Fireplace installed. Independent laying of fireplaces. According to the type of construction are distinguished

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Fireplaces, which are installed in country cottages, country houses and even apartments, have become a popular piece of furniture today. Usually these designs perform a decorative function. Experts strongly recommend planning the installation of fireplaces with your own hands at the design stage of buildings. True, it is possible to equip the hearth in an already operated house.

There are a huge number of design solutions for fireplaces. They differ in a number of parameters: dimensions, materials of manufacture and other characteristics. After studying the relevant literature, every home craftsman will be able to find out what a do-it-yourself fireplace device is. Arranging the hearth with your own hands without the participation of stove-makers will save a decent amount.

Choosing the location of the fireplace

The construction of the structure begins with the choice of its location. Most often, a fireplace is installed near a load-bearing wall, located opposite the entrance to the room. In addition, you can build a hearth in the corner or make it freestanding. What does the choice depend on? First of all, from the area of ​​​​the room and the individual wishes of the owners of the household.

There are places in the room where it is undesirable to mount a fireplace structure. The hearth should not be placed against a wall that is opposite the windows, otherwise it will cause drafts in the room. When a fireplace is planned to be installed in a wooden house, all fire safety rules must be followed.

Calculation of the dimensions of the fireplace structure

Of great importance is the competent calculation of the focus. When carrying out calculations, it must be remembered that both whole bricks and their halves will be used in the construction process.
Before performing calculations, determine the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room in which the fireplace device is designed with your own hands. Next, a plan is drawn on a sheet of paper on a certain scale, and then the dimensions of the firebox are determined. It must be at least 1/50 of the volume of the room.

To prevent the possibility of smoke and ensure proper heat transfer, it is necessary to correctly create a fireplace portal (details: ""). Its height should exceed the depth by 2 times. The size of the chimney opening is chosen based on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe furnace, it must be made about 8 times smaller. The easiest way to implement the installation of a rectangular chimney. On average, the length of the pipe for it is 5 meters.

Choosing the type of fireplace design

Then they are determined with the type of heat unit. If the fireplace is closed, it will require a minimum of space to install, which is certainly very beneficial if the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room is small. Closed structures are built simultaneously with the construction of the house. See also: "".
Semi-open brick hearths are considered an intermediate option between closed and open fireplaces. Semi-open type units are placed inside the wall or attached to it. Their main advantage is that such hearths can be built in already operated buildings.

Open brick fireplaces are the best option for large rooms. They are arranged in the central part of the room, thereby spreading warm air in different directions.

Do-it-yourself materials for building a fireplace

The device of furnaces and fireplaces begins with the preparation of tools and building materials.

You will need the following:

  • Red brick;
  • sand;
  • crushed stone;
  • cement;
  • level;
  • ruler;
  • plumb;
  • Bulgarian;
  • hacksaw;
  • welding machine.

When choosing bricks in order to carefully inspect their surface. Only products with a homogeneous structure that do not have white spots are suitable. You can check the quality of bricks with a hammer. To do this, they lightly hit the product, and the presence of a clear sonorous sound means that it is of high quality. See also: "".

Foundation for a fireplace

Quite often the weight of a fireplace exceeds one ton. Before laying begins, the foundation must be made. Knowing how a fireplace works helps to build a high-quality structure, which is impossible without a reliable foundation.

The parameters of the foundation depend on the size of the sides of the future hearth. 10-15 centimeters are added to the length and width, and as a result, the values ​​\u200b\u200bof the base for the structure are obtained. There should be a gap of about 5-6 centimeters between the foundations of the house and the hearth, it is covered with sand and rammed. Thanks to this, it is possible to prevent the appearance of cracks on the unit during shrinkage (details: "").

Then create the basis for the formwork. To do this, large stones are laid, and the gaps between them are covered with gravel and poured with a solution, which consists of three parts of sand and 1 part of cement. Several rows of rubble stone are placed on top and each of them is covered with a layer of mortar.

Formwork is installed on this base. The foundation surface is carefully leveled, checked with a building level and covered with plastic wrap. The top layer of the base should be located approximately 5 - 7 centimeters below the finished floor. When the foundation becomes strong enough, and this will happen no earlier than in a week, then they start laying the fireplace structure.

