Glass Doors Fireplace Efficiency

Fireplace inserts are metal boxes usually.

Glass doors fireplace efficiency.

Another item of big concern to me is that most fireplaces are incorrectly built and the only reason more homes do not burn down is that the fireplaces see little or no use. Hot air rises and when the heat that was generated from the fire finds its way up and out of the chimney it tends to siphon all of the warm air in the room along with it. Doors will increase the efficiency of your fireplace. Wood burning fireplaces while wood burning is becoming less viable in heavily populated areas if it s still.

Glass fireplace doors raise the efficiency somewhat but only to about 20 percent. Constructed for a surface mount these doors sit outside the fireplace opening against a flat surface and help reduce heat. Glass doors are an important component of your wood burning fireplace stove or insert. If you leave your glass doors open when your fireplace is not in use within a short period of time you would notice a dramatic change in your home s temperature.

Fireplace doors are almost never tight enough to prevent cold air from backdrafts when the fireplace is. The loss of radiation heat transfer to the room when the glass doors on the fireplace are closed is significant and the overall efficiency is reduced georgia institute of technology furthermore an article published by osborne and hansen titled improving fireplace efficiency states that. They help to reduce heating and cooling costs. An inside fireplace with doors may perform well but an exterior one is not going to be very efficient.

As we discussed there are several solid reasons for doors on fireplaces. The result is a small gain in efficiency. However that s not all these exceptional glass doors do also have multiple other advantageous aspects including energy efficiency. According to claudia chandler assistant executive director of the california energy commission a generic open masonry fireplace wastes 85 of the produced heat through the chimney.

The drawback is that the glass can also reduce the heat that reaches the room by half even a mesh screen reduces radiant heat by 30 percent source. Glass doors reduce the loss of room air up the chimney and still allow you to view the fire. With the advent of powder coatings and industrial lasers designs have become almost limitless. Ceramic glass doors can produce a small efficiency improvement but are stunningly expensive.