fireplace question??

[nailjack]

yes!

 

[gapeachy]

makes you wonder how people survived in the old days

 

[miss_jayne]

Quote:
is yours an open fireplace also or does it has an insert?

it is open, with a radiator in it. it is AWESOME!

 

[nailjack]

The wood smoke contains CO2 and carbon monoxide which is all contained in the smoke. Hince a smoke detector is fine. Natural gas has no smoke. therefore a carbon monoxide detectore is needed.

 

[ranchhand]

Well, maybe that explains the shorter life expectancy back in the old days of my youth!

 

[nailjack]

lol

 

[gapeachy]

Quote:
is yours an open fireplace also or does it has an insert?

it is open, with a radiator in it. it is AWESOME!

Ok never heard of a fireplace radiator but looked online and they have them for 500.00 is that about what you gave?.....does it really heat better? ....we might invest in one

 

[EliteTempleton]

I think generally you have been pointed in the right direction and given some good info.

2 important things I think you are missing:

1.) Hard woods burn hotter and slower. Like Oak, Maple, Hickory, Cherry... a break down is here: http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plsept99.htm

2.) Green(fresh cut/unseasoned) wood is harder to burn because the sap still has all that moisture in it, which also keeps it from burning as hot and also causes more sparks as has been mentioned, but also it will cause more soot in your chimney, it gets a little more complicated than this but to keep it simple too much soot and you will have yourself a chimney fire.

Some options for you:

Go find some dead tree's that are still standing, or even thick limbs that are dead but maybe attached to live tree's. The point really is to find some free seasoned wood, because even softer woods that are seasoned are better then green wood of any variety. So long as it's not a pine tree. I talk about standing dead tree's and limbs because if it's laying on the ground it's probably soaked, you can dry it out but it's a pain and often they are rotted anyway. Dry sticks are good for tinder/fire starting, just not the main focus.

Easier but more expensive is to buy a facecord of seasoned hardwoods.

Either start the fires with the dry hard woods then you can add about 1/3 green stuff if you need to stretch your wood supply, otherwise just let the green stuff sit stacked for a year or two.

If you don't want to buy the premade fire starters you can use dryer lint &/or paper and make your own by dipping them in hot wax.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
YES THERE IS - you know those duraflame logs? They also make a fire start. They are a snap and no effort at all.....

 

[JennsPeeps]

I wouldn't burn the gift wrap. The dyes in it are toxic.

An old-fashioned fireplace is more likley to draw heat out of your home than heat it. An old-fashioned fireplace will set up a convection current in your home and draw the heat from other rooms up the chimney, especially if the house isn't well sealed. It will heat the room where the fire is, though, but just not efficiently.

I've got an original 1924 fireplace that I never use just for this reason. I want an insert!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1276656/winter_fireplace_money_saving_hints.html