fireplaces- advice on placement in house

[Dandelionkid]

We are building on an acreage. Apparently you can get fireplaces now that push warm air up into the air vents to heat the whole house. So should we put the wood-burning fireplace in the basement to assist with air-flow? It is a bungalow and the kitchen and living area is upstairs with the bedrooms. Two bedrooms down eventually with the fireplace and rec room. 

We were then thinking of putting a gas fireplace on the main level.

Thanks for any opinions you can give me!

[babyfarm]

We have one of those in our current house.  We installed it three years ago, but we don't have a basement, so we put it in an enclosed patio area.  That has worked fine for us, ours has a blower, so it blows the air into the vents.  Sometimes I will also turn on the house fan in the original heating system still attached to the duct work.  Our fireplace is meant to do 3100 sq ft, but our house in 3500sq ft (and OLD - built in 1914, so not insulated well) and we stay nice and warm - except for upstairs where we did not hook up to the duct work.  We love ours and will be taking it with us when we move.

[limette]

A fireplace or a wood stove? A fireplace is a huge heat waster but a wood stove would heat things up nicely, with or without a blower.

[hildare]

yes.. basement!  for several reasons.  the heat will rise through the floors, even without the vent system.  also, it's wonderful for keeping the dirt down.. you wouldn't believe how much stuff gets tracked in with the in-and-out with the wood, even if you are super careful.  assuming your basement has outside doors. 

[Dandelionkid]

Thanks for the tips. I know wood stoves are very efficient but I have been reading about modern fireplaces and if you get the right one it seems like they can be just as efficient. We need it to blow into the ducts - I don't know if a wood-stove could do that?

[forestrymom]

IF I had a woodstove/fireplace, it would go where there is easy access to the outside, and easy access to the woodpile, where you don't have to track throughout the house. They are MESSY. I grew up with one and while I love the heat, I'm so glad I don't have one now. We put in an outside boiler. Its much more efficient, heats the ENTIRE house with never a change in the temperate (even when it gets -40F outside for weeks on end in the winter), AND the mess is outside. They are an investment, and really only worth it if you plan to keep the home for a LONG time (although I suppose you could take it with you when you left). We have absolutely no problem heating our $2000 sq ft home, AND our shop, AND it will probably heat the greenhouse when we get the money/time to put one in!

[Caneel]

Is this a traditional wood burning fireplace?  or a fireplace insert?  We are considering an insert.

[babyfarm]

I think ours is technically called a wood FURNACE.  As far as cost goes it was only about $1500.00 three years ago when we bought it.  They've gone up a little since then, but ours paid for itself in the first few months of getting it.  The outdoor ones we looked at were $10,000. - it would take years to get our money back on that and we're perfectly happy with the one we have, but placement near a door and where you won't mind the mess is a plus. 

[Dandelionkid]

Originally Posted by forestrymom 

IF I had a woodstove/fireplace, it would go where there is easy access to the outside, and easy access to the woodpile, where you don't have to track throughout the house. They are MESSY. I grew up with one and while I love the heat, I'm so glad I don't have one now. We put in an outside boiler. Its much more efficient, heats the ENTIRE house with never a change in the temperate (even when it gets -40F outside for weeks on end in the winter), AND the mess is outside. They are an investment, and really only worth it if you plan to keep the home for a LONG time (although I suppose you could take it with you when you left). We have absolutely no problem heating our $2000 sq ft home, AND our shop, AND it will probably heat the greenhouse when we get the money/time to put one in!

Cool- I checked those out- I love them but I don't think we can afford it with everything else right now but I did research it!

[hildare]

caneel.. we got a buck stove insert and it ROCKS.  it can be used as a freestanding stove too, but it's in a fireplace that's designed for an insert. 

Edited by hildare - 4/19/11 at 6:26am