A fireplace in a private house is not only an interior decoration. It heats the room, creating a comfortable environment. This is a complete furnace, which must be selected and operated in accordance with all the rules. There are many varieties of fireplaces that meet a wide variety of operating conditions. There are options for both a private house and an apartment. How to choose a fireplace will be described in detail below.
Fuel type
How to choose a fireplace for a house or apartment?
First of all, you need to take into account the capabilities of the room in which you plan to complete the installation. Today on sale are two main varieties of heating fireplaces:
The first of these options is smaller. These are compact devices that do not require a chimney. Fireplace flame is not real. It can be very similar to it, but heat is produced by heating elements. Since the electric fireplace does not need a chimney, it is easy to install it in the apartment.
How to choose a wood fireplace for the house? This is a real stove, which is built primarily from refractory bricks. This design is heavy, so a separate foundation is created for it. To install a wood stove in the house, you will need to create a chimney in accordance with existing safety requirements. The room in which such a fireplace is installed should be large. Otherwise, the stove will look bulky and inappropriate.
It is worth noting that an electric fireplace is a safer device. For its proper operation, new wiring is required. The power of the heater can be large. The calculation of this indicator is carried out in accordance with the overall quadrature of the room. Another advantage of the electric fireplace is the ease of installation and operation. Many modern models are equipped with a remote control, which greatly increases the comfort of use.
Wood burning fireplace
How to choose a wood burning fireplace? It is worth considering several features of such furnaces. They are used more often not for the purpose of heating a room, but as a specific interior object. This is due to large heat loss. Due to the presence of a chimney, from 60% to 70% of the heat generated during the burning of firewood will leave the room.
But the presence of a fireplace in the room with a real living flame allows you to create an incredibly cozy atmosphere. Peacefulness and comfort will reign in a private house. If you want to create a complete heating system, the fireplace will need to be improved. The furnace is equipped with special thermal insulation, and also special devices are additionally mounted in the system. This, for example, can be a fan, which will return a significant part of the heat back to the room. Such refinement allows to increase the heating efficiency by 2 times.
When considering how to choose a wood fireplace, it is worth considering that there are different designs of stoves. They can give off heat in one, two or even three planes. The first of these options is the most common. It is relatively inexpensive, and also characterized by maximum efficiency.
It is worth noting that for a private house, you can also choose a gas fireplace. It has great heat dissipation. With proper installation, such a fireplace will be as efficient and safe as possible. In this case, you do not need to harvest firewood. However, for this a country house must be connected to a centralized gas supply system.
To install a gas fireplace in the house, you will need to obtain a special permit. The system must comply with established requirements. Therefore, the house is being refurbished, allowing the operation of gas appliances. If desired, this equipment can be installed in the apartment.
For wood and gas fireplaces put forward the most serious requirements for fire safety. Electric fireplaces should also be operated in accordance with established rules, but in this case, installation is much simpler, does not require special permission.
Where to install a fireplace?
How to choose a fireplace stove for a house or apartment? There are different designs. The choice of location for installation depends on the characteristics of the room, its dimensions. So, if the fireplace is installed directly in the wall, there should be sufficient space in front of it. Typically, this type of installation is suitable for spacious rooms. Moreover, it is worth noting that wood and gas fireplaces can be installed only at the stage of building a house. Otherwise, a major overhaul will be required, which will require a lot of effort and time from the owners. Electric fireplaces usually do not mount in this way.
You can install a fireplace near the wall. Cut the oven into it is not required. This is an easier installation type. The disadvantage is the fact that more free space is required in the room. The pipe through which the combustion products will be discharged will pass between the front surface of the fireplace and the wall, rising up.
Another option for direct installation of fireplaces is to install at a certain distance from the floor surface. This option is suitable exclusively for an electric fireplace. If there is relatively little space in the room, this option is preferred. An electric fireplace located in the wall in this way will visually expand the room.
Another interesting option is to install a hearth in the corner of the room. Studying how to choose a fireplace stove for the home, this installation option is worth considering as one of the best. For wood varieties, installation in the corner allows you to visually reduce the massive structure. There will seem to be more space in the room.
When installing the corner fireplace, the chimney will be held in the thickness of one of the walls. For the furnace, you need to equip a solid foundation.
If the room is very large, a separate fireplace will help to harmonize the design, giving it coziness. This type of installation is quite rare, but in the presence of a large amount of free space it is preferable.
Cladding
When considering how to choose a fireplace for a country house, you should pay attention to such an important aspect as cladding. This is a mandatory part of the design, which forms the style and appearance of the furnace. At the same time, the style of the interior in the room is taken into account. So, it would not be appropriate to install a hi-tech fireplace in a wooden house. In such an interior, it would be inappropriate.
On sale are fireplaces, the cladding of which can be made in one of the 4 most popular styles. It can be a fireplace in the style of hi-tech, country, classic or modern. If the interior has a different design, you need to choose the cladding that most matches it.
How to choose a fireplace? The lining should be appropriate for its size. For a small firebox, you should not choose a too massive portal. It is also worth considering the dimensions of the room. A large fireplace, like a massive cladding, will be appropriate in a spacious room. Such an oven can heat the room. But if you install a similar fireplace in a small room, it will "burn out" too much oxygen. The room will be uncomfortable, air humidity will be low.
It is also worth considering the quality of the insulation of the room. The better it is, the smaller the fireplace and its lining can have. If the ceilings in the room are high (from 3 m), and panoramic windows are installed, it is definitely required to install a large fireplace. It will allow to qualitatively heat the room, even with significant heat loss.
The best option for decorating a fireplace is framing made of artificial stone. This is a rather expensive material, but the exposure will look stylish and spectacular. Artificial stone is a durable, wear-resistant and unpretentious material for maintenance. Such a frame for the fireplace will be a good addition to the interior in different styles.