Drawings will help to complete the device of a fireplace in the house. Each row of bricks must be drawn on the ordering schemes, and all sheets of the project must be numbered. Depending on the design solution of the fireplace, the orders may differ and have their own characteristics. How such schemes look can be seen in the photo.

Instructions for building a fireplace

First of all, the contours of the future fireplace structure are applied to the wall of the room. The foundation under the hearth is covered with two layers of roofing felt or roofing material for the purpose of waterproofing. First, the bricks are laid without mortar for a proper and thorough fit. When laying out the underfloor, refractory bricks are necessarily used from the inside. The hewn surfaces of masonry products are covered with masonry.

After the completion of the preparatory measures, the back and side walls of the fireplace are erected, their thickness should be 20 centimeters. The corner bricks need to be laid first. Compliance with the horizontal masonry should be constantly checked by level. Then lay out the outer row and lastly - lay the middle.

Bricklaying is carried out sequentially. This means that each subsequent row begins to lay out only after the completion of the previous one. After the work is moving to an end, proceed to the construction of the chimney.

For laying rows of red brick, a cement-sand mortar is used. It is impossible for precipitation to fall into the pipe, since this has the most negative effect on the efficiency of the hearth. To exclude such cases, use a cap made of galvanized iron or a tin chimney.

Installation of metal elements

The metal frame for the fireplace insert is installed using riveted steel strips that are 3 mm thick (read also: ""). These strips are placed in the masonry seam and only then poured with mortar. You can replace steel products with harnesses
from annealed wire 2 mm in diameter.

Since metal is characterized by a higher coefficient of thermal expansion compared to brick, it is necessary to use an asbestos sealant with a thickness of 0.5 centimeters between the masonry and the frame of the firebox door.

Thus, the installation of metal elements is carried out taking into account the coefficient of thermal expansion, for which gaps of 0.5-1 cm are provided.

The upper frame of the firebox door cannot be used as a support for masonry. It is advisable to use a brick jumper with an overlap or “into the castle”.

How to decorate a fireplace

The design of fireplace structures must match the interior of the room in which they are installed (more details: ""). They can be decorated in various styles, ranging from classic to modern modern. According to Russian traditions, fireplaces are often tiled (read: ""). Such foci add coziness to any interior and create an atmosphere of comfort. Fireplaces are finished with porcelain products, decorated with tiles inlaid with gilding.
If the owners of the house prefer minimalism in the design of the premises or do not want to bother with the external decoration of the hearth, the structure is left with brick walls, painted with lime and chalk paints, or only one seam is painted.

A fireplace is a wonderful addition and decoration to any interior. The hearth gives warmth, comfort, peace, comfort and tranquility. Building a brick fireplace on your own is not a simple construction task. But you can still build it yourself if you follow the instructions.


If a survey were conducted among Russians on the topic “Would you like to have a fireplace in your house?”, Most of the answers would probably sound in the affirmative: “Yes”. After all, a fireplace is not just a source of heat and light. This is something more - a symbol of the hearth, strong family ties, comfort and reliability of native walls. Installing a fireplace in your apartment or country house is quite realistic. The technology of its construction is not so complicated, the main thing is to provide for all the nuances associated with the design and preparation of a place for its placement, to choose high-quality building materials, which are now not lacking. If you plan to build a fireplace in a city apartment, first you need to find out if there is a chimney in the house. After that, calculate whether the floor can withstand the weight of the fireplace (which is approximately one and a half tons).

And of course, before installing a fireplace in an apartment building, you need to obtain permission from the commission, because it often turns out that a particular building is not designed for the additional load associated with the weight of a real fireplace - and in this case, alas, you will have to be content with electric. And it is most convenient to build a fireplace in a country house, where in advance (best of all - at the design stage of the building) you can provide all the necessary nuances for its construction.

Components of a fireplace
Before talking about design, let's find out what parts the fireplace consists of. It is traditionally believed that the main part of the fireplace is internal, which is "responsible" for performing the main function - to heat the room.

