External blower on a gas fireplace?

[alank2]

Hi,

I have a single floor house with a gas style fireplace in one corner of it. It is vented and has a flue(sp?) I can open and close. No glass doors, just the chain curtains, and I have a gas log setup in it. I have to turn on the gas and light it manually after opening the flue.

I use it sometimes just for effect or to slightly warm up the living room, but I wonder how good it would be at heating my home should my furnace fail. It has vents below and on top of it and I can see in them to see there is an air space, but no blower. I am assuming this area is an airspace that surrounds the "fire box" with the purpose of having a blower move air through it to warm it.

Here are my questions!

1. How efficient is this fireplace when turned on? No glass doors to radiate heat... I am guessing not very efficient.

2. How much better would it be if I could circulate air through the air space around the fire box?

3. I really don't see how it would come apart easily, it is bricked in. So I'm not sure how easy it would be to add an internal blower.

4. Do they make external blowers? Something that would lay across the bottom vents and pull air in from the room and blow into the vents forcing warm air out of the top vents? If something like this isn't made, could it be made? I like building stuff and I could make a small air box with fans to fit it. What CFM would be ideal? This might only be used in an emergency for a furnace failure, how much would it improve heating of the room?

Thanks,

Alan

 

[DAKSY]

Hi,

I have a single floor house with a gas style fireplace in one corner of it. It is vented and has a flue(sp?) I can open and close. No glass doors, just the chain curtains, and I have a gas log setup in it. I have to turn on the gas and light it manually after opening the flue.

I use it sometimes just for effect or to slightly warm up the living room, but I wonder how good it would be at heating my home should my furnace fail. It has vents below and on top of it and I can see in them to see there is an air space, but no blower. I am assuming this area is an airspace that surrounds the "fire box" with the purpose of having a blower move air through it to warm it.

Here are my questions!

1. How efficient is this fireplace when turned on? No glass doors to radiate heat... I am guessing not very efficient.

Efficiency of theis type of appliance is in the neighborhood of -10% (that's MINUS 10%). You're venting everything - exhaust gases, moisture, CO & air that you've already PAID to heat - out thru the vent system. What you have is a "Decorative Appliance," not a heat producing unit.

2. How much better would it be if I could circulate air through the air space around the fire box?

Minimal at best & with an open system like you have, you may be moving CO into your home with what little heat you get.

3. I really don't see how it would come apart easily, it is bricked in. So I'm not sure how easy it would be to add an internal blower.

There isn't a way to do it with what you have.

4. Do they make external blowers? Something that would lay across the bottom vents and pull air in from the room and blow into the vents forcing warm air out of the top vents? If something like this isn't made, could it be made? I like building stuff and I could make a small air box with fans to fit it. What CFM would be ideal? This might only be used in an emergency for a furnace failure, how much would it improve heating of the room?

No. Like I said above, if you blow anything away from the fireplace, some of it may be CO. Bad, bad, bad...
It may give some WARMTH but no real HEAT. It is nothing more that a gas fueled campfire in your living room.
See if your unit is large enuff to have a gas burning fire place insert installed. You can get heat from this type unit when the power is out. It's safe. It's efficient. HTH

 

[alank2]

Hi,

I am not talking about blowing any air into the firebox, but into the louvers below the firebox that are meant for an internal blower. How would this be any different than an internal blower?

Thanks,

Alan

 

[granpajohn]

Put a muffin fan in front of the vent. Quiet and low power draw.
Is this sketch similar to what you have?
Should be perfectly safe if (If) the ducts are not cracked or degraded.
Post a photo would help.
This post probably belongs in another forum.
This place might have parts:
(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/fireplace/wood-burning-fireplaces/all-about-old-style-heatilators.html)

You may have a FP converted from wood. The problem is the flue that sucks warm air out. Yes, the doors would help keep the warm air inside while you are in not in the room, (sleeping, for example). You would probably want to burn it with doors open while in the room.

 

[ironpony]

Hi,

I have a single floor house with a gas style fireplace in one corner of it. It is vented and has a flue(sp?) I can open and close. No glass doors, just the chain curtains, and I have a gas log setup in it. I have to turn on the gas and light it manually after opening the flue.

I use it sometimes just for effect or to slightly warm up the living room, but I wonder how good it would be at heating my home should my furnace fail. It has vents below and on top of it and I can see in them to see there is an air space, but no blower. I am assuming this area is an airspace that surrounds the "fire box" with the purpose of having a blower move air through it to warm it.

Here are my questions!

1. How efficient is this fireplace when turned on? No glass doors to radiate heat... I am guessing not very efficient.

2. How much better would it be if I could circulate air through the air space around the fire box?

3. I really don't see how it would come apart easily, it is bricked in. So I'm not sure how easy it would be to add an internal blower.

4. Do they make external blowers? Something that would lay across the bottom vents and pull air in from the room and blow into the vents forcing warm air out of the top vents? If something like this isn't made, could it be made? I like building stuff and I could make a small air box with fans to fit it. What CFM would be ideal? This might only be used in an emergency for a furnace failure, how much would it improve heating of the room?

Thanks,

Alan

1) not very efficient

2) it does help,

3) they usually come apart easily, the bottom "brick" comes out and the blower mounts underneath

4) none I've ever seen

my gas FP is non vented and puts alot of heat into the room
if you run it on medium it will run you out of the house