What is more profitable fireplace or stove. What is better fireplace or stove

What to choose? Stove or fireplace?

The answer to the question of what to choose a stove or depends, first of all, on the main practical purpose of the hearth, as well as on the lifestyle and established habits of family members, on the room in which the hearth should be placed, and on the location of the rest of the furniture in the room.

Since any stove and any fireplace (except decorative) always has a greater mass than any piece of furniture, its location in the room is best experimented by sketching on paper first. However, there are quite objective criteria that determine the location of the fireplace. Read more on how to position the fireplace.


The choice of the type of stove/fireplace is determined by the tastes of the individual and also by the space in question, so it is not possible to give comprehensive recommendations as to which type of Fireplace would be most appropriate to meet the various needs of particular families. This article discusses only some of the general rules and issues that should be studied in detail by anyone who intends to choose a hearth for their premises before making a final decision.

The first question you should ask yourself is: why is a hearth needed in this room?

1. Stove or fireplace as a heating device

To maintain a constant air temperature in the room, a small power is required (less than 1 kW, as a rule, 0.3 ... 0.6 kW per room), but it must act evenly over a long time. This means using a very small flame, a heating device of small size or with a low surface temperature (in the range of 35 ... 40 ° C). This is most easily achieved with the help of large massive stoves, heated once or twice a day.

The second circumstance that must be taken into account when choosing a stove or fireplace as a heating device is to find out what a person expects from heating. "Heating" is a term used to refer to two significantly different concepts:

    heating to increase the air temperature (for example, in autumn in a bathhouse or in a summer house);

    heating to maintain a constant air temperature (for example, in the main apartment).

To increase the air temperature, a certain power (kW) is required, moreover, the greater in magnitude, the faster they want to increase the air temperature in the room. In practice, this is achieved either as a result of using a large flame (when a large thermal radiation is achieved), or as a result of a high surface temperature of the heating device.

A number of heating devices are suitable both for increasing the room temperature and for maintaining a constant room temperature. An example is a heating and heat storage fireplace (Fig. 1), which has a connecting device to the chimney both in its upper part (when using the fireplace in summer mode) and in the lower part (when using the fireplace as a heating stove during the heating season).

Rice. 2 - Principal graph of the relationship between the efficiency of many heating systems and the degree of their use. The lower the degree of use of the heating system, the lower its efficiency and the greater the fuel consumption (the figures on the graph explain the example in the text): 1 - heat loss, 2 - heat accumulator, 3 - heating battery, 4 - heating system boiler


Rice. 3 - Fuel consumption is the greater, the greater the excess of the required power for the selected system in a given residential building and for a given family

In addition, there are various additional devices for stoves and fireplaces, with which you can quickly get a lot of heat (to increase the air temperature in the room). When these devices are closed, the hearth turns into a heat storage device (to maintain a constant temperature in the room).

The question of the functioning of the hearth as a heating device (used to raise the temperature or maintain it constant) is the most important when choosing the type of hearth.

1.1. Heating of a residential building. In order to choose the right heating device for a permanent home, the owner must have an idea of ​​the required heating capacity for his apartment and the required amount of fuel for this.

In the conditions of our country, as a rule, it is not required at all to heat residential premises for about three to four months. The most common need for heating, the power of a residential building with a useful area of ​​​​about 100 ... 120 m 2 is 3 ... 4 kW. Peak demand for heating power (12 kW) occurs only during short periods with intervals of 3 ... 5 years. The length of time during which half the peak demand (ie 6 kW) is required to be used is only a few of the most severe frost weeks.

Most of the fuel (2/3 ... 3/4) is consumed during heating according to the most common heating power consumption mode (3 ... 4 kW) and only about 10% of this amount of fuel is consumed when using half of the peak heating power (more than 6 kW).

From what has been said, it follows that a good heating system would have to function efficiently in a very wide range of thermal power. Unfortunately, the ratio between the coefficient of performance (COP) of both modern systems (heating) and the degree of their use remains the same, as shown in fig. 2. The lower the degree of their use, the lower the efficiency and the greater the fuel consumption.

From the analysis of the data given in fig. 2, it follows that:

    if a heating system with a power of 12 kW is chosen for heating a small residential building with an efficiency of this system of 75% for a design power of 12 kW (this efficiency is very high), then if this heating system is operated at a power of 3 kW (i.e. That is, with a degree of use of 25%), the efficiency will be only 19%. Therefore, the fuel consumption increases by more than 5 times compared with theoretical calculations;

    if a heating system with too high power (for example, 25 kW) is installed in a residential building for greater reliability, its efficiency at an actual power of 3 kW (with a degree of utilization of the installed power equal to 12%) will decrease to 9%; in other words, fuel consumption in this case will increase by almost 11 times compared to the calculated value;

    if a heating system with a capacity of only 6 kW is installed in a residential building, then the efficiency of this system when it is operated at a power of 3 kW at a utilization rate of 50% is already about 40% and fuel consumption is only 1/2 of the corresponding value for a power of 12 kW and only 1/4 of the corresponding value for a heating system with a power of 25 kW.

