fireplace heat circulator?

[John Gromkoski]

Has anyone seen one of these fireplace inserts? First time I'm coming across it. It appears it is a way to direct heat from the fireplace back into the room. Looks like it sends some smoke along with it.

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Just a heat exchanger.

• Tube gets hot.
• Fan blows air through the tube into the room.
• Smoke goes up chimney.

Did you turn it on? Did it work?

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

The smoke issue is due to poor drafting, which may be due to the flue size or the chimney height. The fan itself shouldn't cause that in my opinion.

[John Gromkoski]

Originally Posted by jfunderburk

The smoke issue is due to poor drafting, which may be due to the flue size or the chimney height. The fan itself shouldn't cause that in my opinion.

I originally wrote up poor drafting then started thinking that maybe smoke was getting into the tubes, but on third thought, I will stick with poor drafting. Thanks Joe.

[John Allingham]

Originally Posted by jfunderburk

Just a heat exchanger.

• Tube gets hot.
• Fan blows air through the tube into the room.
• Smoke goes up chimney.

Did you turn it on? Did it work?

I'm not seeing a fan. Are you sure it's not a natural draft H/E.

[John Gromkoski]

Originally Posted by jallingham

I'm not seeing a fan. Are you sure it's not a natural draft H/E.

There was no fan. It appeared to be a natural draft. Good catch.

[Jeffrey R. Wicklander]

It is a natural draft and those things work great. Used one in a fireplace to heat up our lodge in northern Wisconsin. Once heat starts coming out, the room warms up quickly.

Jeff

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by jwicklander

It is a natural draft and those things work great. Used one in a fireplace to heat up our lodge in northern Wisconsin. Once heat starts coming out, the room warms up quickly.

Jeff

They improve the efficiency (while fire is burning) of an open fireplace from about 10% to maybe 15 or so %.

The smoke spillage at the top of the fireplace opening may not be from bad draft but the wrong ratio of fireplace opening to flue cross-sectional open area. Our NBC has a chart to guide masons when designing fireplaces. Too large an opening allows excess air into the firebox; the flue cannot draw all the excess air plus smoke out, causing spillage.

The fix for that, all things being equal (chimney is clean, no broken tiles partially blocking flue, not too many turns reducing draft, poor smoke shelf/chamber/damper design) is to use angle iron across the top of the opening to support another horizontal row or two of brick which reduces the face opening to match the flue opening and properly draw the smoke up and out without spillage.

[Bob Elliott]

Have not seen those before but do the tubes also block the draft?
P.S That place must be great at Christmas time from what I can see of the room behind.

[John Gromkoski]

Originally Posted by belliott

Have not seen those before but do the tubes also block the draft?
P.S That place must be great at Christmas time from what I can see of the room behind.

Bob, the house was a beautiful 5300 sq. ft. home built in 1902, on the water with a private beach, etc. It was quite charming, but did have floor settlement issues as a result of sagging joists, girders and termite damage. List price was $1.8 million.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by jgromkoski

Bob, the house was a beautiful 5300 sq. ft. home built in 1902, on the water with a private beach, etc. It was quite charming, but did have floor settlement issues as a result of sagging joists, girders and termite damage. List price was $1.8 million.

You pay for water.