"cthorne" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,
We just installed a Majestic BC36 fireplace and I'm not very impressed
with the heat output. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? The area being
heated is about 800 square feet (living room, dining room, and kitchen)
and has a 16' cathedral ceiling over the living room. We have blocked
off the rest of the house either by curtains or shutting doors to keep
the heat in that one area, the house is only 10 years old and well
insulated. But I can only get the temperature up to 58F in the living
room with the fireplace burning full tilt (it is about 32F outside
today). I have the fireplace vented to outside air and it has glass
doors on the front, the damper is supposedly non adjustable (all the
way open or closed). There is also a circulation fan installed in the
fireplace that evidently draws air in through the top vents of the
fireplace, circulates it around the firebox, and puts it out in the
bottom vents, but it is a meager air supply. I've even tried putting a
small fan in front of the lower air vents and it does seem to draw more
heat through, but not enough to make much of a difference. Does anyone
have any tips or suggestions, or was my expectation for this fireplace
just too high? Perhaps if I could modify the damper to keep it
partially closed it would make a difference?

IMO and experence those fireplaces are of no practical use for heating a
house but look nice with the fire behind the doors. With the doors shut most
of the heat goes up and out and with them open you create more body heat
burning up energy throwing logs on than it puts out, as it burns so fast.
When you go to bed it lets the room heat go up and out when the fire burns
down and you can't close the damper until the fire is out.
I put in an "air tight" wood insert into the hole and now get heat and fuel
efficiency, the insert will burn all night. Nothing like wood heat, but
those fireplaces are just plain worthless for heating.
Sorry about your choice.

CR