Home and Auto Fireplace and chimney - value vs function - Page 2

**007** · 02-09-2019, 03:41 PM

We have recently renovated our family room (thanks Bugeater) and exposed our fireplace that had been blocked by our entertainment center. Now the cold air that radiates off it has caused our room to be 2 degrees colder. Out of curiosity, I checked the temp at the base of the fireplace and its 54 degrees.

So now I'm debating what makes more sense. Remove it or renovate it so this is less of an issue. Not sure I can afford either option right now but curious what others have done in similar situations.

O.city · 02-09-2019, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

My house in high school had a wood stove in the basement, and it somehow became my job to get/keep the fire going after I got home from school. It was a major pain in the ash.

I got home from school around 3:30 and went to work around 4:30, and my mom got home around 5:00. They wanted it roaring by the time she got home. If the fire was still going it wasn't terrible - just put some more wood in it and stir it around. But if the fire had gone out, which was a 50/50 proposition, I'd spend half an hour messing with it, which was generally my only free time of the day. Having a wood stove is a great way to get your teenage kid to move out of the house if you want to launch them.

Yeah they’re a pain

We just use ours randomly in the basement. If we’re okaying poker or something down there I’ll fire it up or if we’re gonna watch a football game or something

I’d like to use it more as it’ll heat up the basement like a champ and save me some propane

**Rain Man** · 02-09-2019, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O.city

Yeah they’re a pain

We just use ours randomly in the basement. If we’re okaying poker or something down there I’ll fire it up or if we’re gonna watch a football game or something

I’d like to use it more as it’ll heat up the basement like a champ and save me some propane

I did a study of heating fuels once for a client. If you can get off propane, it's worth a lot of money to you. Propane was way more expensive than gas or even electric heat.

O.city · 02-09-2019, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I did a study of heating fuels once for a client. If you can get off propane, it's worth a lot of money to you. Propane was way more expensive than gas or even electric heat.

I really wish I could get natural gas ran up here but not likely unless I hit the powerball

oldman · 02-10-2019, 10:49 AM

I'd bet part of that is cold air coming down the chimney. Since cold air is heavier than warm, it'll just sit there until it's warmed. I'd go with an insert. My folks had one and it came in handy more than once when the power went out.

**007** · 02-10-2019, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldman

I'd bet part of that is cold air coming down the chimney. Since cold air is heavier than warm, it'll just sit there until it's warmed. I'd go with an insert. My folks had one and it came in handy more than once when the power went out.

I assume you mean a had insert. Could you link a few. I've only seen what is available at local big box stores and don't really like how they look.

Also, doyesnt an insert still need the chimney? How does that stop the cold air?

Sorry for stupid questions but I really don't know shit about this stuff.

displacedinMN · 02-10-2019, 11:22 AM

They will put insulation around areas so cold air does not come in. Put a cap on the top of the chimney. Our guy wanted to take insulation out of the garage. I said no, so he had to get some at home depot.

There has to be someone around that specializes in this-that is not Lowes, HD, etc.

Mine was a Heat-n-Glo. Here is the website for the retail company in Maple Grove, MN
http://www.fireside.com/browse/inserts

JakeF · 02-10-2019, 11:43 AM

Most of them are garbage, let heat out as much as they heat the room. Get one with a door and a blower.

Randallflagg · 02-10-2019, 11:46 AM

We put a set of "ventless" gas logs into our former wood burner fireplace - closed the flue and it works like a charm....it usually got fairly cold with nothing burning in it - but these logs seem to do the trick. The flue stays closed and I filled up the ash clean out with a BUNCH of insulation - problem solved.

Yehoodi · 02-10-2019, 10:12 PM

We got an insert with a blower and it really heats the room. We did not use it this year. We put a piece of flat metal in place of the damper and cut a hole in it and feed the flue pipe coming out of the stove.

The blower really helps as it basically blows the air over/though the cast iron stove and into the room.

**Bugeater** · 02-10-2019, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 007

I assume you mean a had insert. Could you link a few. I've only seen what is available at local big box stores and don't really like how they look.

Also, doyesnt an insert still need the chimney? How does that stop the cold air?

Sorry for stupid questions but I really don't know shit about this stuff.

No, a gas log doesn't use the chimney. It's vented out of the back.