For cladding, it is also customary to use natural stone. You can combine different breeds of it, for example, onyx with granite or marble.
Another good option is the use of ceramic tiles. Often it imitates a natural stone. But you can use decorative tiles, especially if the interior is created in the Scandinavian style. The size of the plates should be small.
Firebox
How to choose a fireplace for a summer residence, private house or apartment? Be sure to pay attention to the device and the dimensions of the furnace. On sale are many fireplaces with ready-made cladding. It perfectly matches the size of the oven itself. But sometimes these elements have to be selected separately. It is important to purchase a firebox first. The frame is already selected for it.
It is important to immediately decide what type of fuel the fireplace will work on. Species running on wood, gas and electricity have significant differences.
It is also important to consider the shape of the firebox glass. It should match future cladding. Glass can be straight, prismatic, rounded, angled, double-sided or rectangular.
It is important to pay attention to the choice of material of the furnace itself. This is a fundamental issue on which the features of the equipment. Fire chambers can be made of steel or cast iron. Each variety has certain advantages.
Considering how to choose a furnace for a fireplace, it is worth noting that cast-iron stoves are more powerful. Typically, the cost of such varieties of equipment is higher. Cast iron is not afraid of the highest heat, while it is durable and has good heat dissipation. If the task is to qualitatively heat a large room, it is worth choosing this particular furnace option.
Steel furnaces weigh less and are also cheaper than cast iron structures. On sale are fireboxes that differ in a variety of shapes and sizes. They have a good overview of the fire, since they have a larger glazing area. However, steel is less durable than cast iron. The life of such a fireplace usually does not exceed 10 years. Cast iron furnaces can work for 25-30 years.
A few more nuances regarding the choice of the furnace
When considering how to choose a firebox for a wood fireplace, it is worth considering that one of the important factors is the type of door opening. The comfort of operation of the fireplace depends on this. The door can open sideways or up. In the first case, the firebox is somewhat cheaper. If the door opens up, it has a lifting mechanism. This slightly increases the cost of the furnace.
But the appearance of the fireplace will be much more aesthetic. The door sticking out to the side not everyone will like. However, it is also worth considering another point. The simple design endowed with the side-opening door is reliable and durable. It does not require repair for a long time. The mechanism of the door opening upwards will require replacement earlier.
When studying how to choose a fireplace for the home, you should pay attention to the presence of additional functions. For example, it can be blown glass. This allows you to maintain good visibility of the fire.
It is also desirable that the furnace has the function of secondary afterburning. The vast majority of modern fireplaces are endowed with it. Efficiency of work depends on this.
Double afterburning is based on the separation of the air flow that enters the combustion chamber directly from the room. One part of the air masses gets into the furnace. She is involved in the burning process. The second part of the oxygen enters, passing between the walls of the furnace and the heating chamber. This is the burning of residual fuel that remains inside. So the burning time of the fuel increases, which saves energy. The efficiency of the device increases. Much less combustion products, which can be toxic, enter the atmosphere.
Safety regulations
When considering how to choose a fireplace stove, you should also pay attention to the proper operation of this equipment. Equipment that complies with fire safety regulations should be selected. It is not necessary to purchase a firebox or other elements of the fireplace if the corresponding documentation is not attached to them. It is also worth noting that the purchase should only be done by trusted sellers.
Users must adhere to the established rules for the operation of heating appliances. You will need to complete the installation exactly as directed by the equipment manufacturer. It is impossible to neglect such advice, since in case of improper installation there is a high probability of a fire, carbon monoxide poisoning, etc.
You can only light a fireplace after checking the draft in the chimney. To do this, take a burning chip or paper. If fire and smoke are pulled up, there is draft. It is possible to produce ignition. At the same time, flammable substances (gasoline, kerosene, etc.) are contraindicated.
Do not install furniture or other objects near the fireplace. In the furnace you cannot dispose of waste that may contaminate the chimney. This can lead to reduced traction and improper system operation. If there are young children in the house, it is strictly forbidden to leave them unattended.
During the operation of the fireplace, you must use the tools intended for this. It can be a poker, tongs. There should also be a protective screen, which increases the safety and comfort of operation. These are important aspects that need to be taken into account, being interested in how to choose a fireplace.
Power
Being interested in how to choose a fireplace for an apartment, it is worth considering the power of the unit. The choice depends on the dimensions of the room, as well as the total amount of heat loss. Heating power is calculated in kilowatts. To choose the right fireplace, you will need to multiply this figure by 20–25 (depending on the height of the ceilings, the size of the windows, the type of insulation, etc.). So it turns out the volume of the room in cubic meters, which is able to heat the stove.
So, for example, if the fireplace has a power of 7 kW, then it will be able to heat approximately 150 m³ of the room. The more power, the more massive the furnace will be. For a small room, a steel furnace of 3-5 kW is quite suitable. If you need to heat a large space, you should choose cast-iron varieties of furnaces.
Additional or full heating?
Answering the question of how to choose a fireplace, it should be noted that it can be used as the main or additional source of heating. If the room has batteries, the power should be selected in accordance with their work. If the stationary heating system is able to qualitatively heat the room, you can purchase an electric fireplace. He can turn off the heating function in general. Only the decorative flame in the firebox will remain. If the batteries do not cope with the functions assigned to them, you need to choose a fireplace with the appropriate power.
Additional functions
Considering how to choose a fireplace, it is worth noting that modern models can have many additional functions. A popular refinement is the grill function. In this case, it will be possible to cook food on an open fire. There are also models with a barbecue function.
Some fireplaces can heat water. This greatly enhances the functionality of the equipment. For such purposes, the design provides for special improvements. Water can be used for domestic purposes or for an additional heating system.