ᐅ Issue with Chimney Sizing – Panorama Fireplace as a Room Divider

Good evening everyone,

We have planned a panoramic fireplace as a room divider in our living area.

The living area is about 60sqm (646 sq ft) with a volume of 150m3 (5,295 cu ft).

There are some nice fireplaces from well-known manufacturers that we find visually appealing, but in our opinion, all good fireplaces have a rated output between 9kW and 12kW.

According to online research, this is probably a bit too much... however...

Are there any experiences from people who have already had to make such a decision?

What happens if you simply use less wood...
(I know it is said that the glass then gets dirty more quickly – any experiences?)

Thanks in advance!

The key is thermal mass. The stove should not release heat directly into the room, but rather the storage material should do so. There are also ready-made stoves that can do this.

Exactly, the storage mass ensures that the heat output is spread over a longer period. Build a masonry heater with a long flue path and substantial storage mass. We had the stove built by Ortner because we were convinced by their air supply system and the simple, effective combustion control. We then discussed the design with the stove builder. Although our stove does not share heat between rooms, that is of course also possible.

The issue I see with this is the three-sided glass (see image).

So far, I haven’t found a good solution online for a panoramic fireplace with thermal storage elements.

There are some fireplace inserts with a nominal output of around 9 kW (performance range approximately 5 kW to 10 kW).

Has anyone chosen a 9 kW stove and have experience with it?

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I believe you shouldn’t choose a stove like this solely for aesthetic reasons; otherwise, it might end up serving merely as a room divider.

Therefore, the overall concept of your house is important, including whether you use underfloor heating, your personal temperature preferences, and an open floor plan.
The fact that some builders choose not to install such a stove should give you pause.
The idea of installing an expensive stove and then only using it occasionally, and on a very low setting, doesn’t make sense to me—especially since with a panoramic fireplace, you want to enjoy the full view of a real flame, not something as small as a lighter’s flame.
The more panoramic glass there is, the more heat escapes your room through it.
Regarding the supply temperature: you are providing some details, including ceiling height, room layout, planned usage, and whether there will be underfloor heating. However, as mentioned here, your focus should definitely be more on heat storage capacity than on panoramic features.

Hi @Abellio
I have a SCHMID 9kW stove used as a room divider. It also has quite a lot of thermal mass, including masonry built up to ceiling height.
We typically fuel it with about 3kg (6.6 pounds) of wood.
Our sofa is quite close to the stove, but we still enjoy comfortable temperatures.

Does the photo above show your house?

@hampshire: great fireplace!
I recommend getting an ash vacuum cleaner. Definitely worth it 🙂