Fire Works Masonry

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Hampton, New Jersey: Swedish Five Channel Masonry Heater

July 22, 2009 by admin, under Fire Works Masonry News.

The home's existing masonry fireplace.

The new owners of this 1970’s Colonial home were delighted to find a secluded, beautiful wooded lot in the rural North West New Jersey. The family decided to take advantage of the ample woods in the surrounding area as a way to reduce energy bills and their impact on the environment. After researching clean and efficient wood burning appliances they arrived at the best choice for burning cordwood: a masonry heater.

The home had an existing traditional, inefficient wood burning fireplace. The fireplace is centered in the home, dividing the kitchen and living room.

Hampton existing masonry fireplace.

After a consultation with Fire Works Masonry and a review of the existing home and fireplace, the decision was made to demolish the existing fireplace and move ahead with an efficient wood burning masonry heater. The location of the fireplace in the home was ideal for the radiant heat of the masonry heater.

The kitchen view of the rear of the existing fireplace.

The family decided to renovate the original kitchen and open up the floor plan. The heater’s bake-oven and radiant heat will both warm the kitchen.

The existing fireplace is demolished and removed to a local recycling center. The fireplace’s foundation was modified to accommodate the new masonry heater . Once the foundation work is completed, a new concrete hearth pad is poured and capped with a course of firebricks.

The new masonry heater hearth pad with firebrick base course

The double wall firebox and side channels start.

The side heat exchange channels are started along with the firebox.The all

The all firebrick core continues. After the firebox , the hot combustion gases flow up under the bake-oven floor.

The core throat under the oven floor.

The hot gases from the firebox then hit the soapstone oven floor. The floor is individual soapstone blocks bolted together with stainless steel threaded rod for strength and flexibility during the intense heat cycles. The soapstone floor will be an excellent conductor to warm the oven floor.

$The completed white bake-oven with soapstone floor and castable refractory capping slab.$

The completed white bake-oven with soapstone floor and castable refractory capping slab.

After passing and warming the bake-oven, the combustion gases flow up behind the oven and over the oven top.

The heater throat behind the white oven. The triangular wedge divides and directs the hot gases to the two side downdraft heat exchange channels.

The first high temperature capping slabs direct the combustion gases into the side downdraft channels.

The final upper heat exchange chamber directs before the chimney connection.

Once the inner core is completed, the outer liners of the side heat exchange channels begin. White ceramic blanket strips form a gasket bewteen the core and narrow firebrick liner. A strip of black high temperature silicone is the final seal on the heat exchange channel before the brick facing begins.