The outer part of the fireplace is decorative, it can be decorated in different ways, because its task is to express the aesthetic claims of the owners of the house. The "insides" of the fireplace consist of the following main parts:

fireplace table- the base of the fireplace made of refractory materials, which protects the floor next to the fireplace from fire. There is a pre-furnace platform on the fireplace table.

fireman- a deepening made of bricks, a place where firewood burns.

Fuel tank- the lower part of the furnace, which is made of heat-resistant materials.

Chimney (convector) - this is the path along which the smoke goes to the pipe, and then out. The shape of the chimney resembles a cap (wide at the bottom and gradually tapering upwards).

Blower (blowing channel) - a hole for supplying air to the furnace. The decorative component of the fireplace is a portal (the outer part that frames the firebox). The top edge of the portal is called the mantelpiece.

Clocks and photographs are placed on the mantelpiece. In addition, there are a number of devices for more convenient and safe operation of the fireplace:

Grate located at the base of the firebox and helps to distribute the air entering there.

Ash chamber - a metal box required to clean the fireplace from ash.

Shiber, or smoke damper , serves to regulate traction and can be of different types: “ram” (rotating), moderator (in the form of a disk), traditional (retractable).

Deflector- a nozzle on a pipe for protection against wind.

spark arrester - a nozzle on a pipe that protects the house from fire.

Hailo, or a smoke box.

A fireplace is a device that requires careful attention to every detail. The safety and comfort of the residents of the house depends on how well the fireplace is built. Choosing a place to place the fireplace Try to imagine a burning fireplace. Most likely, the first thing that comes to your mind is crackling firewood and a living flame in an open firebox, which, it seems, you can look at endlessly: it fascinates, pacifies, and relaxes. This is the special attraction of the fireplace, which (distinguishing it) distinguishes it from an ordinary stove. However, in a practical sense (heating the room), the fireplace is somewhat inferior to the stove. The fireplace heats the room with radiant energy, which appears on the strongly heated surfaces of the fireplace walls. This allows you to heat up the room very quickly, but in general, the efficiency of the fireplace is about 15%. This is due to the fact that the fireplace is not designed for long-term heat retention - it heats the room only at the moment of fuel combustion. You can increase the efficiency of the fireplace - for this, choose the “right” place for your fireplace. The main thing is that the fireplace is protected from drafts, so do not install it in front of windows and doors.

It is best to build a fireplace against the inner wall of the room. The house itself must be properly insulated in order to retain the heat that the fireplace gives: there are special materials for thermal insulation of walls and floors (for example, slabs ROCKWOOL stone wool), and windows and doors must be properly sealed. By the way, the room in which it is planned to place a fireplace should not be less than 20 square meters in area. m - otherwise there will not be enough air for the furnace. And of course, the fireplace should be turned by a portal into the center of the room so that you can admire the burning flame.

It is good to free up space in front of the fireplace where children will play and put chairs for adults. And then the fire, mysteriously flickering in the evenings in the fireplace, will serve, as the ancients believed, as a reliable amulet of the family. How to correctly calculate the parameters of the fireplace? The dream of a beautiful and safe fireplace in your own home will surely come true if you carefully consider its design. To properly build a fireplace, you need to correctly calculate its parameters.

Particular attention should be paid to this stage of work: if the fireplace is too large, there will be drafts in the house; and if it is too small, the room will be heated poorly. The main goal of proper design is that all the constituent parts of the fireplace correspond proportionally to each other and to the size of the room.

There are certain requirements for the design of fireplace parts.

1. The interior of the fireplace. The depth of the fireplace foundation is 1.5 meters.The protrusion of the pre-furnace platform should be at least half a meter in length and 21-30 cm on the sides.

Fuel tank. The height of the firebox should correspond to 3/5 or 4/5 of its width.The depth of the firebox should be equal to 1/3 of its height. If the firebox is too deep, the efficiency of the fireplace is significantly reduced, and if, on the contrary, it is very shallow, then smoke can enter the room.It is important that the walls of the firebox are sloped, as this allows better reflection of the energy.The area of ​​the hearth of the firebox should be equal to 0.7 of the area of ​​the portal as a whole.

The internal section of the blower must be at least 200 square meters. cm.

