4 YEARS later and we are back here again
Took some detours installed solar etc. But we return to the fireplace on the first really cold weekend in Gauteng.
So two years after my OP we stayed in some beautiful accommodation in Stellies just before hard lock down with one of these
Premium fireplaces, braais, pizza ovens and fire pits.
on-fire.co.za
It worked beautifully easy to clean, started pretty instantly, I have never had a fireplace heat an area as quick as this.
Now just before we continue with the post I do realise that there are other ways to heat the house, aircon, gas etc.
But there is just something that cant beat a fireplace IMO esp when ascetics come into play.
I have some questions now that this is becoming a bit more serious consideration.
1. What is the best source of fuel for the fireplace? wood/anthracite?
2. How much fuel can I expect to use? Any wood better, black wattle/bluegum etc
3. Current floor is tile and wall is brick, plaster and paint. Do I need to do anything to protect these?
4. Any reason I should just stop and do nothing- essentially did you get a fireplace and now regret it?
1.) I use wood - Anthracite is dirty, sometimes hard to source and difficult to light.
2.) It depends how hot you want the fire, but roughly I use 10-20 pieces a night depending on how long / hot I let the burn run for
3.) I cracked some of the bad crete stone / egyptian plaster at the back, so I had to end up tiling. You could tile, or you could lay down a slab of something e.g. patio pavers, brick, heat glass etc
4.) No - I don't regret my fireplace for one minute.
Things I've learnt over time:
- Fireplaces need some maintenance: emptying (lots of ash for the garden), polishing, chimney sweeps.
- Wood - you need storage. I often buy 2000-3000 pieces a year and mix it between the fireplace and the braai. I often leave the remaining 1000 to season for next year so I have proper DRY, NON GREEN wood.
- Wood - buy in summer when it's cheap: +-R800-R900 for 1000 pieces of bluegum, in winter this can jump to +-R1500 for 1000 pieces (and you largely get green wood....)
- Wood - some things you can't / shouldn't burn - e.g. treated woods, pine or green - these can leave creosote in your chimney / leave you at risk of a chimney fire.
- Wood - carrying wood is a pain, keep a crate / dolly you can easily rotate with
- Wood - keep a dry stash that you can rotate if your other wood is all stored outside in the open
- Your wife - will shout at you when she says you buying a lot of wood, but won't complain when you burn it
- Cooking - get something with a flat top on top, that way you can use a kettle / pan / flat potjie if you like
- Themofan - great, grab one it really spreads the heat
- Installation - get a reliable company to do this and DOUBLE INSULATE in the ceiling / roof, so you're not at risk of a damn fire....
- Installation - determine whether you want a back flu or a top flu - depending on if you want to see the flu or not etc.
- Flu - For every meter of flu inside the house, you can add another 1kw of energy on top of your stoves rating, so factor that in when you're determining how many kw you need.