Thus, the most favorable in terms of energy and fuel consumption is an excessive excess of the heating system power in comparison with the calculated one.

How is the heating of the above-mentioned residential building carried out during the period of several frosty weeks, if the demand for heating power exceeds 6 kW? In such a residential building, a second, auxiliary, system is installed, which is used only during these few frosty weeks. Such a system is called a twofold system. Despite the higher capital costs (for the purchase of equipment), such a heating system will always be more economical in terms of fuel consumption. Even if the capacity of a wood heating system is only 50% of the maximum capacity requirement, however, only 90% of the required amount of heat can be generated with its help. The share of the auxiliary heating system in this case is only 10% of the required amount of generated thermal energy.

Rice. 4 - If the hearth is intended for heating the entire residential building, then care should be taken in advance about the correct distribution of heat in the house. The hearth should be placed in the center of the room (A). It is necessary to ensure the required heat transfer, for example, with the help of valves (b). Despite the fact that air heating provides efficient heat distribution (V), however, this heat distribution may stop when the electric heating devices are de-energized. Warm air will freely rise up even in the absence of electricity in the house (g); 1 - common room 2 - kitchen 3 - bedroom, 4 - hallway, 5 - dining room

The final choice of a heating device for a permanent living space also depends on whether the purpose of this device includes the function of heating a residential building completely or only one or several rooms. If it is required to heat only part of the rooms with this device, then its heat output should be low (less than 1 kW), but continuous for a long time. The most typical hearths of this type are brickwork ovens and various brick walls with internal cavities (Fig. 1). If a residential building is heated completely, then this device must have a higher surface temperature or be larger than a stove designed to heat one room. These types of fires are hollow brick walls and some prefabricated fires that can be connected to a heat distribution network. In this case, special attention should be paid to the uniform distribution of heat throughout the apartment (Fig. 4).

1.2 Heating of the cottage represents a more difficult task than the continuous maintenance of the normal temperature of a permanent living space. At first, the country house needs to be heated quickly (high power demand for a short time) and then kept warm (small power demand for a long time). As a rule, the best end result is achieved by choosing the appropriate heating devices for each case.

Fireplaces, hearths such as wood-burning stoves, fireplace stoves and some hearths such as fireplaces, in which circulation and heating of room air are carried out, are suitable for quick heating of a living space. To maintain a constant air temperature in the room, such heavy hearths as brick stoves, combined fireplace stoves, kitchen stoves (cooking stoves), etc. are most suitable.

If only one hearth can be installed in a country house, a brick oven in the form of a stove will be most appropriate. Its burner sheet functions as a device for quickly heating the air in the room, and the heavy frame serves as a heat accumulator. As other alternative solutions on this issue, various hearths, fireplaces or stoves with additional devices can be considered.

2. Using the oven for cooking

Of the hearths intended for cooking (Fig. 5), the wood-burning stove is distinguished by the most versatile use. With it, you can cook, fry, heat, stew, bake. The oven is suitable for baking bakery and confectionery products, as well as for cooking that requires long stewing in pots to bring to readiness. The various grilling hearths and roasting racks may only be used for cooking meat.

If the hearth is intended mainly for creating comfort and cooking, then it is usually placed in the recreation room, on the veranda, in the kitchen in the yard, under the grill shed, in the fireplace room, etc. Outwardly, this the hearth has a very attractive appearance. Typically, these are open hearths, hearths for grilling or grilling, as well as smokehouses and sometimes small stoves (Fig. 6).

Rice. 5 - Despite the talk about the energy crisis, there is a tendency to increase the heating efficiency of an open hearth by building heat-storage hearths. An open hearth is not a heating device, but only a source of mood and decoration of the room


Rice. 5 - The incinerator must ensure combustion at the highest possible temperature. The grate, visible through the lower air intake window, is a grate located between the third and fourth layers of bricks

If the hearth is used daily or almost daily for cooking, its location should be the kitchen, summer kitchen, annex, shed, etc. Since stoves, ovens, grills and grills are also intended for use in the summer, it is advisable to ensure the removal of excess heat from them to the outside. The most common solution is to equip the hearths with an over-tiled hood (smoke box) with smoke and steam removed to the outside through a large diameter pipe. In winter, heat losses during cooking can be used for space heating by closing the chimney dampers.

