Open fire doesn't heat room?

[Ratty80]

Hi,


Would appreciate some advice from somebody who knows about open fires. I've taken out the old backboiler and put in this open fire grate. Got chimney swept and passed the draw test (providing lounge door was open)


It's only temporary as when we have the money to extend this will become a bedroom so not looking to spend money on a log burner etc


The heat that goes into the room from the fire is so poor that the temp of the room does not even rise with the fire lit. It seems that all the heat gained is lost by the fact we have to have the door slightly open to allow it to draw properly.


Is the surround not allowing the heat out? Is the fire too far back in the chimney?

Maybe I need a larger fire grate to burn more?


Thanks in advance for any help

 

[flameport]

What's at the back - can't see in the photo because it's too dark.

 

[Diver Fred]

Did you replace the Back Boiler with a 'Fire Back'? If not then the majority of heat will be going up the chimney (and it may not 'draw' properly).

You did well to get the back boiler out without damaging the tiled fireplace and hearth.

 

[foxhole]

If the door needs to be open it suggested the essential vents in the room are blocked and you risk death from carbon monoxide poisoning, you can’t just bung a fire in a grate an expect it to work safely.

 

[Doggit]

An open fireplace is only 15% efficient at best, as most of the heat goes up the chimney, but I reckon wgt is correct in that the firebrick - and I suspect the throat - have been removed, and it's these that throw any heat into the room.

You may struggle to get a new set, or even get them in if you do, so reckon to block it up, with a vent at the bottom.

 

[Ratty80]

Thanks for the advice guys. I think wgt is correct as it literally has no back, it just goes straight into the chimney. So I guess the back directs the heat into the room. Could I pick up a second hand fire back to use? If I beat off those tiles either side to get the back in will that then mean the heat will escape easier?

 

[Ratty80]

Foxhole, it's a 1954 bungalow and has no vents in the lounge. Concrete floors throughout and a tightly hung door

 

[flameport]

Could I pick up a second hand fire back to use?

Maybe, although such things won't be available particularly cheaply or easily.
It's not just a case of shoving it in the hole either, it needs to be properly cemented in there.

This is one of the few situations where it is probably cheaper and certainly much safer to just get an electric heater instead.

 

[Ratty80]

Thanks. Unfortunately the bungalow has electric heating throughout which costs about £8/day and it's still freezing so really looking for a nice open fire for the evenings.

I guess something like this is what I need?

16 " Inch Sectional 4 Piece Clay Fire Back Surround Solid Fuel Coal Burner https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/122080194784

 

[Doggit]

Well that's what you need, but they tended to be built into place, and the ones I've taken out weren't cemented in, and you might need to take off the tiles to get it into place.

But at the end of it, you'll still only have a inefficient fire, as they pull in cold air from outside the room, and send the hot air into the chimney. You're warm facing the fire, and damned cold behind you. I know you're going to turn it into a bedroom, but how long before you do that. Would you be better off putting in a wood burning stove with a register place, and a length of pipe. Obviously, that should be done under a building control notice, but as long as you put in a CO alarm, and maybe get the sweep to check it over, you might get away with it, and then sell the parts afterwards.

 

[Ratty80]

Thanks doggit. Yes u r probably right. Our current heating is so inefficient and expensive I think that is our only option as it may be 5 years before we extend.

 

[foxhole]

Foxhole, it's a 1954 bungalow and has no vents in the lounge. Concrete floors throughout and a tightly hung door

Probably been sealed up, had a 50's built property and vents to every room if it's designed to burn an open fire.

 

[motorbiking]

The issue you have which hasn't yet been discussed is the gaping hole above your fire, known as the chimney. Depending on the size of the room, you will have a rate of air change probably way less than an hour, so all your effort/energy goes up the chimney at rate which exceeds the heat going in to the room. If the room has a radiator, then you'd be vastly better off putting a chimney balloon up the chimney to stop the air flow and relying on other heating sources.

 

[cdbe]

I had a similar - previously gutted fireplace and straight up chimney - I made a cast concrete throat unit (following a design on an American website) and managed to shove it up the chimney. I had no fireback - I lined the (large) opening with some nice yellow old stock bricks and welded a fire basket from square steel bar. It looked fantastic when going. Lounge door needed to be open till it warmed up. It didn't heat the room very well and drew cold air through the rest of the house. After a few hours it started to heat the room (I presume the surrounding bricks were getting hot and radiating heat?). It absolutely ate fuel - we only had it because I could get free logs from the grounds maintenance people where I worked and free coal (father in law is ex miner and got it as part of his pension). When not in use I blocked the hole in the throat unit with a rectangle of celotex -which I subsequently (after nearly burning the house down) modified with some string and a plastic ball to dangle down and remind me to remove it before lighting the fire! For efficiency it needs to be a stove - they used to sell them in Machine Mart.

 

[Stivino]

You need something like this to throw the heat into the room, otherwise the heat goes straight up the chimney. There are a few types and sizes of these available. You could also build one yourself using baby bricks.
https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?img...8PYAhUiLcAKHQh5CLoQMwhUKBUwFQ&iact=mrc&uact=8