Inglenook to line or not to line?

[MdB]

Just thinking aloud:

Reasons for fire bricks:

1) Increase the combustion temperature - The insulation properties of the fire bricks will cause the temperature of flame to rise. An increased temperature will cause more efficient / complete burning which will produce more heat and less soot / tars etc for the same amount of fuel.

2) Reduce the maximum temperature of the stove metal work by reducing hot spots. The fire bricks will cause the heat to be spread out so there is less chance of a hot spot causing damage. Although the fire bricks are insulators, the average temperature of the stove metal work will actually be higher with the bricks in place than without for the same amount of fuel which is counter intuitive.

3) To direct IR heat through the glass of a stove rather than via the metal walls.

4) To allow smaller amounts of fuel to be successfully burnt so that the stove can be run at lower heat outputs.

5) To act as a heat store so that the stove is easier to relight if the fuel runs out.

The above are just my thoughts and could be wrong. Corrections please.

 

[philpjuk100]

Yes that makes a lot of sense,I suppose its"horses for courses"and I would certainly not wish to have my home made workshop stove in my living room!as it is burning rubbish I am not too worried about efficiency and it will not be used as "multifuel"coal costs too much!phil.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

MdB - thanks. It's the counter-intuitive one that made me pose the orginal question. Why would I want to, in effect, insulate the interior of my stove. But your other points make a lot of sense.

Guess I am also in the market for replacement bricks as my stove has almost none left. :roll:

 

[MdB]

MdB - thanks. It's the counter-intuitive one that made me pose the orginal question. Why would I want to, in effect, insulate the interior of my stove. But your other points make a lot of sense.

If you assume that the amount of fuel is the same (true) and the losses up the chimney are the same (not likely to be true) then adding the insulation in the form of fire bricks will cause the cause the centre of the stove to rise until the heat lost through the insulation is the same. As there will be better combustion, more heat will be produced and hence slightly higher temperatures will be reached by the outside of the stove. First law of thermodynamics.