FIREPLACE DESIGN IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM

In Colonial times, the fireplace was the center of the early American household. The fireplace with its flues and chimneys was the source of heat, as well as the center of the kitchen. Large logs burned on andirons below a pot with its handle sitting on a swivel hook rotating the pot to or from the fire. Those were the big fat chimneys that Santa climbed down as he braved equatorial temperatures of escaping heat.

According to Benjamin Thompson, the Count of Rumford, prior to 1800, fireplaces were extremely inefficient and sent a considerable amount of smoke into the room. He found that the exaggerated width of the chimney throat — needed to allow the chimney sweep access — was the primary problem with regard to smoke evacuation. He also noted that the firebox design did not direct enough of the heat into the room. His design advances greatly improved fireplace operation in 19th century England.

Early in the 20th century Professor Rosin, working with the British Coal Association, designed a curved fire box that directed most of the heat into the room, along with a contoured chimney. This eliminated the smoke shelf, which disrupted the efficient flow of smoke up the flue.

In the 1970s, wood-burning devices were again made more efficient: One could slow down the burn rate by controlling the air intake of these units. The downside of slow combustion stoves is the amount of creosote deposited in the chimneys.

Fires are a renewable and perpetual resource, and experts and vendors declare that accessories and chimney inserts make the home fireplace safer than ever. Currently, more than one-third of Americans use fireplaces, wood stoves and other fuel-fired appliances as primary heat sources in their homes.

Not all are aware of the fire risks when heating with wood and solid fuels. Heating fires account for 36 percent of residential home fires in rural areas every year. Often these fires are due to creosote build-up in chimneys and stovepipes. Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist.

If you’re planning to install a fireplace, start by visiting City Hall. Get your permits, that way the city won’t come in and shut you down, plus a non-permitted fireplace can affect real estate values. The room layout, as well as other physical constraints, will help you decide on a freestanding unit or an existing fireplace with an insert.

Your energy source (i.e. wood or pellets) should be determined by its availability and cost. The fuel cost usually increases as you go from wood to wood pellets to natural gas to liquid propane.

Traditional wood fireplaces and inserts give off radiant heat, while newer wood stove designs — pellet and gas stoves and fireplaces — use convection to circulate warm air within the home.

Another consideration in choosing which energy source best suits your requirements is the need for a chimney. Wood fireplaces and stoves require a true chimney. Gas and pellet units, as well as cleaner burners, can direct vent through the wall or ceiling. Some gas stoves are vent-free.

A well-designed stove or fireplace can circulate warm air throughout the home, and should last for generations. Style options include a freestanding stove, an insert, a traditional fireplace or a masonry heater. Each of these heaters uses wood, but there’s a lot of variance in design, efficiency, cost and size. Installation option includes a fully built factory unit, or the more traditional masonry system. New fireplaces burn more efficiently and direct the heat into the home rather than up the flue. That’s why Santa’s on a diet.

To maintain fire safety, the experts at ThisOldHouse.com suggest that you