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At a recent trip to the International Builders Show (IBS), I found myself walking through a dozen or so fireplace manufacturers, everything from manufactured but site-assembled wood burners (the Isokern fireplace comes in pieces that are field-assembled and uses a masonry firebox and a class A metal chimney) to gas fireplaces and gas log inserts. Most manufacturers at IBS also offered electric fireplace options.
Issues with fireplaces
While at the show, I had a discussion with a builder on strategies for integrating a wood-burning appliance into a tight, well-insulated home. This question has been asked many times in the GBA forums. The common answer to that question is to avoid wood and other solid fuel–burning appliances in new construction whenever possible, or move the fireplace outside the building envelope, to a patio, or to a porch. If a homeowner insists on a solid fuel–burning appliance inside the home, there is additional planning that needs to be done.
Back when wood was a primary heat source, there might have been several fireplaces located in the home. As we improved the performance of our buildings, this number was typically reduced to one central fireplace, usually located in the living room or family room. I have conducted countless energy audits over the past 15 years in homes that were built during the last century that have open-hearth or nonsealed combustion fireplaces where the current homeowner does not use the heat source. Many have been made inoperable by sealing off the flue because of drafts causing comfort issues. In some cases, rodents, bats, and insects use the fireplace as a pathway into the home. A home I used to own had a flying squirrel infestation because of the fireplace.
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3 Comments
Randy,
You did not mention burning coal, it may come to that. Some of the airtight woodburning fireplace inserts seem to be quite good. My friends in Minneapolis put one inside their regular wood burner and are very happy with it. My own house in Eden Prairie (built 1978) has 2 full masonry fireplaces, the lower level unit has never been used. The main level fireplace does not add any heat to the room so it also is never used.
If I built a new house I would superinsulate and have a masonry heater built in the center. Heating homes off the grid is a real expense and I think burning wood has a place. Back in the day we installed some Cozy Heat and they did heat. One superinsulation customer had friends over and built a big fire, he said the temperature inside got up to 90F.
Doug
We're using an even cheaper version in our current home. TVs are now so cheap that we will just install one in the "firebox" and build the surround around it. There are surprisingly good fireplace videos available on YouTube and other sites and for purely primal reasons, they do actually make the room seem warmer even without a heater. Most of these fireplace videos include sound as well for that extra touch. The nice part is that you can change your fireplace style at a whim by selecting a different video.
In the main part of the house, I have to give a shoutout to Stuv. We have one of their sealed combustion wood burners installed, and it's been the primary source of heat throughout our build. It uses natural convection to circulate air around the firebox and it really cranks. Even one of their smallest units provides more than enough heat for a large-ish, well insulated space. We do get some inevitable air leaks around the flue pipe, but not enough to overcome the benefit of the fireplace for backup heat in emergencies and even normal day-to-day heating. It's hard to beat the cost of heat when you can harvest your own timber.
I had to double check the date of this article to make sure it wasn't dated April 1st. Holographic images, rotating mirrors and up to 10 grand for something that gets you artificial flames? No thanks, but I'll stick with my wood stove, chainsaw and a splitter(but hey, it's electric!). Good luck staying warm during a power outage! I have a fresh air inlet directly behind the wood stove and can control airflow with a manual damper, which also helps provide air for when using bath fans/range hood. Is it perfect? No. Wood is messy, you have to deal with the ash, and even after heating primarily with wood for years I sometimes get a smokey house. But increase my electric bill for a fake fire? Hard pass.
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