Chimney. It should be noted that the chimney at the fireplace should be separate, higher than the stove, and with thick walls, since more air is required for the firebox. The thickness of the walls of the chimney of the fireplace is equal to half the brick. The internal section of the chimney is calculated taking into account the portal area (0.1 - 0.15 of the portal area). The surface area of ​​the chimney is calculated depending on the volume of the furnace.

The chimney for the fireplace is much higher than for the stove. Perhaps that is why, according to legend, Santa Claus chose a fireplace, and not a chimney, for his "landing". The height of the pipe above the roof level is 1 meter, and its internal section is at least 140 by 270 mm.

2. Decorative part of the fireplace. The height of the portal is calculated as follows: the depth of the firebox is measured, then the data obtained is doubled. The area of ​​​​the portal should be equal to 1/50 of the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room where the fireplace will be located. A properly designed fireplace will most successfully fit into the room and will heat it with high quality. Therefore, the design should be approached according to the principle: “Measure seven times” - check the calculations several times before proceeding with construction.

Building a fireplace
Before building a fireplace, you must first prepare all the building materials. It is customary to build a fireplace from the material from which the building itself is made. If the cottage is wooden, the fireplace can be made of any material. Concrete fireplaces are considered an innovation in this area, but the technology for their construction is very complex. The easiest way is to build a fireplace made of brick or stone, since the construction technology is in many ways similar to laying a conventional stove. So, let's figure out what materials are required to build a fireplace.

For the construction of the foundation of the fireplace, concrete and rubble stone are needed. The main material for laying the fireplace is brick (in addition to the usual red high-quality brick, you will need refractory brick for the firebox). The solution is prepared from clay and quartz sand. Alignment of the walls of the fireplace before lining is done using drywall sheets. When buying drywall, take into account that the sheets will also be required for the construction of a protective box for proper pipe insulation (this will be discussed below). For lining (laying refractory plates in the firebox to better reflect radiant energy), steel sheets are suitable.

Facing the fireplace is carried out with a variety of materials to choose from the owner: tiles, ceramic or marble tiles. You can buy ready-made kits for the fireplace, which, in addition to facing materials, include mortar and all the parts necessary for work (lintels, anchors). To insulate the pipe, you can not do without stone wool slabs (the company's products are best suited for this purpose). ROCKWOOL- plates fire batts). stone wool ROCKWOOL withstands temperatures up to 1000°C. Do not forget to purchase useful “accessories” for the fireplace: a grate, a deflector, a spark catcher, a damper, an ash chamber, a hail, and blower doors. When building a fireplace, do not save on building materials. A reliable fireplace can only be built from high-quality products, and then it will warm the house for a long time, give warmth and a fabulous mood, especially in winter.

The construction of the fireplace takes place in several stages. After laying the foundation, the construction of the fireplace body begins. As soon as the firebox is ready, refractory plates are laid to reflect radiant energy (lining). The fireplace is lined after leveling its walls with plasterboard sheets. Note that before starting work, you need to make a hole in the floor to fill the foundation, and in the attic floor - to install the pipe. By the way, a hole in the roof is made when they start working on the roof.

Of course, the fireplace in your home must be reliable. Therefore, when building and operating a fireplace, consider all requirements fire safety:

1. Insulate the wooden parts of the house near the fireplace (floor, walls) so that they do not heat up. To do this, put a steel sheet in front of the firebox, and the walls can be insulated with stone wool slabs. Rockwool Fire Batts which are mounted with cement-based adhesive. The joints between the plates are glued with high-temperature aluminum tape.

2. Cover the attic floor with sand or earth.

3. Properly insulate the chimney and pipe with non-combustible materials. Install a spark arrester on the pipe. To isolate the part of the chimney located in the room, build a box above the fireplace (for example, from drywall on a metal frame). From the inside, this box is sheathed with stone wool slabs. Rockwool Fire Batts. The foil side of the insulation boards must face the pipe. In places where the pipe adjoins building elements (wooden ceilings, beams, etc.), it is necessary to increase the insulation layer.

4. Use for the fireplace only the fuel for which it is designed (coal, briquettes, firewood). A fireplace in a country house creates a unique magical atmosphere of comfort. A burning flame gives a person not only warmth, but also a sense of security. Perhaps that is why for many families a fireplace is a necessary detail, without which a house cannot be considered a real fortress. To build a fireplace, it is not at all necessary to study special literature and do it yourself.