3. The hearth as an interior decoration and a source of mood

The human desire to enjoy the lively play of flames, the crackling of fire, warmth and even the smell of smoke led to the use of the hearth as a source of mood. Such foci are always placed near the premises for the stay of people. Often these hearths are largely adjacent to the rest of the interior and correspond to its style (Fig. 5). At the same time, it is important to pay attention to the heat transfer of the foci, which should not be too large so that people do not experience discomfort from the heat.

The most typical hearth that creates comfort in the premises is a fairly open fireplace.

Recently, in connection with the problem of energy saving, many have become unjustifiably critical of the use of a fireplace, since an open fireplace is not intended for space heating. They strive to improve the thermal characteristics of the hearth by developing and creating, in particular, heat-storing hearths, combined fireplaces with an open hearth and stoves with an open hearth, hearths that circulate warm air, energy-saving hearths, hearths equipped with an entrance dampers, etc. However, all such hearths are compromises between two opposing needs: efficiency and romance. Romanticism is created through the use of a large and voluminous fire chamber, and efficiency, i.e. heat generation, is ensured by the use of a small closed fire chamber.

4. Stove or fireplace as a waste disposal device

Open hearths, stoves, stoves, brick ovens under boilers, hearths under grates for frying, stoves and stoves are not at all intended for burning waste. Obviously, many have themselves experienced how, when cardboard plates, plastic glasses, sausage peels and other garbage are burned in the fire chamber of the bath, smoke covers the entire surrounding area.

High temperature is required for effective destruction of waste. The higher the operating temperature of such a device, the less smoke and smell occurs when waste is burned. Waste should be burned outdoors in the most peaceful and protected area of ​​the site. Burning is carried out in large quantities in a certain sequence. On Fig. 5 shows a "barrel furnace" for burning waste, located in the thick of trees and shrubs. Garbage accumulates next to the barrel oven in a place protected by bushes. Waste is burned 2-3 times a year. Burning is started by filling the barrel oven with safe waste - pieces of wood, knots, paper, grass, etc., poured with fuel oil and then set on fire. The round shape of the barrel oven contributes to the rapid increase in temperature inside it. During the first 3-5 minutes, the above-mentioned waste is burned, after which it is possible to load plastic, fabrics, etc. After 20-30 minutes of operation of the barrel oven, hardly burning waste can be burned in it almost without smoke: rubber galoshes, plastic canisters and even glass. Less than one hour is required to destroy the many months of incinerable waste of a family of four. To maintain the temperature inside the barrel oven during burning, it is necessary to have a supply of dry firewood, chips or scraps of boards. Metal barrels for burning garbage are unsuitable. They become so heated that it is impossible to approach them, and, moreover, their walls burn out quite quickly.

5. Other circumstances affecting the choice of stove or fireplace

The dimensions of the hearth, as a rule, are determined based on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room in which it will be built.

The shape of the hearth, in turn, depends on the specific interior and place in the room. If the issue of maintaining the style of furniture in the room is important for the family, then the appearance of the hearth should correspond to this style. In some cases, this may be a tiled stove, in others - an ascetic brick vertical stove without any surface finish. The shape of the base for the hearth is chosen depending on whether the hearth will be placed along a straight wall, in the corner of a room, or will be a kind of dividing wall between rooms.

Design features and the general layout of the house can also affect the choice of hearth. If the house has a loose floor with a wooden flooring that is weak in design, then a brick hearth cannot be erected on it. In this case, the only alternatives remain light in design, prefabricated hearths. They are also suitable in cases where there is no brick pipe in the house or it cannot be built.

What heating device to install in a private house? This question is asked by many users. The use of this or that hearth should be carefully thought out, because the comfort of living for your entire family will subsequently depend on it. The system must be efficient, well-designed and appropriate for the size of the heated room.

Such a hearth as a fireplace is usually used in small dwellings, as it is characterized by average indicators and is an additional means of heating. In small-sized country houses, the hearth will be very out of place.

In city apartments, the installation of a traditional wood-burning device is not provided, because the hearth requires a foundation and smoke channels. In this case, an alternative device is suitable - electric fireplace. The design of such a sample is practically no different from a conventional device, the fake firewood laid in the firebox plausibly imitates the combustion process, but the power of the structure is characterized by its high performance. Thanks to the installation, you can not be afraid of turning off the centralized heating system, the hearth will maintain the temperature mark at the proper high level and provide the optimal microclimate of the home. Among other things, a device of this type will increase the status of the owner, thanks to the possibility of exclusive design of the decorative space of the house.

In what cases should a heat-intensive furnace be preferred? A heat-intensive stove today refers to powerful fireplace installations equipped with a water circuit. The heating system is able to fully heat several adjacent rooms of a country house, therefore it is considered the main heating device.

Modern stoves are strikingly different from the primitive brick structures of the last century. Today it is a stylish piece of furniture, equipped with a spectacular cladding, with high heat dissipation and storage capacity.

