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fireplace question

nmpartsguynmpartsguy Member Posts: 54 ✭✭
edited April 2010 in General Discussion
I am in the process of building a log home and I will be using a fireplace as the main heat source. I am looking at installing a Heatilator Constitution fireplace with sealed doors, conbustion contol, blower fans, etc. Anyone here have one? Or, have a better option? I know a woodburning stove will most likely be more efficient but that is not an option.

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    nmpartsguynmpartsguy Member Posts: 54 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had my chimney cleaned in the Spring by the company who always does it. It was the owner of the company this time. Seem like good people.

    Anyway, he says the chimney needs to be relined because it is separated from the brick. Well, I don't know anything about this. I sure don't want to burn the house down because I'm cheap, but my wife says chimney repair is in the top five homeowner ripoffs.

    I use the fireplace at least every weekend all Winter. I work a seasonal job, so this is my way to unwind over the slow time. Anybody got any advice or experience?
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    allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,254 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you are serious about heating with wood, you want a Finnish Fireplace.
    This is the most efficient wood heater.


    derry2.jpg


    Tulikivi is one manufacturer of Finnish Fireplaces.

    http://www.woodmasonry.com/standard/standard.html


    The Finnish Fireplace is a giant masonry wood stove. You only burn a fire twice a day, for about 45 minutes each.
    The 5 tons of masonry absorb the heat of the fire, and then give off radiant heat all day long.
    This design is much more efficient than any iron or steel woodstove.
    In Finland, 10 percent of the new homes have a Finnish Fireplace as the only source of heat.
    And it gets really cold in Finland.
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    70-10170-101 Member Posts: 1,006
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by allen griggs
    If you are serious about heating with wood, you want a Finnish Fireplace.
    This is the most efficient wood heater.


    derry2.jpg


    Tulikivi is one manufacturer of Finnish Fireplaces.

    http://www.woodmasonry.com/standard/standard.html


    The Finnish Fireplace is a giant masonry wood stove. You only burn a fire twice a day, for about 45 minutes each.
    The 5 tons of masonry absorb the heat of the fire, and then give off radiant heat all day long.
    This design is much more efficient than any iron or steel woodstove.
    In Finland, 10 percent of the new homes have a Finnish Fireplace as the only source of heat.
    And it gets really cold in Finland.



    Excellent design, and built to last several life times..[:)]
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    fishkiller41fishkiller41 Member Posts: 50,608
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by 70-101
    quote:Originally posted by allen griggs
    If you are serious about heating with wood, you want a Finnish Fireplace.
    This is the most efficient wood heater.


    derry2.jpg


    Tulikivi is one manufacturer of Finnish Fireplaces.

    http://www.woodmasonry.com/standard/standard.html


    The Finnish Fireplace is a giant masonry wood stove. You only burn a fire twice a day, for about 45 minutes each.
    The 5 tons of masonry absorb the heat of the fire, and then give off radiant heat all day long.
    This design is much more efficient than any iron or steel woodstove.
    In Finland, 10 percent of the new homes have a Finnish Fireplace as the only source of heat.
    And it gets really cold in Finland.



    Excellent design, and built to last several life times..[:)]

    Man,,, that is a good lookin stove too, too bad it don't have a cooktop on it..[^]
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    allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,254 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The oven is in the back.


    derry3.jpg
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    fishkiller41fishkiller41 Member Posts: 50,608
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by allen griggs
    The oven is in the back.


    derry3.jpg
    yep. U must have been reading the sight link too, huh Allan?[^]
    MAN o MAN can u just smell the loaves of bread and the pizzas and apple pies coming out of that baby? ALL DAY LONG!![:p][:p][:p]
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    fishkiller41fishkiller41 Member Posts: 50,608
    edited November -1
    I bet a guy that's handy with the ol Trowel and Level could build one much like it himself.Their must be soapstone here in the US,or some other suitable stone...Ya think??
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    n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by nmpartsguy
    I am in the process of building a log home and I will be using a fireplace as the main heat source. I am looking at installing a Heatilator Constitution fireplace with sealed doors, conbustion contol, blower fans, etc. Anyone here have one? Or, have a better option? I know a woodburning stove will most likely be more efficient but that is not an option.