Currently, fireplaces are becoming increasingly popular. Classical options are installed, as a rule, only as a decorative element or an additional source of heating. The fact is that the device does not provide for the accumulation of heat, the room cools quickly after the flame goes out.




The classic design serves as an additional source of room ventilation, which is not a plus in the harsh Russian climate. To avoid negative factors and create a soulful atmosphere, the developers have found affordable ways to preserve the beautiful tradition of heating a private house.

Features and types of construction

Fireplace on wood and coal - one of the most common options in country houses. It is built from all kinds of materials - brick, concrete, sheet steel or other metal. A distinctive feature of all classic varieties is a straight chimney connected to a wide open space of the firebox.



Consider the main elements of the fireplace.

  • Under - the lower strictly horizontal part of the structure, intended for the location of firewood. It can be deaf or with grate - holes.
  • The firebox is the space for the fire. The back wall to increase the reflection of heat into the room is placed at an angle. In some classic versions, the side walls are also laid out.
  • Smoke chamber - connects the firebox and the pipe, it is necessary to collect gases during strong smoke formation.


  • Smoke tooth or gas threshold - a protrusion in the chamber that prevents backflow and ensures the collection of condensate during kindling. The width of the element is the same as that of the camera.
  • Chimney or chimney - serves to remove smoke. It comes in square, round or rectangular shapes. To adjust the thrust along the length of the structure, one or two valves are installed. They also prevent natural ventilation during the downtime of the fireplace.
  • Portal - the entrance frame of the firebox, serves as a limitation of the working area and a decorative element at the same time.



The forms of the portal may be different depending on the design style. U-shaped are inherent in English, Old German, French styles, as well as minimalism and high-tech. Country and modern modern gravitate towards the “D” shape. Metal allows you to create any configuration from a classic barrel to an intricate bird's nest or pear.

As a finish, lining with natural stone, expensive woods, bricks, refractory plasters or tiles is used. Forging or inlay looks great in expensive models of portals.



When choosing a fireplace for your home, you should look not only at the external design, but also at the place of its future location.

According to the type of construction, they distinguish:

  • built-in (closed) - arranged in the recesses of the walls or specially designed niches, the portal does not protrude beyond the wall line;
  • semi-open - partially protrude beyond the line of interior partitions;
  • in the openings - corner options that can heat two rooms at once;
  • wall-mounted - based on the name, they do not have a support point under them, they are fixed on a wall or in a corner; as a rule, small in volume;
  • open.

Heat exchange

The principle of operation of the fireplace is simple. The distribution of heat in the room is carried out due to radiant energy from the fire and heating elements of the structure, which creates a slight movement of convection currents.

The impressive size of the chimney prevents carbon dioxide from entering the room. The draft is quite large, the required air velocity in the pipe is at least 0.25 m / s.

The heat transfer of a classic fireplace is small - 20%, the rest comes out through the pipe.




There are several ways to increase the intensity of heat transfer:

  • additional installation of side and rear walls of the structure;
  • the use of metal as a lining of the walls of the firebox;
  • equipping the portal with a refractory door that completely covers the firebox (for metal products).

On sale you can find a wide variety of ready-made fire-resistant steel fireboxes. Professionals recommend giving preference to cast iron models: they are insured against deformation at high temperatures. But the main guideline for finished products is the correspondence of the characteristics of the model indicated in the data sheet to the conditions of your particular premises.


Doors for metal fireboxes can be of various sizes and opening methods: up, to one side. Limiting the intake of air in closed structures ensures that the wood does not burn, but smolders. The walls of the fireplace heat up and supply the room with heat. In such conditions, one bookmark of firewood is enough for the whole night.

Limiting the open fire zone also affects the intensity of heating.

  • two walls of the portal on the sides - the power is only enough for small rooms; to increase the radiation, the side inner walls are shaped like a trapezoid with an extension towards the room.
  • one side panel - such forms contribute to increased air extraction from the room into the pipe, but heat radiation spreads over a larger radius;
  • the flame is open on all sides (alpine or swiss fireplaces) - inefficient for heating, although heat can be radiated in all directions.




