anyone with first hand experience and stainless firebacks?

[caspian]

I built an outdoor fireplace and would like to maximize my heat output (and maximixe the amount of time i can use it through the year).

I have been reading about firebacks, but most of the articles are from places that sell them (biased). I am a welder so i can make a custom sized stainless fireback for my fireplace, but don't want to go to the time and effort if there is little or no reward.

it makes sense that it would reflect the heat outward, but I would also think that it would get sooty/blackend and may diminish the effect.

does anyone have first hand experience with before/after addition of a stainless fireback?

Thanks
Caspian

[david s]

Re: anyone with first hand experience and stainless firebacks?

Stainless moves a lot on heating and could cause you problems. 19th century fireplaces used cast iron extensively.

[caspian]

Re: anyone with first hand experience and stainless firebacks?

I saw the cast iron ones, but i think the theory behind those is that the cast iron absorbs the heat then when the fire dies down, the cast iron releases the heat in the room as it cools.

since this is for outdoor use, i'm not really worried about the heat after the fire goes out. I am looking to maximize and directionalize (if thats a word) heat while the fire is going.

[okn]

Re: anyone with first hand experience and stainless firebacks?

I've seen the stainless done with indoor gas fireplaces and it really throws out the heat. Great looking too, if you're into the modern look. I would think that if your burning wood it would blacken the stainless and you would lose quite a bit of the heat reflection... don't really know for wood. For gas it was beautiful and effective.

[mrchipster]

Re: anyone with first hand experience and stainless firebacks?

I've seen the stainless done with indoor gas fireplaces and it really throws out the heat. Great looking too, if you're into the modern look. I would think that if your burning wood it would blacken the stainless and you would lose quite a bit of the heat reflection... don't really know for wood. For gas it was beautiful and effective.

A Rumford designed fireplace is built to radiate as much heat as possible into the area directly in front of it. It was were i started when I got diverted and ended up building my WFO. I could not find a suitable place to put the fireplace so... I now cook food.

Chip

[brickie in oz]

Re: anyone with first hand experience and stainless firebacks?

A properly built brick fireplace puts out heaps of heat.

[caspian]

Re: anyone with first hand experience and stainless firebacks?

A properly built brick fireplace puts out heaps of heat.

that's relative to how many people you want to put in front of it. I can sit 4 people in front of it and get enough heat on a 45 degree F evening. However, i'd like to make it comfortable for 12+ people.

i'm trying to maximize the radius of heat. If you have a design for a brick fireplace that is 44" wide and puts out a radius of 15 feet on a chilly evening, i'm all ears.

[brickie in oz]

Re: anyone with first hand experience and stainless firebacks?

Heres one I prepared earlier.
Its 1600 mm wide and is too hot to stand too close for any length of time.



And in use.

[brickie in oz]

Re: anyone with first hand experience and stainless firebacks?

By the way Brickie that is a very pretty fire place. Does it have the ledge poking out from the back wall above the fire? (I forget what it is called, but it meant to absorb heat that would otherwise go straight up the chimney)

Its called a smoke shelf, it also acts as the venturi (high/low pressure) to accelerate the gases.
The back is rolled slightly forwards to deflect the heat better.

[brickie in oz]

Re: anyone with first hand experience and stainless firebacks?

as far as throats/transitions goes,

I have thought about designing a throat/venturi for oven use but all it would do is complicate the matter for those with no masonry experience.

[david s]

Re: anyone with first hand experience and stainless firebacks?

Stainless will not stay shiny for too long in a wood fireplace. Apart from getting dirty from the smoke the high heat will tarnish it so its bright finish will not last. It is also way less conductive than than normal steel although I don't know how this would affect performance as brick is way less conductive than any steel.

[caspian]

Re: anyone with first hand experience and stainless firebacks?

excellent discussion. i learned a lot, and will not go forward with the stainless heat back. I didn't design it like Oz's, and that looks like a great one. My next step is to modify mine with a flue to adjust the heat flow. thanks again.

[brickie in oz]

Re: anyone with first hand experience and stainless firebacks?

I can if you want get measurements from mine, you may have to wait though as Ive just lit if for lunch time.