Working Fireplace or Not?
We have a great non-working fireplace. Would love to get it working for this winter.I have a toddler so I have some concerns about that. Any ideas of price or who does this type of work? Pros or Cons of having a working fireplace?
We have a great non-working fireplace. Would love to get it working for this winter.I have a toddler so I have some concerns about that.
Any ideas of price or who does this type of work?
Pros or Cons of having a working fireplace?
D’Angelo Meats in the Italian Market in Philly has some real bearskins for sale.
The challenge with sourcing an insert is finding one small enough to fit into the typically diminutive fireplaces found in brownstones. Some of these are manufacturers, some are retailers, but together they represent various options (+ useful background info):
— gascoals. net
— vermont castings
— wittus
— morso
— chimneysweeponline.com
— okell’s fireplace
DAVE: I’m not worried that you’ll expire from CO poisoning but I do think your advice should come with the caveat that a gas fire should only be unvented if you use it strictly for gentle flickering background ambience. Any gas burning unit that is expected to throw serious heat should be vented.
FUPLEASE: I think your experience demonstrates the limitations of many fireplace conversions. I know our fireplace isn’t deep enough and that causes draft issues. And we also get downdrafts — which I would guess is just the result of living in a dense urban area with “micro climates” caused by rooftop AC units, restaurant vents, apt building walls taller than houses than create odd wind patterns etc etc etc. I agree with Dave that heating the chimney first helps. Also you may want to crack a window to help the fireplace “pull” better. Of course, then any idea of heating efficiency literally goes up the chimney!
Sounds like you made your choice but for future thread readers, we did a major gut renovation and of all the contractors we had over the course of the year, Jason at Big Apple Chimney was definitely my favorite. Good guy, good pricing and the fireplace that he rebuilt looks great with a a amazing draft – the smoke gets sucked right up like i’ve never seen (having grown up with one). I can’t say we use it as much as I thought we would but i’d definitely do it again. The times that we do use it are great – and that is without a bearskin! Must find a bearskin.
Do you get the downdraft only at the beginning or even after you have a roaring fire?? If only the beginning, you need to pre-heat the flue by holding a burning newspaper up there.
pig three: Yes, and yes. But maybe not deep enough?
Thanks everybody. I read a little bit about wood inserts and it sounds like a good compromise.
Grand Army–any recommendations where to get one?
fuplease,
was the chamber rebuilt for wood? smoke shelf?
FYI, ours don’t draw properly and we’re trying to figure out what to do. We converted them from old gas to WBF and lined with terracotta etc. to do it properly. We even extended the chimney on the roof with a 6′ aluminum riser. However the dimensions of the fireplace are relatively small.
We get downdrafts and smoke. Contractor said it happens a lot in PS because there are lots of downdrafts. I’m wondering if it happens in PS because the firebox dimensions are usually small.
We may have to add fans or spinners on the roof to solve the problem. Any ideas?
Yes, fuplease, but I have those in another house. Nothing beats the smell and sound of a roaring fire.