Useless fact of the day #0052

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2) 01/09/2020 at 21:00 • Filed to: USELESS FACT OF THE DAY, Little Known Facts

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A random aside: Old houses often don’t have fireplaces suitable for wood fires. Two of the three in my home are designed to heat the house via coal. Coal = soot and the fireplace is still covered in it. The walls would be cleansed of their soot using Playdough™. Yes, it used to be wall paper cleaner before it was a child’s toy. When people stopped needing to clean their walls because they had switched to another form of heat, the company took out the detergent and sold it as a toy, directly inspired by the creativity of one teacher.

Some sooty electric candles for your time

SiennaMan > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/09/2020 at 21:09

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This is the second time I’ve heard this fact in less than 2 weeks. How odd.

It also reminded me of how all these kids crafts call for pipe cleaners, presumably because they were once ubiquitous for people to clean pipes..

Chariotoflove > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/09/2020 at 21:12

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Mine is set up for gas. We tried to use wood a few times, but it doesn’t really work out. 

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/09/2020 at 21:15

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A common upgrade was to plu mb a wood/coal stove into the existing chimney. I’ve seen many an old house with this setup and it works quite well.

facw > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/09/2020 at 21:26

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Old houses often don’t have fireplaces suitable for fires. Two of the three in my home are designed to heat the house via coal. 

I mean coal fires are still fires? If that’s what you are getting at? Granted there are lots of other reasons why old fireplaces might be unsuitable for fires, but for the most part, they were all suitable for some sort of fire at some point.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > facw 01/09/2020 at 21:32

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Edited: *Wood fires

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/09/2020 at 21:32

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I want to do that to my fireplace, but for pellets. 

facw > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/09/2020 at 21:38

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Thanks, wasn’t sure if I was misunderstanding you.

If you live anywhere cold, a gas retrofit should be pretty tempting. It’s not as nice as a real wood fire of course, but being able to fire it up quickly and cleanly is nice too. My mom’s places in England all had had their coal fireplaces retrofitted, and my parents did two of the three fireplaces at their home in the states as well.

Aremmes > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/09/2020 at 21:49

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I don't think that's quite right. Your picture shows a Rumford fireplace, which is very much intended to keep a fire. With any fireplace, though, one has to adjust the flue to retain heat inside the room instead of it escaping up the chimney. In trying to find the right adjustment, some soot may flow into the room, and presumably in the old days people were less bothered by that than today.

functionoverfashion > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/09/2020 at 21:51

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Our house was built in 1987 but has a big brick fireplace. “Cute” I said. While measuring the dimensions to get the largest wood-burning insert I could get. It barely fits, but it’s warming my toes as I type this.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Aremmes 01/09/2020 at 22:21

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The post has been edited. By my understanding, it was designed to burn coal in a basket that would keep heat much longer than a wood fire. Yes, the flue adjustment still works but I don’t want soo ty walls and I wasn’t naughty this year (no coal). The fireplace is effe ctiv ely useless, being so shallow, though a gas retrofit is possible. I am intrigued by your fireplace knowledge, tell me more.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 01/09/2020 at 23:08

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My neighbor growing up had a pellet stove. I always thought it was funny because it looked like our chicken feed.

Aremmes > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/09/2020 at 23:28

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All I know comes from Wikipedia and my experience with the fireplace in my current residence, as I grew up in a place that has no need for home heating.

If your flue doesn't seem to work and you know it's not obstructed, then it means it's not warm enough yet to produce a draft.