    I would not use a insert as a sole heat source.

    A stove, but not an insert.

    Why would an isert be an option, but not a stove? You are going to lose most of your heat up the chimney with an insert.
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    GuvamintCheeseGuvamintCheese Member Posts: 38,932
    edited November -1
    I put a modified rumford fireplace in my cabin, It gets the most heat out of a traditional fireplace and is as old a design as the cabin (1800's).

    DSCF0119.jpg
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    MaxOHMSMaxOHMS Member Posts: 14,715
    edited November -1
    I have seen and heard of many other situations where an earth stove or the like is used, and the room it is in gets too hot to stay in.

    The heat needs to be circulated to other parts of the home.

    If you go with a ceiling-mounted fan unit for your central system (with return air in ceiling) that will pull the heat from the room where the stove is located, and might be a better option than just blowing the heat into the one room.

    (IMO-results may vary)
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    allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,254 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You are right, to utilize a Finnish Fireplace, or even a cast iron wood stove properly, you need a big, central room, with some big doorways into the other rooms, in order to let the heat circulate properly.

    Otherwise the room with the heater in it will get too hot.
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    MaxOHMSMaxOHMS Member Posts: 14,715
    edited November -1
    If your fireplace/stove is in a room with a taller ceiling than the connecting rooms, the heat will collect in that ceiling.

    For maximum efficiency- the bottom line is:

    Use all the heat you can before sending it out the chimney.
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    yoshmysteryoshmyster Member Posts: 21,121 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Man if I had that I'll be so fat. Pizzas, pies, roast meats, Hell might as well call me "Dough Boy" (as in Pillsbury). I can make sheet cookies (just roll out cookie dough on a sheet pan [:D]) by the tray full. Come spring I'll have to lard myself up just to go out side.
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    allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,254 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    MtMitchellSnowGFI025.jpg

    This is the fireplace I built in my log cabin.
    Like cartod's, this is a modified Rumsford. This is the best-heating fireplace I have ever seen.
    This is partly because it is a Rumsford, partly because it is in the middle of the house.
    That is, the back wall of the fireplace is one of the inside walls of the bathroom.
    Last Sunday was a cold, rainy, windy day here in the NC mountains. I turned off the gas heater and burned the fireplace all day.
    The temp that night went down to 45 degrees.
    The fire went out at 10 pm.
    The next morning, the house was 71 degrees. This is a 1,200 sq. foot house.

    The back wall of that fireplace heats up to 101 degrees, and radiates heat for 24 hours after the fire has gone out.
    Of course, I have a system to provide outside combustion air to the fireplace.

    As good as this fireplace is, it is nowhere near as good as the cast iron wood stove I have in the other room. My fireplace burns 4 times as much wood as the wood stove.

    And, the Finnish Fireplace is better than the wood stove. I really wanted a Tulikive Finnish Fireplace, but the girlfriend didn't like the looks of it.
    To be honest, it is seldom cold enough here to justify a Finnish Fireplace. Down South here, it would often be that if you cranked that thing up you would have to crack a couple of windows.
    But, if I lived in Minnesota I would have a Finnish Fireplace, the girlfriend would just have to get used to it.

    One thing about the Finnish Fireplace, you don't need to worry about gathering oak or hickory. You don't want coals, you only want a hot fire that burns for 45 minutes, so pine is fine.
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    cowboy38231cowboy38231 Member Posts: 851 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I would check these out if I was installing a fireplace for heat instead of looks.

    http://fuegoflame.com/

    Large viewing area

    Extremely efficient

    High heat - up to 50,000 BTU's per hour

    Operates with damper 95% closed

    1/3 wood consumption of standard inserts

    Up to 3,000 square feet heated with one fireplace

    Dual Fuel - gas or wood capabilities

    Captures all smoke up the chimney

    24 carat gold options
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    drobsdrobs Member Posts: 22,545 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Wow those Tulikivi are nice!

    I want this one...
    finland_boulder.jpg
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