Manufacturers of combustible biomaterials and pellets have also achieved a slowdown in the combustion process due to the peculiarities of the composition of the feedstock. They assure that their products increase the efficiency of heating to the level of a Dutch or Swedish stove.

You can also increase heat transfer by increasing the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe chimney: its surface heats up and can also serve as a heat source. For this, a heat exchanger is used - a ribbed insert in the chimney made of stainless steel. Its length is in the range from 0.5 to 1 m. The cross section of such a pipe must match the diameter of the chimney.




Forced air exchange

Knowing the features of air movement in the system will help to use flows to increase traction and additional heating of a private house. And also make the control of the heat supply intensity automatic.

Natural air exchange is used, as a rule, when the fireplace is stoked from time to time. An artificial one is more effective with frequent operation of the hearth or when the chimney system has a complex configuration. No matter how the number and length of the horizontal pipe elements are reduced, they manage to play their negative role.

The essence of the improvement is that the influx of external air increases traction, and ensures its constant value. It also removes air pockets that form when there is a large temperature difference inside and outside the building. There are no problems with kindling during the onset of cold weather in such a system.

To achieve this goal, one, and in some cases two or three fans are installed. They are built in at the air inlet to the furnace and on the path of the flow in the main channel away from the premises where people live. The best place is at the level of the attic or utility room. The gravity system does not overlap, and the amount of air entering the system increases immediately by 30-50%, the throughput is up to 600 m3 / h.

It is possible to automate the system with connection to a temperature sensor in the fireplace. It becomes possible to control traction with a remote control without getting up from the couch.



Special equipment is required - high-temperature centrifugal fans. Characteristics are selected based on the amount of air they can deliver and the pressure they put on the system. The latter indicator is determined by the pressure loss in individual sections of the pipe.

To equip you need:

  • air diffusers with protective grille;
  • heat-insulated air ducts made of galvanized stainless steel, adapters;
  • recuperator - the throughput of air heating is calculated with a margin for folds;
  • fans;
  • coarse filters;
  • throttle valves - needed to adjust the volume of incoming air.


In some cases, the air exchange system is equipped with a heater, which is installed above the position of the heat exchanger. This allows you to quickly heat a large amount of incoming air and not reduce the degree of heat.

It is possible to automate the entire system with connection to a temperature sensor in the fireplace. In this case, it is easy to control traction from a shield or remote control without getting up from the sofa.

Efficiency is increased if the pipes have an absolutely smooth inner surface and do not have a large number of horizontal and inclined joints. Ideal conditions are achieved with a round section of the chimney parts.

With all the advantages of such a solution, there are also disadvantages:

  • increased consumption of energy carriers - solid fuel and electricity;
  • the occurrence of fan noise - special silencers are required to suppress;


  • noise in the pipes - occurs when the chimney is small, improperly matched to the power of the furnace;
  • noise and vibration indicate a marriage during installation, are eliminated by repair.

Power

To clarify the values, there is the NF D 35376 standard, which was developed in France. It allows you to find out the rated power of the furnace in kW - the amount of heat that the model can provide for three hours of operation.

It is very important not to confuse it with the maximum values ​​that are usually indicated in the specifications for finished products. The fireplace reaches its maximum heating in 45 minutes after kindling, and these power values ​​are 2-3 times greater than its real capabilities.


Power is determined by the volume of the firebox: the larger its space, the stronger the nominal capabilities. The difference in the amount of energy for fireplaces ranges from 10 to 50 kW on average.

For reference:

  • for a cozy room of 10 m² with a ceiling height of 2.5 m, 1 kW is required for heating;
  • birch firewood (dry, moisture up to 14%) - 1 kg when burnt out, give 4 kW of energy.

Experts recommend choosing the power of metal structures by 10-15% more than indicated in the passport of the finished product, because laboratory indicators, as a rule, do not coincide with real ones under normal operating conditions.

The high power of the firebox allows, with the door closed, to heat the room faster and keep the temperature values ​​in the smoldering mode longer. It is not advised to use the maximum resource of the furnace for a long period of time, this will lead to its rapid wear.


The ability to supply the room with heat is provided not least by the dimensions of the model.

