What's up with info on building your own chimney? Very little information on the web and on this website. Does anyone have any information the "how to" with respect to a chimney. Also chimney vs. woodstove. Is it just as efficeint?
Chimney's could and do service both fireplaces and wood stoves .
So if your comparing firepleces to woodstoves , wood stoves are more efficient than fireplaces , by far.
Isn't chimney mainly a reference to the Mexican version of a fireplace, or do other cultures refer to it as a chimney also? I made quite a few trips to Mexico.
I used to build woodstoves and fireplace insert models of woodstoves. As PEG said - a good stove is much more efficient. It's more like most fireplaces are to look at- stoves are to heat with, although the Rumford fireplace models are improved.
Chiminea... if I got the spelling right... are those things from Mexico. Like a self contained firepot/fireplace with short chimney. Better than a campfire in some ways. Outdoors use only. Nice ones at
http://www.thebluerooster.com/
As was said; a good airtight wood stove beats a fireplace hands down.
Not to mention that the design of a fireplace could be a discussion forum in its own right.
Fair amount of science goes into designing a fireplace with its chimney.
The information on the Rumford fireplaces may tell you a lot. This site gives you plans, instructions, and places to buy components that might be difficult to make. They are shallow, reflect heat into the room well, you may not even need andirons or a grate.
If you have to have a fireplace, well, remember that Ken Kern wrote that he liked Rumfords.
There is a link on this page to Superior Clay's chimney pots. I think I need some--where I'm going to put them, I'm not quite sure.
http://www.rumford.com/
But I think woodstoves generally have stovepipe coming out of them, either with or switching to the insulated stuff to go through the roof. Sizing is pretty important.
Then you could always get a heated cob bench. These are always home made, violate every rule known to human-kind, and are reputedly absolutely wonderful. I think they use stovepipe as well, both inside the bench and for the upright chimney. This link--I've posted it before--is to the new revised edition of the book on them.
http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com/rostforcobbu.html
I installed my wood stove by myself, not knowing anything about it, two years ago and it works great...no probs...I gained alot of info from the following link.....lots of help here... www.hearth.com hope this helps....it helped me... 8-)