Efficient fireplace

[Playa]

I love a fire place, but in reality they are woefully inefficient for heating a room, forget the rest of the house. Especially these dang insert models, seems the brick fireplace I grew up with created more heat.

What designs or system add ons improve its efficiency?

[muddyfuzzy]

We lucked out, our house was built in 79’ and has an extra large box and a 6’ x 15’ brick hearth/mantle. You stoke it and it will put out some heat, sitting by it now burning a few.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dale Moser]

A wood or pellet insert is the most efficient “upgrade”.

Mike D has the real deal system though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gtsticker]

Our has the heatalater fan than blows air over the fire box. Heats the entire center area of our house with out issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jhunter77]

Wood stove!

[Johnny44]

Close the fireplace flue and set a Big Buddy heater in there. Otherwise you have to design it from the ground up as such and they make plenty of options.

Woodstoves work great when coupled with the little thingy that sends pipe heated air back into your ducting system.

[Geezy Rider]

Our has the heatalater fan than blows air over the fire box. Heats the entire center area of our house with out issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Same here. It’ll run you outta the house.

[Playa]

Our has the heatalater fan than blows air over the fire box. Heats the entire center area of our house with out issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Does the fan require electricity?

[Geezy Rider]

Does the fan require electricity?

Yes it does. So yeah, if you lose power you’re back to inefficiency.

[Razrbk89]

I have a wood stove in a “sunroom” that’s vented to the rest of the home. Blower fireplaces and totally indoor wood stoves likely unnecessary in Texas.

[randall]

Last house had a wood stove rated for 3500 sq ft and it was probably better than that, current house has a older fireplace insert and is a close second. As I write this it's 3 degrees in Northeast Texas and I'm wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and shorts. Buying these new may a bit expensive BUT!! considering the heat you get and the peace of mind of having heat when so many are without.
You can cook in them and on top of them so a hot meal is 24-7, God Bless

[topher]

Wood stove
Pellet stove

[jonate98]

I concur.., this pile of a “fireplace” I have in my home is a joke! Had to literally bring in my propane torch to keep it going..and still wouldn’t keep up... it’s gotta be a draft deal..,the house I grew up in, old man would light a fire in the old school brick fire place , it’d run you outta there so hot!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Texas452]

We have fireplaces at our home they do ok but are wood hungry. It takes a lot of wood to get any real heat out of them.
In our cabin we bought one of the glass door wood stoves from TSC and it works great. It doesn’t take near the amount of wood and will heat a lot more area.
When I bought it I thought I wouldn’t be satisfied because the wood box is small but I was pleasantly surprised. That thing will run you out of there.
It’s rated for 2,500sf our cabin is 1,234sf but I can see how it can heat 2,500sf

[Etxnoodler]

Wood stove is the only way to go.