Dimensions

The scale of the object depends on the purpose of the installation. For purely decorative tasks, the values ​​\u200b\u200bwill be in direct proportion to the values ​​\u200b\u200bof other elements of the interior of a country house. Heating requires a different approach. It is necessary to calculate the power of the fireplace and associate it with the volume of the room.

Table

Basic values ​​for a classic semi-open fireplace.

To maintain a harmonious combination of the main structural elements, the following factors must be considered:

  • The height of the rectangular opening of the firebox is 2/3 in large fireplaces, and 3/4 of its width in small ones.



  • The depth of the furnace should be within the limits of 1/2 to 2/3 of the height of the portal opening.
  • The opening area is always in accordance with the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room - from 1/45 to 1/65.
  • The height of the pipe increases the draft, it is much longer in its values ​​than for a conventional furnace. The minimum dimensions for a fireplace chimney from the base - dry hearth or grate - must not be less than 5 m.
  • The diameter of the chimney is 8 to 15 times smaller than the area of ​​the room. The lower the height of its structure, the larger the cross section for an equal area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room.

For example:

  • for a bedroom of 15 m² with a chimney length of 5 m, the cross section will be 250x250 mm;
  • for a spacious living room of 70 m² with a pipe length of up to 10 m - 300x300 mm;
  • for a living room of 70 m² with a pipe length of 5 m - 350x350 mm.

Initially, the premises were heated "in a black way", that is, all the smoke from the hearth went straight into the room. When people got tired of the constant smoke and soot deposits on all objects in the room, they made a hole in the ceiling above the hearth. The next step was the installation of a pipe that improved traction. After that, the arrangement of primitive hearths became more complicated, new elements appeared. The article describes in detail the device of some of the most common models of modern fireplaces.


Device this fireplace considered classic. The design consists of:

1 firebox (a container where the combustion process takes place);

2 for the firebox and a basket (it is built into the firebox);

3 fireplace mouths - highlo (located above the basket);

4 lintels and ceilings (straight or arched ceiling);

5 Smoke box above the tooth;

6 Trumpet.

When building an "English" fireplace, the following requirements are met:

"French" fireplace

Unlike the "English" fireplace, the "French" one is less economical. This may be due to the milder climate in France than in the UK. His device does not have a smoke threshold. As a result, the chimney opening is much wider than in the "English" version.

Structural elements of the fireplace

heat shield (1), grate (2), cleaning doors (3)

In modern fireplaces, the efficiency is low. To increase efficiency and reduce the amount of fuel used, stove makers are developing various designs of fireplaces. One option is to include massive elements (thermal stoves) in the fireplace, which are heated by smoke and keep warm for a long time.

To ensure good draft, during the operation of the fireplace, it is recommended to clean the chimney from soot accumulated there. Most often, it settles in the bends of the chimney, where there is a change in the direction of smoke movement. So that cleaning the chimney does not cause inconvenience, in the process of laying the fireplace, stove-makers install special cleaning doors.
Almost all important structural elements of the fireplace are hidden. They are inside. The visible element is the portal. It frames the firebox. Currently, the portal performs only a decorative function. A fireplace mantel is attached to it.

Fireplace open and closed design: differences, features

The fireplace described above is. It is so called because the hearth in it is open. If the fire of the fireplace is separated from the room by doors, this design is considered closed.

Refractory glass can be used as In this case, the fire will be clearly visible, but the safety of using the fireplace will increase.
An open fireplace is usually installed in large rooms (dining rooms, lounges, living rooms). Ideally it will look in the rest room. Such a fireplace not only creates a feeling of comfort, but also performs its main function well - it warms the room. Its advantage over massive is the rapid heating of the structure. No need to wait until the thick walls of the oven heat up. The fireplace begins to heat immediately after ignition of the hearth.
If an open fireplace is installed in the room, this contributes to intensive ventilation. This feature of the fireplace is explained by the fact that warm air, heated by an open flame, is drawn into the chimney. Thus, for 1 hour, a working fireplace can provide the exchange of the entire volume of air in a medium-sized room.

The disadvantages of open fireplaces include the inability to use in small spaces. In such rooms there simply will not be enough air for the normal functioning of the fireplace. If you still want to install an open-type fireplace, then you need to foresee the possibility of feeding the fire with outside air.

