ᐅ Is having a fireplace still practical in new construction homes today – any experiences?
Created on: 20 Mar 2018 23:34
P
PSK
Hello!
My wife and I are currently in the planning phase for our single-family home and are wondering whether a fireplace still makes sense today, although we would like to have one.
To give some background: we both grew up with a fireplace and have always found it very appealing. There is just something special about a fire, and the “pleasant warmth” is great. For that reason, we always intended to install a traditional wood-burning fireplace with an open flame in our house. Specifically, we would like a real eye-catcher integrated into a wall, visible from two or three sides.
Almost every homebuilder we spoke to said that this no longer makes economic sense in modern houses and is more likely to cause overheating. However, it would be possible with all of them. Even a fireplace installation company advised against it. We are currently planning a system with an air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating throughout the house (about 155m² (1,670 sq ft)), built to KFW55 standard (timber frame). A wall-integrated fireplace would have around 8 kW output, which is far too much. If at all, they recommend installing only a small freestanding fireplace with a maximum of 2-3 kW if we absolutely want one. But we don’t like those due to their size.
Thinking it over, I see the point of these arguments. In this setup, you have a consistent indoor temperature of about 21°C (70°F). You don’t really need a fireplace anymore. The companies estimate heating costs of around 500 euros. A cubic meter of firewood costs roughly 80 euros if you buy it prepared. So, potential cost savings are almost zero. And the chimney along with the fireplace and all the accessories would cost about 8,000 to 10,000 euros. Visually, it would also never quite look how we imagine it. Without a fireplace, we wouldn’t have an intrusive edge in the rooms and could position the doors more freely.
We also had a striking experience: about a year ago, we visited friends who had recently built a house and also have a fireplace. They proudly lit it even though it was already 22°C (72°F) inside, thanks to house automation and pellet heating. Although they barely put any wood in—so the fire was mostly smoldering—the fireplace kept running at full power. After two hours, the temperature reached around 26°C (79°F), and we were sitting in T-shirts (with -10°C (14°F) outside) in the living room. Another hour later, at 29°C (84°F), just before overheating, the friends opened the windows. The takeaway: expensive heat, a poor fire that I then effectively blew out the window!
What are your experiences with or opinions on fireplaces in modern homes?
Thanks in advance!
Best regards
Steffen
My wife and I are currently in the planning phase for our single-family home and are wondering whether a fireplace still makes sense today, although we would like to have one.
To give some background: we both grew up with a fireplace and have always found it very appealing. There is just something special about a fire, and the “pleasant warmth” is great. For that reason, we always intended to install a traditional wood-burning fireplace with an open flame in our house. Specifically, we would like a real eye-catcher integrated into a wall, visible from two or three sides.
Almost every homebuilder we spoke to said that this no longer makes economic sense in modern houses and is more likely to cause overheating. However, it would be possible with all of them. Even a fireplace installation company advised against it. We are currently planning a system with an air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating throughout the house (about 155m² (1,670 sq ft)), built to KFW55 standard (timber frame). A wall-integrated fireplace would have around 8 kW output, which is far too much. If at all, they recommend installing only a small freestanding fireplace with a maximum of 2-3 kW if we absolutely want one. But we don’t like those due to their size.
Thinking it over, I see the point of these arguments. In this setup, you have a consistent indoor temperature of about 21°C (70°F). You don’t really need a fireplace anymore. The companies estimate heating costs of around 500 euros. A cubic meter of firewood costs roughly 80 euros if you buy it prepared. So, potential cost savings are almost zero. And the chimney along with the fireplace and all the accessories would cost about 8,000 to 10,000 euros. Visually, it would also never quite look how we imagine it. Without a fireplace, we wouldn’t have an intrusive edge in the rooms and could position the doors more freely.
We also had a striking experience: about a year ago, we visited friends who had recently built a house and also have a fireplace. They proudly lit it even though it was already 22°C (72°F) inside, thanks to house automation and pellet heating. Although they barely put any wood in—so the fire was mostly smoldering—the fireplace kept running at full power. After two hours, the temperature reached around 26°C (79°F), and we were sitting in T-shirts (with -10°C (14°F) outside) in the living room. Another hour later, at 29°C (84°F), just before overheating, the friends opened the windows. The takeaway: expensive heat, a poor fire that I then effectively blew out the window!
What are your experiences with or opinions on fireplaces in modern homes?
Thanks in advance!
Best regards
Steffen
G
garfunkel21 Mar 2018 15:03I have a renovated old building and wanted to install one as well. The stove fitter immediately recommended one with lower output to avoid overheating.
What you can do to check this in advance is to place an electric heater with similar power in the corner of the fireplace and run it at power level 1, 2, or 3 for a few hours.
That gives you an idea of how it will approximately behave.
I borrowed a 5 kW (kilowatt) electric heater for this and had to tap into a high-voltage power cable.
When running at full power for a longer time, it gets quite warm rather quickly in my case.
The room was about 55 m² (590 ft²).
It’s better to keep the door open to the rest of the living area. It’s probably similar to @ypg’s experience.
But for me, it’s mainly about being able to lie down by the fireplace in the evening for 1 or 2 hours or read a newspaper by the crackling fire.
It’s not intended as a primary heating source in my case.
With KfW 55 or lower energy standards, I see more of a problem than enjoyment with such a stove.
It depends on the rooms involved.
What you can do to check this in advance is to place an electric heater with similar power in the corner of the fireplace and run it at power level 1, 2, or 3 for a few hours.
That gives you an idea of how it will approximately behave.
I borrowed a 5 kW (kilowatt) electric heater for this and had to tap into a high-voltage power cable.
When running at full power for a longer time, it gets quite warm rather quickly in my case.
The room was about 55 m² (590 ft²).
It’s better to keep the door open to the rest of the living area. It’s probably similar to @ypg’s experience.
But for me, it’s mainly about being able to lie down by the fireplace in the evening for 1 or 2 hours or read a newspaper by the crackling fire.
It’s not intended as a primary heating source in my case.
With KfW 55 or lower energy standards, I see more of a problem than enjoyment with such a stove.
It depends on the rooms involved.
S
Steffen8021 Mar 2018 15:03Joedreck schrieb:
Then you haven’t understood the principle of controlled residential ventilation. It doesn’t extract air from the living room and blow it directly into the bathroom; instead, it extracts, for example, 24°C (75°F) warm air from the living room and uses that energy to preheat the air for the bathroom. So, the air is distributed indirectly. I was already aware of that. But I have often heard people say that controlled residential ventilation distributes heat...
garfunkel schrieb:
For me, it’s mainly about spending an hour or two in the evening relaxing by the fireplace or reading a newspaper by the crackling fire. It’s not intended as a primary heating source. That’s why I think it’s even more important to ensure that the indoor climate doesn’t get disrupted when you light the fireplace. As cozy as a fireplace can be, it’s equally frustrating when it only serves as a decorative feature in situations where you’d actually like to use it.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Bautraum2015 schrieb:
Everyone should take a chainsaw course and cut down their own tree sometime; it really builds up physical strength [emoji6] Chainsaw?
Course???
Their own tree???
What kind of wimp did you marry?!
Does he get safety goggles and protective shoes for his birthday?
Lumberjack male? - Has anyone not seen Monty Python's The Meaning of Life?
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
I think it’s all the more important to ensure that the indoor climate doesn’t get disrupted when you light the fireplace. As cozy as a fireplace can be, I find it equally frustrating when it’s only decorative in situations where you would actually want to use it.Nooooo?!
My house regularly gets headaches when the fireplace is on [emoji23][emoji16]
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