Anyone come across a 'serpentino' for improving the efficiency of an open fire? Basically a coiled metal tube with a fan which draws in cold air which the serpentino warms and convects back into the room.
After a faff with the Maplins 110V transformer not working & having to order another, the blower from Woodland Direct is in the hearth and proving much more efficient at heating the large main living area in our house than the original open fire. Even without the 2 speed fan, if the fire is hot enough, the pipes kick out a warm air flow into the room rather then just up the chimney. If I could work out how to ,I'd upload a photo. Required absolutely no modification to the existing fireplace. Not a cheap option (altho a lot cheaper than a woodburner installation). i'll let you know how it performs as/when we have sub zero temps outside..........
Had a quick look at the Tifon website but it seems they are all complete fireplace/grate arrangements. Yes it is 110volts so needs a step down transformer - they can be bought from Maplins in UK for £15 to £20, in Italy they are probably available, esp at US bases like Vicenza or Camp Darby... if you can get to a PX.
I gave up on trying to source a serpentino or make one, so have ordered one from Woodlanddirect.com. Cost shipped is US$800, I reckon 2.7% import duty & 21% IVA on top. Should arrive in a couple of weeks & I ll post details of how effective it is & the final cost. I tried to get the proprietario to agree to pay the cost of installing a wood burner if we paid for the burner but he wasn't interested. At least this fireplace blower and tube system requires no special installation & we can take it with us when we go.
Thanks for everybody's help and advice - much appreciated. The 'grate heater' option ie pipes sounds as though without a blower pushing cold air through the pipes, the system is not very efficient. There needs to be a big temperature difference between inlet and outlet to create a flow, and as the pipes heat, the difference reduces to nil, allegedly - hence the need for a fan, which can be noisy according to some users. As all devices, Jetmasters or grate heaters, would need to be shipped, making them v costly, the option of splitting the cost of a woodburner and its installation with the landlord (if he goes for it!) is looking more attractive, especially as they are very efficient and available locally. However, I'm not giving up on this yet, and do like the idea of constructing a grate heater out of gas pipes - cheap and relatively easy if you use threaded joints rather than welds
Here s the link. http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Fireplace-Accessories/Fireplace-Heaters-Blowers/Fireplace-Heater-for-Zero-Clearance-Fireplace-4-TubesI e I emailed the company and hence the shipping quote of $500 to Italy. I ve found nothing similar in Italy or UK -yet!
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After a faff with the Maplins 110V transformer not working & having to order another, the blower from Woodland Direct is in the hearth and proving much more efficient at heating the large main living area in our house than the original open fire. Even without the 2 speed fan, if the fire is hot enough, the pipes kick out a warm air flow into the room rather then just up the chimney. If I could work out how to ,I'd upload a photo. Required absolutely no modification to the existing fireplace. Not a cheap option (altho a lot cheaper than a woodburner installation). i'll let you know how it performs as/when we have sub zero temps outside..........
Had a quick look at the Tifon website but it seems they are all complete fireplace/grate arrangements. Yes it is 110volts so needs a step down transformer - they can be bought from Maplins in UK for £15 to £20, in Italy they are probably available, esp at US bases like Vicenza or Camp Darby... if you can get to a PX.
I gave up on trying to source a serpentino or make one, so have ordered one from Woodlanddirect.com. Cost shipped is US$800, I reckon 2.7% import duty & 21% IVA on top. Should arrive in a couple of weeks & I ll post details of how effective it is & the final cost. I tried to get the proprietario to agree to pay the cost of installing a wood burner if we paid for the burner but he wasn't interested. At least this fireplace blower and tube system requires no special installation & we can take it with us when we go.
Thanks for everybody's help and advice - much appreciated. The 'grate heater' option ie pipes sounds as though without a blower pushing cold air through the pipes, the system is not very efficient. There needs to be a big temperature difference between inlet and outlet to create a flow, and as the pipes heat, the difference reduces to nil, allegedly - hence the need for a fan, which can be noisy according to some users. As all devices, Jetmasters or grate heaters, would need to be shipped, making them v costly, the option of splitting the cost of a woodburner and its installation with the landlord (if he goes for it!) is looking more attractive, especially as they are very efficient and available locally. However, I'm not giving up on this yet, and do like the idea of constructing a grate heater out of gas pipes - cheap and relatively easy if you use threaded joints rather than welds
Here s the link. http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Fireplace-Accessories/Fireplace-Heaters-Blowers/Fireplace-Heater-for-Zero-Clearance-Fireplace-4-TubesI e I emailed the company and hence the shipping quote of $500 to Italy. I ve found nothing similar in Italy or UK -yet!