Fires, heating, cooking

So much heat is lost in fireplaces..
Today we learnt about fireplaces built using exhaust pipes as the grate, with th top of the grate pushing hot air directly out. It's also called a C grate design.

We also looked at some incredible images of a Kachelofen Tiled Stove. This is the most incredibly clever design for utilising the fire to its capacity for heating. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masonry_heater
To reduce the need for firewood, or the volume required to heat a home, this kind of oven does an incredible job.

"The kachelfen design, a relatively large home heater surrounded with ceramic tile, has existed for at least five centuries. During the Renaissance period, the builders of kachelofens were part of a distinct trade and were called hafnermeisters. A kachelofen uses a maze-like passage created out of firebrick to release gases and smoke from the wood fire slowly, allowing the firebrick to retain as much heat as possible from the gases and smoke. The ceramic tile surrounding the kachelofen also acts as insulation to retain heat. Kachelofens were carefully designed so that the minimum amount of heat would escape, only as much as needed to warm the flue to maintain a proper air draught. The firebrick used in kachelofen construction holds 80% more heat than ferrous metals such as cast iron, while its heat conductivity is 1/45 that of iron or steel.^[1] A kachelofen is efficient enough to warm a house for up to 6 to 12 hours after the fire has stopped burning.^[2]"