.
Of course I realize wood smoke also releases toxins, but I'd personally feel more comfortable burning wood than coal, which is why I was asking.
I guess we'd just use the fireplaces for occasional use, not to try to heat the house.
(Matt, thanks for the link, but please consider, we're not all "guys" out here)
Zoe.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Hm... how about the toxins and serious health hazards of burning coal, for one?
Also, I can usually find wood for free.
Can anyone else let me know if this kind of fireplace insert can be used for wood burning?

It probably wouldn't throw off enough heat with wood to make it worth your time to burn in it. Fireplaces generally are pretty inefficient.

I normally don't throw up this link, but the "Hm" part above made me think this is a guy who could really put this info to use.

http://burningissues.org/car-www/index.html

Matt

Why did you have to post that link? I am now forced to go through and read all of the stupidity on that forum. I have to. I have no other choice!

 

[BrowningBAR]

Hm... how about the toxins and serious health hazards of burning coal, for one?
Also, I can usually find wood for free.
Can anyone else let me know if this kind of fireplace insert can be used for wood burning?

It probably wouldn't throw off enough heat with wood to make it worth your time to burn in it. Fireplaces generally are pretty inefficient.

I normally don't throw up this link, but the "Hm" part above made me think this is a guy who could really put this info to use.

http://burningissues.org/car-www/index.html

Matt

They are against BBQing?!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

It's a heck of a site, isn't it? I think they beat their children for fun.


Matt

 

[labrador]

I used something like that when I was 12. It was used to burn canal coal, which was coal the size of bricks, to bigger. Idoubt that is still available. I think it was soft coal. It really looks nice though. Good luck.