Does anyone have any experience with these setups? I am interested in passive models that do not have electric blowers since there might be blackouts sometime during the winter when you really need extra heat from your fireplace.
This is the one I'm looking at the most now:
http://www.fireplacesnow.com/_details_/ ... ower/view/
I have talked to a few people in the flesh about these but this is my first online post.
I have been told that it is important for the air exit tubes to be high enough that the hot air is not sucked back into the fireplace and up the chimney.
I have been told that blasting hot air into a room might be undesirable. My house has a split foyer and it's right over the fireplace so the ceiling in front of it is the second floor ceiling. That just cries out for hot air from the fireplace to feed the bedrooms. My fireplace is also not against any exterior walls so the heat from the back is not thrown away.
I have been warned that the tubes may have oil or varnish coatings that need to be burned off prior to use. I'm not sure if that's still done but someone bought one in 1979 to find it smoked up their livingroom unexpectedly on the first use.
Does anyone have any experiences they could add?
Thanks,
BP