ᐅ Experiences with a Fireplace with Water Jacket

Hello everyone,

A friend has inherited a semi-detached house from the 1950s. The energy consumption per square meter is about 280 kWh (I assume this is actual consumption and not demand – depending on previous usage patterns, it might even be a bit higher). She is now considering which heating technology to use going forward. Currently, there is a 30-year-old gas heating system installed. A builder has recommended a wood stove with a water jacket. At first, I was skeptical, but I have to admit I don’t exactly understand how it works. What heats the water jacket? Is it connected to the existing heating system and feeds into the heating buffer tank, or is it a separate system?

There is wood available (inherited along with the house), but I’m not sure about the time or willingness to keep loading wood regularly. I’m also concerned that, due to the poor building envelope, the water jacket would have to be quite large to effectively support heating overnight, for example.

My gut feeling is that she should simply install a new gas condensing boiler.

Thanks for your opinions.

Hi,

The fireplace or wood stove (it must be designed for this purpose) is connected to the heating and hot water system. When the fireplace is in use, a (sometimes significant) portion of the heat is transferred to the hot water system. The fireplace does not overheat the living space; any excess energy is utilized.

The hot water storage tank needs to be properly sized, as does the stove.

This setup is not very cheap. You have to open up walls or floors, install the piping, and connect a new stove or modify the existing one if possible.

In my opinion, this should be considered a supplementary system, not the primary heating source.

Given the house’s mentioned energy consumption, it could make sense to implement it, especially if large amounts of free firewood are available.

The 30-year-old oil heating system is certainly far from optimal. Since it needs to be replaced soon or immediately, I would primarily focus on that, and consider the rest if the budget allows.

Best regards,
Thorsten

Okay, thank you. It uses gas, but yes. Rumor has it that it will cost 2500 € (about $2,700), but the offer is still missing – she would forward it to me then. I’m afraid they’re only buying the stove and that the full installation will be extra, but we’ll see.

Wood would be an option, but there’s no interest in grilling – sorry, I’ve always wanted to say that.

BeHaElJa schrieb:
Okay, thanks. It’s gas, yes. Rumor has it that it costs 2500 € (about $2,700), but the quote isn’t available yet – she would forward it to me then. I’m afraid that only the stove is included and the entire installation comes on top, but we’ll see.

Wood would be an option, but they just don’t feel like grilling – sorry, I’ve always wanted to say that.

I’m afraid that only the piping installation is included; the stove itself is extra. You probably won’t get it for around 2,500 € (about $2,700) easily…

Good hydronic stoves started at around €4,000 (approximately $4,300) last year, not including installation. The high upfront costs led my friend to have a gas condensing boiler installed without a stove in her newly purchased older home.

I would first consult an expert before making any investments. Especially in older buildings, there is often potential to save on energy costs if you know where the issues are and the work is done properly.

She probably already had an expert on site who created a plan along with a cost estimate – but everything is expensive, and in the end, she has to decide what, when, and where. I believe that for non-experts, this is simply not always easy to grasp. Everything really has its advantages, and the professional craftsmen are also enthusiastic about their products – not because they want to make money, but because they genuinely believe in them – sometimes just without fully considering the cost factor.