"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?


Are the doors rated to be closed with the fire going? Many are not. The
glass will not let the heat come into the room.

Fire places are for looking at. Most of the heat in a house will go up the
chimley.
The wood should be cut for a long time or much of the heat will goto boiling
the water out of the wood. For wood cut about 1 foot lengthwise it is
about 6 months drying time. Longer will take much more time. The diameter
or if it is split or not does not seem to mater much. Trees are made to
suck water up longways so ineffect you have a bunch of long tubes.