Fireplaces

• Ytowngirlinfla

  

  Never had a fireplace until now. I have a wood fireplace and a bunch of wood in the garage. Is it worth using? Does it help cut down on the gas bill? I guess my concern is the entire house will smell like a fire.
• -Society-

  

  If you have to ask these questions, don't attempt to use it.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  Do you even know if it's usable? Was it maintained. Have you inspected it?
• Ytowngirlinfla

  

  ZWICK 4 PREZ;1674269 wrote:Do you even know if it's usable? Was it maintained. Have you inspected it?

  The previous people said they used it and it looks used.
• adog

  Have a certified inspector look at it 1st. Possibly a chimney sweep. If there is creosote build up or the flue has a crack in it, you could be looking at a fire somewhere other than in the fireplace
• -Society-

  

  Ytowngirlinfla;1674271 wrote:The previous people said they used it and it looks used.

  The only way to know is to use it. Burn some wood you have, it doesn't matter what kind, and let us know what happens. That way we will have a better idea as to what needs to be done.
• Ytowngirlinfla

  

  adog;1674273 wrote:Have a certified inspector look at it 1st. Possibly a chimney sweep. If there is creosote build up or the flue has a crack in it, you could be looking at a fire somewhere other than in the fireplace

  
  Thanks I will call an inspector.
• sportchampps

  Just upgrade it to gas
• Tiernan

  A fireplace is only good for the heating the immediate 6' in Front of the mantle. When the flue is open the rest of the house heating is being sucked up that same flue. It's fun occasionally but unless you have a recirculating fan attached, fireplaces are money burners.
• Glory Days

  

  I do like that wood burned smell though.
• Belly35

  

  The convenience of having the wood in the garage is a nice idea but from my experience thats a bad thing. Bring wood into the garage limit garage space, bring unwanted bugs potential termite, creates a mess and a great place for mice or chipmunk to live.
  i suggest stacking the wood 20 to 30 feet from the house cover it, so it can dry out over the summer, get or build a wood holder out side on the porch or deck to hold some wood for burning and fill it as needed. Its not a big deal just to carry a few logs that 20/30 feet in have a old copper bucket type thing that I can carry the wood in but it still keep the dirt off the floor.
• HitsRus

  

  I've had a lot of experience with fireplaces, have one in everyplace that I have ever lived(except college rooms).
  
  If you are a newbie, the first thing you should do is call a chimney sweep who will come out and clean the chimney, inspect it, and most will give you plenty of free advice. We have the sweep come out out about every other year as we use the fireplace only moderately....maybe once a week during the winter. Burning "hard wood" (cherry oak, ash) as opposed to softer woods like pine or willow will cut down on creosote build up, and reduce the need for the sweep....and the rare, but possible, chance of a chimney fire.
  
  As commented on earlier, a standard fireplace doesn't give you a lot of positive heat value especially if you are just burning with it wide open. A lot of fireplaces built in the last 30 years are so, are constructed such they sit inside a "hollow box" such that as they burn and get the surrounding bricks hot, and natural convection sucks cooler air off the floor and returns it thru a grate/s located above the fireplace. (Heatilators) Some elaborately constructed fireplaces can have forced air ductwork to increase the efficiency. All of this works only if you have decent fireplace doors and you burn with the doors closed. This gives you a small, but significant positive increase in heat output. It doesn't sound like your fireplace has this, and it is not worth the cost to put this in an existing fireplace.
  
  If heat rather than ambience is your goal, you can get fireplace inserts that turn your fireplace into a woodburning stove, and you can really get significant heat out of these.
  
  Another way to get extra heat out of a fireplace without losing the ambience is to purchase a grate fan....a fireplace grate with forced air fan. It works by sucking in surrounding room air, circulating it thru your hot fireplace grate and then blowing out the heated air. These are used with fireplace doors and are moderately expensive....$400-800 (have not priced them recently) and might be worth it if you have a free supply of wood and you burn often. These can be found or ordered thru fireplace specialty stores, and I would suggest you visit one of these to accesorize your fireplace and to get answers for specific questions.
  
  I will bring in small amounts of wood for a day if I'm burning, but it is not good to keep wood in or around your house (for the reasons Belly described) for long periods or over the summer.
• QuakerOats

  Had the first fire of the season last evening ---- always enjoy it ....probably have one at least every other weekend throughout the winter.
• 1_beast

  

  I heat exclusively with wood. Just installed a new insert this summer.
  
  Buck Stove. Made in USA
  
  http://www.buckstove.com/
• Ytowngirlinfla

  

  HitsRus;1674368 wrote:I've had a lot of experience with fireplaces, have one in everyplace that I have ever lived(except college rooms).
  
  If you are a newbie, the first thing you should do is call a chimney sweep who will come out and clean the chimney, inspect it, and most will give you plenty of free advice. We have the sweep come out out about every other year as we use the fireplace only moderately....maybe once a week during the winter. Burning "hard wood" (cherry oak, ash) as opposed to softer woods like pine or willow will cut down on creosote build up, and reduce the need for the sweep....and the rare, but possible, chance of a chimney fire.
  
  As commented on earlier, a standard fireplace doesn't give you a lot of positive heat value especially if you are just burning with it wide open. A lot of fireplaces built in the last 30 years are so, are constructed such they sit inside a "hollow box" such that as they burn and get the surrounding bricks hot, and natural convection sucks cooler air off the floor and returns it thru a grate/s located above the fireplace. (Heatilators) Some elaborately constructed fireplaces can have forced air ductwork to increase the efficiency. All of this works only if you have decent fireplace doors and you burn with the doors closed. This gives you a small, but significant positive increase in heat output. It doesn't sound like your fireplace has this, and it is not worth the cost to put this in an existing fireplace.
  
  If heat rather than ambience is your goal, you can get fireplace inserts that turn your fireplace into a woodburning stove, and you can really get significant heat out of these.
  
  Another way to get extra heat out of a fireplace without losing the ambience is to purchase a grate fan....a fireplace grate with forced air fan. It works by sucking in surrounding room air, circulating it thru your hot fireplace grate and then blowing out the heated air. These are used with fireplace doors and are moderately expensive....$400-800 (have not priced them recently) and might be worth it if you have a free supply of wood and you burn often. These can be found or ordered thru fireplace specialty stores, and I would suggest you visit one of these to accesorize your fireplace and to get answers for specific questions.
  
  I will bring in small amounts of wood for a day if I'm burning, but it is not good to keep wood in or around your house (for the reasons Belly described) for long periods or over the summer.

  
  Thanks Hits for the info! Really appreciate it. And Belly my husband isn't happy but he had to move the wood.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  QuakerOats;1674756 wrote:Had the first fire of the season last evening ---- always enjoy it ....probably have one at least every other weekend throughout the winter.

  You could probably have one every weekend if it weren't for obama.
• Belly35

  

  Ytowngirlinfla;1674792 wrote:Thanks Hits for the info! Really appreciate it. And Belly my husband isn't happy but he had to move the wood.

  he'll thank me later ..... When you don't have termites
• fan_from_texas

  we have a gas fireplace but haven't fired it up yet. Maybe I'll look into that tonight.
• Old Rider

  

  Ytowngirl...so have you burnt your fucking house down yet?
• rrfan

  

  Wood burning insert is the way to go. I can and do heat my entire house with mine. Typically it does not go out for about three months. My insert has a fan and heats a 3,000 SF House. Money well spent to invest in this if you are truly going to burn wood and want the heat.