http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/b...s?OpenDocument

Anyone has any thoughts on the problems associated with open fireplaces?

I'm using my open fireplace every Friday when I have friends over for a late
evening party. I found that if I cut the redgum wood to a (human's) arm
length and width, the fire burns quite nicely and doesn't have any smoke
problems.

Some of my friends suffer from asthma but say they love my fireplace and
don't suffer from any side-effects afterwards.

But the government site claims that there are no safe level of wood smoke;
.... then again this is the same government that's operating a nuclear
reactor at Lucas Heights... just kidding there

Any comments on open fireplaces?












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wrote:
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/b...s?OpenDocument

Anyone has any thoughts on the problems associated with open fireplaces?

I'm using my open fireplace every Friday when I have friends over for a late
evening party. I found that if I cut the redgum wood to a (human's) arm
length and width, the fire burns quite nicely and doesn't have any smoke
problems.

Some of my friends suffer from asthma but say they love my fireplace and
don't suffer from any side-effects afterwards.

But the government site claims that there are no safe level of wood smoke;
.... then again this is the same government that's operating a nuclear
reactor at Lucas Heights... just kidding there

Any comments on open fireplaces?

Your asthma-suffering friends will not be affected by the smoke while
they are sitting in front of the fire or even just being in the room
because - and this is why open fireplaces are such a damn waste of
resources and are major polluters - all the air in the room is sucked
out thru the flue! The smoke ends up OUTSIDE the house. The open fire
also burns the oxygen in the room (and sucks it out outside) so you need
a way to replenish the burnt oxygen.

What heat you feel sitting in front of the fire is only radiant heat,
and this is only a small fraction of the total heat which is just blown
out thru the flue. One of the most inefficient ways of keeping warm.

--
"I'd rather be a has-been than a never-been-at-all."

out thru the flue. One of the most inefficient ways of keeping warm.


Keep my place warm and cosy all winter long with my stove. Heats my hot
water as well! 60 gallons is enough for even my long showers, and if I crank
up the fire with a few good logs, I can shower for a hour. With 160 acres of
trees, I'm never short of a few old dead sticks.

Beats the hell out of a $600.00 power bill for a quarter, even if I have to
chop a bit.

Peter

snip
Your asthma-suffering friends will not be affected by the smoke while
they are sitting in front of the fire or even just being in the room
because - and this is why open fireplaces are such a damn waste of
resources and are major polluters - all the air in the room is sucked
out thru the flue! The smoke ends up OUTSIDE the house. The open fire
also burns the oxygen in the room (and sucks it out outside) so you need
a way to replenish the burnt oxygen.

What heat you feel sitting in front of the fire is only radiant heat,
and this is only a small fraction of the total heat which is just blown
out thru the flue. One of the most inefficient ways of keeping warm.

My parents have an older place with an OFP and there's not much heat
that is lost thru the flue.
4-5 split chunks of redgum will heat the lounge / meals / kitchen (
it's a large open area ) for several hours.
The more modern stove types are even better. 4-5 chunks burn for hours
and would actually heat the room to an uncomfortable level.
Cheaper & arguably more efficient than burning non-renewable gas...

wrote:

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/b...s?OpenDocument

Anyone has any thoughts on the problems associated with open fireplaces?

Hi

The main adverse criticsm is that an open fire place is a very
inefficient way of heating a room

At one time we had an open fireplace and we had to put an electric heat
source at the back of the room to keep our backs warm. We decided to
instal a stove, and chose a Jotul 118, which is just a cast iron box
about fifteen inches by a yard. We thought we should miss the sight of
the flames and agonised for nearly two years about whether to put it
where the open fireplace was or some place else. We eventually put it
somewhere else and put the sofa across the old fireplace, and never
moved it until 20 years later when we rebuilt the house. Didn't mis the
sight of the fire at all. I believe, Unfortunately I believe the 118
has gone out of production.
Barrie