INFO ON MY FIREPLACE?
i have a vent free gas fireplace that has been removed. i want to burn wood. my fireplace and chimney are brick. the chimney does have the clay looking pipe in it. the fireplace is only about 10 years old.im told the former owners burned wood and coal you can see the stains on the outside of the chimney. my firebox is metal on the back bottom sides and top and angled like most masonary fireplaces. with a flew door in the top. can i burn wood right on the floor with a grate or do i need to put in an insert. there are also 2 vents on either side of the fireplace on the wall that leeds to the inner wall between the box and the wall.do these let heat into the house. i will have it cleaned first.
3 Responses
Benji
09 Mar 2010
cmos_specialist
09 Mar 2010
it sounds like a thing called a "HeatiLater", it is a metal fireplace, they came stand alone and also could be inserted into masonry fireplaces. They had ducts to channel heat from the metal walls into the room. Problem is the metal walls would burn out and allow woods smoke and gasses into the room. I’m not sure if the company is still in business. I’d be very sceptical, take a real close look at it before using it
Redeft
09 Mar 2010
From your description it looks as if you have a heatilator fireplace with vents to move hot air from the firebox to your room. A grate lifts the fuel off the ground and allows air to circulate for better combustion. I would suggest you invest in a grate. Good Idea to have it checked by a chimney sweep as he will be able to check the flue for cracks and creosote. I have used a heatilator insert in my house for 25 yrs now and it keeps us toasty all winter. Very reliable and yes they are still in business, see link below.
Good luck and enjoy the glow of the fire.
It sounds like you should be able to burn wood. Make sure the first time you do it, you use a very small wood stack, have the windows open, and be prepared to either quickly extinguish the fire or evacuate the building.
When a DIY project involves anything that could potentially kill me – electricity, fireplaces – I always contract those parts out to professionals. It won’t cost that much to have a licensed contractor who specializes in fireplace construction/replacement/repair come by and take a look at your fireplace.