A fireplace is no longer just a beautiful thing for the atmosphere. In a modern private house, a properly installed fireplace with a hot air distribution system can heat the entire house. Without gas. Without a boiler. Without dependence on tariffs. DimProBud decided to share how it works in practice and what we actually do at the facilities.
A regular open fireplace heats only one room and, to be honest, it doesn’t do it very efficiently – most of the heat goes into the chimney. A closed fireplace insert made of cast iron or steel with an efficiency of 75–85% is a completely different matter. It accumulates heat and gradually releases it into the room.
But the real magic begins when an air distribution system is connected to the furnace - Hydro Air or simply ducted air system. The principle is simple: hot air from a fireplace insert does not just go into one room, but is distributed throughout the house through air ducts. Each room has a ventilation grille through which warm air enters. A house of 150–200 m² can be evenly heated from one insert.
When we install a fireplace with wiring on site, the system consists of several parts.
Fireplace insert — the heart of the system. We choose closed furnaces with a convection chamber: the air is heated around the furnace and fed into the air ducts. The furnace power is selected according to the area of the house: usually 10–18 kW is enough for a house of 150–200 m².
Air ducts — metal or flexible heat-resistant channels with a diameter of 100–150 mm, which are laid in interfloor ceilings, walls or technical corridors. Planning the wiring is a separate part of the design: it is important to correctly calculate the length and number of branches so that the pressure and temperature are uniform.
Fan (turbine) — is installed behind the firebox and forcibly supplies heated air through all channels. The system also works without it, but only due to natural convection — less efficiently and with a smaller radius of action.
Grilles and diffusers — endpoints in rooms. You can choose one for any interior: from simple metal ones to designer wooden ones.
There is an important point here that many people miss. But DimProBud warns that the wiring system from the fireplace will be effective only in an insulated house. If the walls, floor and roof are well insulated, a wood-burning stove is enough as the main heating. If the house is very heat-permeable, no system will heat it effectively.
That's why we often combine the installation of a fireplace system with insulation at our facilities. When the house retains heat and the fireplace distributes it evenly, the result is felt immediately.
Installation of a fireplace insert with an air distribution system for a house of 150–200 m² in Lviv costs approximately UAH 80,000 to 150,000, depending on the insert, the complexity of the distribution, and the number of points. This is a one-time investment, after which the only heating costs are firewood, which is quite affordable.
Compare that to a gas boiler, plus the monthly gas bill, and the math becomes obvious after just 3–5 seasons.
So, the «fireplace + wiring throughout the house» system is the optimal solution for a private house or cottage from 100 m², where there is an opportunity to lay air ducts (most conveniently at the construction or major renovation stage). If you want independence from gas, a live fire in the living room and even heat in each room - this is exactly what we do.
Contact Dimprobud for energy-efficient home renovations — we will come out, evaluate the home, and offer a solution for your property and budget.
Approximately 8–12 cubic meters of dry firewood per season — depending on the insulation of the house and winter temperatures. In a well-insulated house, the consumption is significantly lower.
Yes, and this is a popular scheme. A fireplace is the main or backup heating on cold days, a heat pump is for the off-season and automatic temperature maintenance. The systems do not conflict with each other.
A must. A high-quality insulated modular chimney is part of the system. The correct cross-section and height of the chimney affect the draft and, accordingly, the efficiency of the furnace.
