ᐅ Fireplace and Underfloor Heating – Is Forced Air or Heat Storage More Efficient?
Created on: 21 Nov 2021 17:36
E
erazorlll
Hello dear forum members,
We have planned a masonry fireplace as a divider between the living room and dining room in our new build.
=> Link to the planning thread
(the planned fireplace extends further into the room, unlike the current layout)
The primary goal is purely aesthetic (fire) and creating a cozy atmosphere. Heating is secondary since we have underfloor heating. Additionally, there is a controlled ventilation system. I am aware of the cost versus benefit issue and that this is purely a luxury feature.
The room where the stove will be installed is approximately 50m² (540 sq ft) with large windows.
I have repeatedly read about overheating problems in rooms when the stove is oversized or when there is simultaneous underfloor heating. Opening a window to compensate doesn’t really make sense.
I have now received two offers from stove builders, but they gave me different advice and would construct the fireplace differently.
Option 1: 12 kW as a convective fireplace (air intake, passing by the stove to be heated, then released back into the room) plus firebrick (refractory brick) storage.
Option 2: 11 kW as a storage fireplace with firebricks, without any convective air circulation.
Both fireplaces seem quite powerful at 11 and 12 kW. I raised the issue of overheating with both providers.
Option 1 says that with the air circulation, the room can heat up quickly when the outside temperature drops and the underfloor heating can’t keep up fast enough. The storage bricks would then release heat after the fire goes out. Without the convective air, the fireplace would be ineffective because it would take too long to warm up. Overheating is not a problem.
Option 2 says the underfloor heating is sufficient to heat the room, so a convective system would heat the room too quickly and cause overheating. The storage fireplace would deliver heat slowly and evenly, helping to prevent overheating. The glass door of the fireplace provides enough heat for short-term needs, so no additional convective air is required.
Now I wonder: who is correct, or which solution is more reasonable?
Thank you for your assessment and help.
We have planned a masonry fireplace as a divider between the living room and dining room in our new build.
=> Link to the planning thread
(the planned fireplace extends further into the room, unlike the current layout)
The primary goal is purely aesthetic (fire) and creating a cozy atmosphere. Heating is secondary since we have underfloor heating. Additionally, there is a controlled ventilation system. I am aware of the cost versus benefit issue and that this is purely a luxury feature.
The room where the stove will be installed is approximately 50m² (540 sq ft) with large windows.
I have repeatedly read about overheating problems in rooms when the stove is oversized or when there is simultaneous underfloor heating. Opening a window to compensate doesn’t really make sense.
I have now received two offers from stove builders, but they gave me different advice and would construct the fireplace differently.
Option 1: 12 kW as a convective fireplace (air intake, passing by the stove to be heated, then released back into the room) plus firebrick (refractory brick) storage.
Option 2: 11 kW as a storage fireplace with firebricks, without any convective air circulation.
Both fireplaces seem quite powerful at 11 and 12 kW. I raised the issue of overheating with both providers.
Option 1 says that with the air circulation, the room can heat up quickly when the outside temperature drops and the underfloor heating can’t keep up fast enough. The storage bricks would then release heat after the fire goes out. Without the convective air, the fireplace would be ineffective because it would take too long to warm up. Overheating is not a problem.
Option 2 says the underfloor heating is sufficient to heat the room, so a convective system would heat the room too quickly and cause overheating. The storage fireplace would deliver heat slowly and evenly, helping to prevent overheating. The glass door of the fireplace provides enough heat for short-term needs, so no additional convective air is required.
Now I wonder: who is correct, or which solution is more reasonable?
Thank you for your assessment and help.
E
erazorlll15 Dec 2021 12:02Thank you again for your support. I just wanted to give a brief update on the result:
We have now decided on a storage fireplace only. The decisive factor was the discussions with the two stove builders, where we simply felt more confident about the storage fireplace in terms of overheating as well as heat output. I also looked up heating curves for different stove types online, and again, the storage fireplace gave me the better impression.
I will report back next winter on whether it was the right decision.
We have now decided on a storage fireplace only. The decisive factor was the discussions with the two stove builders, where we simply felt more confident about the storage fireplace in terms of overheating as well as heat output. I also looked up heating curves for different stove types online, and again, the storage fireplace gave me the better impression.
I will report back next winter on whether it was the right decision.