A heat-consuming stove is installed with the expectation of heating a large room, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich is at least eighty square meters. If you have given preference to this hearth, then you should consider the issue of procurement and storage of fuel.

It is up to you to decide which heater to choose, but for greater reliability, you should consult with furnace specialists before purchasing it.

One of the advantages that the owners of all private houses have is the ability to choose a heating system. Of course, at present, an increasing number of them prefer "apartment" options - boilers and heaters, because they are more practical and functional. However, the fireplace and stove did not disappear without a trace and are also used quite often, because they have always been identified (and continue to do so) with real living warmth and comfort.

Fireplace or stove - which is better?

Thinking about what to install in the house: a fireplace or a stove, many people cannot make a final decision for quite a long time. But making a choice is actually not so difficult, you just need to think a little ahead.

For example, first of all, you need to decide what functions the system you are installing will perform, only heating or also cooking. In the latter case, you will definitely need an oven.

The next thing to consider is the amount of work that needs to be done. Of course, if the house is still at the stage of project development, then there is not much difference what to choose, apart from personal preferences. But in the finished building, the difference between the equipment of the fireplace and the stove will be significant. The latter, for example, will require a lot of space for its base, as well as laying chimney channels, including between floors, we read - how to make a chimney with your own hands. The fireplace in this regard is less demanding and easier to install.

Although, on the other hand, ready-made metal structures are currently being sold, even attached ones, which only need to be overlaid with bricks to get a real furnace. The coefficient of efficiency (hereinafter - efficiency) of such a furnace reaches 80 percent, while it is much lighter and easier to install in the traditional version.

So today the dilemma, stove or fireplace, is solved only by one's own sympathies and preferences, or by installing a hybrid system. I want to advise you on how to make a fireplace with your own hands.

Hybrid stoves and fireplaces.

One of the hybrid varieties of stoves and fireplaces is a fireplace stove, which incorporates the advantages of both a stove and a fireplace. Its main advantage (especially for those who rarely heat the house and do not visit it regularly) is the ability to quickly heat up and retain heat for a long time. All this is ensured by the design of the device, because the fireplace stove combines 2 fireboxes at once in one case, one of which is equipped with a glass door.

In addition to these features, the hybrid system also differs from the fireplace in the principle of operation: the fireplace heats the room due to the fire in the open firebox, and the fireplace stove heats the heat coming from the walls. The efficiency of the latter is 70-80 percent (for comparison: the efficiency of the fireplace is only 15 percent).

By the way, in addition to heating the room, the fireplace stove also allows you to cook food, for this it has special burners. True, the temperature of cooking, as you understand, is extremely difficult to adjust here.

Stove or fireplace video

A wood stove or fireplace is a long-term investment. Therefore, determine in advance the appropriate model and its location. The heater is selected depending on the size of the area to be heated (). Will it be one room or the whole house? When choosing the power of the heater, consider the design features of the house, the materials used for its construction and insulation, and the climatic features of the area. It is advisable to consult with an experienced specialist in advance. Here are some general tips.

1. Consider air circulation.

For effective heating of the room, take into account the air circulation: warm air rises, and cold air descends.

Therefore, when choosing a stove or fireplace, consider their placement. You may need to purchase a ceiling fan or other appliances. If the fireplace is located on the ground floor, and the second floor is also planned to be heated, you need to see how warm air will be supplied there. The first option is free circulation. But then the heating will be uneven: in distant rooms it is colder and they warm up longer. And if the premises are isolated (the door is closed) - they will not warm up at all, or the warming up will be very long. The second option is to separate the sleeves with warm air, when warm air flows from the heater through the duct and enters the room through the ventilation grill. Here you need to consider how long you need to pull the sleeves - for a long length, you may need a special fan.

2. Use the full amount of heat.

A wood-burning stove emits infrared rays around itself as it heats up evenly. To maximize this heat, position the stove in the middle of the room. In practice, the following types of oven location in the room are used:

  • Location in the center of the room. Heat is dissipated 360 degrees around the oven. Around there are no obstacles for the spread of heat. This is the most advantageous arrangement of the furnace.
  • Wall location. With this installation option, heat is dissipated by 180 degrees. The space in front of the oven remains free. This method is the most common.
  • Corner location. Used when you need to save space. This arrangement gives only 90 degrees from the heating sphere. For

3. If you plan to cook on the stove - take care of the ease of use.

Often a wood-burning stove is placed in the living room, as usually the kitchen, dining room and living room are connected and located next to each other.


4. Remember the basic safety rules.

Be sure to consider fire safety requirements when planning the placement of the heater. Take the utmost care of the safety of your living quarters. Organize the protection of objects that are unstable to fire.

5. Consider where and how the chimney will go.

The issue is especially relevant if there are residential premises above the heater (second floor, third floor, attic, etc.)

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