Fireplace and chimney - value vs function

[notorious]

There is a TON of thermal transfer. The great thing about brick is it retains heat.....but it also retains cold.

All you have between you and the outside is a layer of sheetrock and a mass of chilled brick.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by notorious

There is a TON of thermal transfer. The great thing about brick is it retains heat.....but it also retains cold.

All you have between you and the outside is a layer of sheetrock and a mass of chilled brick.

Our house is brick, and I've noticed over the years that it's nice in a place like Denver, where the nighttime temperature drops a lot. I think it keeps the house at a more even temperature in the summer. But if you have a week where it's 100 degrees, then it eventually turns into a kiln.

[007]

Originally Posted by notorious

There is a TON of thermal transfer. The great thing about brick is it retains heat.....but it also retains cold.

All you have between you and the outside is a layer of sheetrock and a mass of chilled brick.

Kind of what I thought. Basically an icebox on my wall. The flu needs repaired as well but I've ignored that since we don't use it. Wish I could just tear it all off but that costs about a much as repairing it.

[frozenchief]

We have a wood stove that we use when it gets cold. Really helps. The 7.0 earthquake in November, though, cracked our chimney and so now we have to wait till summer to repair because mortar repairs need the chimney to be 45 degrees for 48 hours in a row.

We’ve really enjoyed our wood stoves. They really warm up the house. I’d find a way to make yours functional but that’s just me.

[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.

[007]

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.

[Bugeater]

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]

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]

Originally Posted by 007

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

Don't you have a sledgehammer?

[displacedinMN]

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]

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

[Randallflagg]

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]

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.

[Renegade]

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

[displacedinMN]

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


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