This is what it would look like:

**007** · 02-11-2019, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bugeater

No, a gas log doesn't use the chimney. It's vented out of the back.

This is what it would look like:

Except I have no access out of the back without breaking bricks.

**Bugeater** · 02-11-2019, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 007

Except I have no access out of the back without breaking bricks.

Don't you have a sledgehammer?

**Renegade** · 02-11-2019, 06:17 AM

Just get a ventless gas fireplace. That is what I built into my house.

displacedinMN · 02-11-2019, 06:51 AM

Our new house comes out the side like what bugeater shows.

The old house was vented out the top of the chimney-then capped.

**luv** · 02-11-2019, 08:29 AM

Not sure exactly how they work, but, since my dad isn't a fan of fireplaces, he put in pellet stoves both in living room and basement. It was great during the ice storm when we were without electricity for a week. He plugged one into the generator, so we had heat.

02-09-2019, 03:41 PM
007 Shaken. Not stirred. Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: London Casino cash: $12130126 VARSITY	Fireplace and chimney - value vs function We have recently renovated our family room (thanks Bugeater) and exposed our fireplace that had been blocked by our entertainment center. Now the cold air that radiates off it has caused our room to be 2 degrees colder. Out of curiosity, I checked the temp at the base of the fireplace and its 54 degrees. So now I'm debating what makes more sense. Remove it or renovate it so this is less of an issue. Not sure I can afford either option right now but curious what others have done in similar situations.
Posts: 65,738

02-10-2019, 10:49 AM	#19
oldman Curmudgeon Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: North by Northwest Casino cash: $5836784	I'd bet part of that is cold air coming down the chimney. Since cold air is heavier than warm, it'll just sit there until it's warmed. I'd go with an insert. My folks had one and it came in handy more than once when the power went out.
Posts: 5,319

02-10-2019, 11:22 AM	#21
displacedinMN In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Correcting papers Casino cash: $-850000	They will put insulation around areas so cold air does not come in. Put a cap on the top of the chimney. Our guy wanted to take insulation out of the garage. I said no, so he had to get some at home depot. There has to be someone around that specializes in this-that is not Lowes, HD, etc. Mine was a Heat-n-Glo. Here is the website for the retail company in Maple Grove, MN http://www.fireside.com/browse/inserts __________________ #investigatecarlcheffers Last edited by displacedinMN; 02-10-2019 at 11:32 AM..
Posts: 41,010

02-10-2019, 11:43 AM	#22
JakeF MVP Join Date: May 2017 Casino cash: $9990400	Most of them are garbage, let heat out as much as they heat the room. Get one with a door and a blower.
Posts: 10,605

02-10-2019, 11:46 AM	#23
Randallflagg MVP Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Olathe Casino cash: $9987156	We put a set of "ventless" gas logs into our former wood burner fireplace - closed the flue and it works like a charm....it usually got fairly cold with nothing burning in it - but these logs seem to do the trick. The flue stays closed and I filled up the ash clean out with a BUNCH of insulation - problem solved.
Posts: 9,578

02-10-2019, 10:12 PM	#24
Yehoodi Starter Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Massachusetts Casino cash: $10000400	We got an insert with a blower and it really heats the room. We did not use it this year. We put a piece of flat metal in place of the damper and cut a hole in it and feed the flue pipe coming out of the stove. The blower really helps as it basically blows the air over/though the cast iron stove and into the room.
Posts: 510

02-11-2019, 06:17 AM	#28
Renegade Just Lurking Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ozark Mountain Country Casino cash: $-1992096	Just get a ventless gas fireplace. That is what I built into my house.
Posts: 2,121	1 0

02-11-2019, 06:51 AM	#29
displacedinMN In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Correcting papers Casino cash: $-850000	Our new house comes out the side like what bugeater shows. The old house was vented out the top of the chimney-then capped. __________________ #investigatecarlcheffers
Posts: 41,010

02-11-2019, 08:29 AM	#30
luv You think you can get by this? Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Springfield, MO Casino cash: $-1250000	Not sure exactly how they work, but, since my dad isn't a fan of fireplaces, he put in pellet stoves both in living room and basement. It was great during the ice storm when we were without electricity for a week. He plugged one into the generator, so we had heat.
Posts: 63,567