Such a scheme for laying a fireplace is called a design with external heat exchange. In this case, the open fire is fed not only from the air from the room, but also from the street air. This masonry scheme is much more economical than the classic one, because the heated air remains inside the room, and does not leave through the chimney.

cast iron firebox with door

At the heart of closed fireplaces, as a rule,. These are standard elements that are finished products: a cast-iron firebox with a refractory glass door. When the door is closed, oxygen access to the fire is limited, so combustion is less inverse than in the case of an open design. When burning such a fireplace, less fuel is needed. It is more economical. The fireplace can work in smoldering mode for a long time and for several hours provide the optimum temperature in the room.
Such fireplaces have one drawback. During operation, the air in the room is very dry and begins to smell like burnt dust. Also, fireplaces with a massive cast-iron firebox get very hot.

To summarize: an open fireplace in a country house is ideal if you plan to melt it from time to time. However, you should not use it as an additional source of heat - after all, only 10-15% of the energy generated during the combustion of wood remains in the room, while most of it disappears.
Open fireplaces are for the soul!!!

All the best!

Wood-burning fireplaces have long been used by people to heat the room. It's nice to sit next to him in an easy chair with a cup of coffee or tea in your hands, watching the dancing flames ... But, unfortunately, such a fireplace is not suitable for all houses, not to mention apartments in high-rise buildings. But do not despair, because they can be replaced with electric fireplaces. . So how does an electric fireplace work? , how to install it, and how is it similar to the wood version?

Knowing how an electric fireplace works will help you understand how it works. First of all, it is worth noting that this device consists of two components: a hearth and a portal. The hearth is the place for the firebox, that is, the main part of the fireplace, and the portal is its outer frame.

Hearth happens built-in and interchangeable. Built-in ones are usually made for a specific portal, so installing it is quite simple. A replaceable one can be of almost any size, and therefore, the portal to it is selected in each case separately.

If the portal serves only as a decoration for the fireplace, then the hearth performs at least two functions: heating and lighting.

The indisputable advantage of the device is the possibility of its use in the summer heat. To do this, turn off the heating, leaving only the lighting.

Principle of operation

Looking at the jumping tongues of flame, one involuntarily thinks about how the manufacturers were able to achieve such an incredible resemblance to real fire.

In fact, several methods are used to create the effect of burning firewood. Here are the most popular ones:

  1. In the center of the hearth, “firewood” is placed, made of painted plastic bars. Strips of red matter are tied to them (in most cases, this is silk), and at the bottom there is an incandescent lamp and a fan. That is, the hearth in this case works as follows: the lamp, when heated, illuminates the firewood, and the fan drives the air from the bottom up, thereby waving the strips of matter. Despite the fact that this method is the most budgetary, such electric fireplaces look very good at work.
  2. More expensive models use a similar scheme, only slightly supplemented. In them, under the "firewood" is a rotating reflector. Thanks to this addition, the light emanating from the lamp gives a glare on the firewood, as a result of which the fluttering matter resembles dancing flames.
  3. In more modern models, fire imitation is achieved by projecting glare onto a cloud of water vapor and using multi-colored LEDs.
  4. Sounds of wood crackling from the fire come from the built-in speakers.

The electric fireplace copes with the heating function quite well, thanks to the built-in tenam or spirals. They can be placed both above and below the hearth. The fan built into the device drives the heat out of the fireplace and at the same time contributes to its cooling.

For most modern models, the electric fireplace device includes electronic control, thanks to which the device works almost independently. That is, you will need to perform only a minimum of actions, namely:

  • plug it into the power supply;
  • set the desired temperature in the room.

Upon reaching the set temperature parameters, the electric fireplace will automatically turn off the heating function and turn it on again when it drops, which is very convenient.

What should be considered when installing an electric fireplace?

Despite the fact that you can install an electric fireplace in almost any apartment, you must follow the following recommendations for installing it:

    1. The room must be well ventilated, because the device burns a lot of oxygen during operation, which is harmful to health.
    2. It is not recommended to brick the hearth into the wall, since access to it should be easy.
    3. It is not recommended to install a fireplace in front of windows and other light sources, since in this case the visual perception of the effect of burning wood is reduced.