Installing a wood-burning stove in brownstone fireplace

We have a fully rebuilt wood-burning fireplace with firebrick hearth, new smoke chamber and terracotta flue inside the old chimney reaching to the roof. Nevertheless our neighbor complains that when we build a fire, the party wall gets VERY hot. He’s a fussbudget but fire risk is a serious thing. I’m thinking we could solve the problem by installing a wood-burning stove vented up the chimney. Would be more efficient from a zone-heating perspective and presumably greatly reduce the heat transfer through the party wall. Has anyone had experience with wood-burning stoves in brownstones? Any tips either for brand selection or installation? Thanks, in advance.

NeoGrec

in Heating and Cooling 7 years and 8 months ago

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NeoGrec | 7 years and 7 months ago

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Hi bkallday, Our fireplaces were converted 20 years ago and hence are grandfathered in.

BKALLDAY | 7 years and 7 months ago

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I thought wood burning anything was now illegal in NYC due to the Carbon Emissions. I tried to convert my 6 fireplaces and was shot down hard.

alicecfoster

in Heating and Cooling 7 years and 8 months ago

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You might look into a fireplace insert – they’re not just for gas logs anymore! The fire happens in an insulated steel box with a glass door, so you get the aesthetic benefits of an open fire, but combustion is entirely enclosed (I believe air comes in from a separate flue above), so you don’t have any smoke in your living room, and your already warm air doesn’t go right out the chimney. I’ve seen them with blowers that circulate air around the flue and firebox and blow that heated air out into the room – much more efficient than an open fire.

alicecfoster

in Heating and Cooling 7 years and 8 months ago

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You might look into a fireplace insert – they’re not just for gas logs anymore! The fire happens in an insulated steel box with a glass door, so you get the aesthetic benefits of an open fire, but combustion is entirely enclosed (I believe air comes in from a separate flue above), so you don’t have any smoke in your living room, and your already warm air doesn’t go right out the chimney. I’ve seen them with blowers that circulate air around the flue and firebox and blow that heated air out into the room – much more efficient than an open fire.

camerongary

in Heating and Cooling 7 years and 8 months ago

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This is not a small concern. A neighbor of mine once had a party, had a very hot wood fire running for several hours in a restored fireplace. The intensity of the heat eventually ignited the old wood under the neighbor’s staircase. Eventually it caused it to ignite and later in the night a fire broke out in the neighbor’s staircase. I don’t believe these brownstones were designed for wood burning fireplaces .

NeoGrec | 7 years and 8 months ago

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Thanks, that’s a useful thread. As far as I know, only the area immediately behind the firebox heats up. We have a fully restored fireplace: firebrick construction, smoke chamber and then clay flue all the way to the roof. But my goal remains to lessen the heat transfer through the wall.

nyc_sport | 7 years and 8 months ago

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Is it the back of the firebox or the length of the chimney? Wood burning stoves burn much hotter than a fireplace, so I doubt that will cure the issue if the chimney is heating the wall. They do put off tremendous heat in the room — the one you reference could heat a house.

Take a look here too

https://www.brownstoner.com/forum-archive/2010/11/fireplace-heats/

NeoGrec | 7 years and 8 months ago

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Ah, my neighbor would never let me into his house and the only expert he confers with is himself. However, within our stretch of 8 identical rowhouses, a homeowner I like and respect told me when HIS neighbor burned a fire in their newly rebuilt fireplace, the party wall was too hot to touch and still warm the next morning! It’s a bit of a myth that brownstone parties wall are so very thick and solid —
some are, some aren’t and I don’t want to take a risk. But yes, this would just be for occasional use. I’m really trying to find out if a stove would reduce the heat against the party wall.

resident2 | 7 years and 8 months ago

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Your neighbor should be happy that you are helping to heat his house. Have you actually been next door to feel what he is talking about? You could get an expert to inspect your flu to explain to your neighbor that it is safe.
The difference between an open wood burning fireplace and a wood burner is a question of how and why you use it? Do you want it as part of your every day heating system? or for the occasional cold home bound/ holiday family cozy evening thing?
Most wood burners need particular flu drafts and venting etc. You cannot just attach them to any flu and expect them to draw properly. Also the aesthetics of an open fireplace compared to a wood burner in your mantle piece are you choice.
If you use your wood burner as an every day heating system, maybe look into that option, but for the occasional evening or weekend of enjoying your fireplace, I would not go through all the conniptions to properly install a stove.

NeoGrec | 7 years and 8 months ago

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Thanks, Randolph. But back to the topic at hand (wink) I’d love to know if anyone thinks this solution will work.

randolph | 7 years and 8 months ago

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fussbudget is a incredible word.

NeoGrec | 7 years and 8 months ago

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I’m thinking about the Morso 2110. Any one have experience with Morso stoves? [Morso-wood-stove](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s1/:brownstoner:8e12:morsowoodstove.jpg.jpg)