Insert vs Firebox vs Fireplace please help!!!!!!!

15 years ago

I had the pleasure of having a chimney fire a month ago. Nothing major happened and insurance is covering everything which includes tearing down and replacing my chimney and fireplace.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ahreno/NiceHousePictures#5098326681503635522 (-- as you can see the chimney is a major part of the curb appeal of the house so it will be rebuilt on the outside to match. However I'm free to do the inside however I like.

I've pretty much decided on wood but could be convinced to pellet. Gas is probably out as the house isn't plumbed for it.

here is a picture inside: http://picasaweb.google.com/ahreno/NiceHousePictures#5098326406625728178

I'd like to get something a little bit more efficient (A LOT more efficient actually). The fireplace is the main sorce of heat for the downstairs which is 900sq ft. I'll probably put some vents in so the heat can get upstairs as well.

I am debating getting the fireplace rebuilt with the intentions of putting in an insert OR putting in a wood fire box instead.

The benefit of the firebox is it's WAY cheaper since i dont need a full chimney... just the stove piping and then a brick face (to retain the original look). The firebox is a bit more efficient than the insert (73% compared to 65%) and comes with a blower.

What are some of your thoughts on this? Is there anything wrong with doing a fire box? anything i'd regret?

Thanks so much

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Comments (4)

sniffdog
15 years ago
I have a Fireplace Xtrodinaire FPX44 wood burning insert that I use as my backup heat source. Not only does it look nice, it can generate a massive amount of heat. I have had to learn how to make small fires and control the burn rate when we want a little ambiance versus backup heat mode where we need to crank it.

The one caution about the FPX 44, or any fireplace like this, is you need to check the venting requirements. This unit requires two input vents for combustion plus a third input vent to draw in and heat fresh air from outside - and they have special placement requirements. It might be difficult to make all this venting work with your existing chimney.

I would also check the flue requirements - how far will it need to stick out above the top of the chimney stack. The flue for my unit is large - I think a 16 inch diameter pipe, and the cap is even larger. My firplace is at the back of the house so you cannot see the large cap from the front. With your chimney in front, it might not look right to have a large silver dome sticking out from the top of the chimney. They make a smaller FPX wood insert, but I am not sure if the flue is any smaller.

I can vouch for the heating and efficiency of the FPX insert. After a 12 hour burn, I wind up with about 1/2 of a 3 gallon pail of ashes. You could easily heat your house with this unit. Distributing all that heat will need to be thought out. When I start this thing up, I turn on my 1st floor and 2nd floor HVAC fans to draw heat around the house to keep the rooms near the firplace from getting too warm. The first time I cranked it without turning on the hVAC fans, I raisied the temperture in my family room-kitchen-dining room space from 65 to 77 in about 30 minutes!

When I go into backup heat mode, I plan to use free standing vans to circulate the warm air around the main level of the house.

If you plan on using an insert or firebox that has a fan in it, I recommend looking into a backup generator (a small portable unit will do just fine) so that you can operate your fireplace, plus any of the distribution fans, if the power goes out. The FPX unit can we operted without power, but the radiated heat generated stays fairly local to the unit - you really need the fan on to push the heat around.
ahreno
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for your info. The fire box I'm actually looking at is the smaller version of the FPX44... i believe it's the 36...

I'm not too worried about losing power and heat... I'm in Eugene Oregon and it doesn't get super cold and we have (knock on wood) never lost power for longer than a couple hours. I could make it a day without heat anyway... There is a rental place 2 blocks away i could get a generator from.

I'll have to look into what they cap the stove pipe with.

The chimney is being torn down to nothing and rebuilt from ground up... so any vents or anything could be added in as needed.

What about resale value of the hosue? Do people dislike fireboxes? Is there any downside to them? Do they last long? Are they considered cheap?
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ahreno
Original Author
15 years ago
can anyone else please chime in?
virginiavictorian
15 years ago
Have you considered having a rumford fireplace built? They're supposed to be efficient, clean burning and put out a lot of heat from their relatively shallow shape.

http://www.rumford.com/

Insert vs Firebox vs Fireplace please help!!!!!!!

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sniffdog

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Insert vs Firebox vs Fireplace please help!!!!!!!

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sniffdog

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