A fireplace makes the real home

Snowy cold winters have got builders to think about heating solutions for their houses. The price of electricity is still on the rise and the share of the heating of the house energy bill is substantial. Cheaper and more energy and environment friendly options are in high demand currently.

Traditionally, the fireplace is purchased by the private renovator of the house. In this case, the heating methods of the house are carefully considered and planned. Most renovators use the products from reliable manufacturers like Uunisepät; few people choose to make the fireplace from the scratch, because it takes longer, and arket is flooded with affordable choices.

In the delivery of brand new homes, a fireplace is usually included. House manufacturers choose their partners carefully, since the completion of the house is on a tight schedule and changes often confuse the entire construction schedule and cause further delays. It is also important that the subcontractor is able to deliver finished materials, where the parts fit and functionality is secured.

Uunisepät has been the preferred partner for many house manufacturers for long. The delivery includes the fireplace chimney and pipe together with the actual fireplace. For every house the most suitable fireplace has been chosen carefully. The buyer can naturally change the fireplace in the limits of the heated surface area and chimney regulations. An fireplace expert is involved in the whole construction process, and making sure that all the steps related to the fireplace in the house building process are proceed smoothly.

The fireplace safety should be tested according to the local regulations and most commonly used materials. In Finland, the 600 millimeters thick intermediate base is typical roof structure, so the fireplace chimney should be suitable with this material. The compatibility of the fireplace and the chimney is of utmost importance. The T600 standardized chimney takes the hottest temperature, so that should be used in saunas and fireplaces providing hot temperatures. For smaller fireplaces used occasionally this chimney might be too heavy a choice: then for example T400 marked chimneys can be used.

Warmth and atmosphere in a cottage with the fireplace

Wood is an excellent and ecological source of heat in the cottage. In addition to sauna, wood burns well in the fireplace. The new half heat reserved fireplaces are

well suited for use in the cottage, as they warm up quickly, retain the heat and look stylish (see, for example, the collections of Uunisepät).

Finns love their cottages. The cottage is the summer home and the place for spending long holidays. It is the place for escape and relax, getaway from the city and place to be without restrictions from the social pressure. Nowadays is getting more common to visit the cottage at winter times also; however, most cottages have been furnished only to be summer homes, and the vital elements like heating are missing from the cottages.

Choosing the right fireplace to the cottage has not been easy. Options have been mainly restricted to two possibilities: either stove type of fireplace or heat reserved fireplace. Both options have their pros and cons. The stove type of fireplace provides the heat almost instantly and cold cottage warms up quickly. Heat maintaining is however poor, unless the fire is kept all the times in the fireplace. Reserved fireplace maintain the heat, but a big mass of the fireplace must be heated slowly and carefully in order to avoid cracking, so for the fast and short-term heating the reserved fireplace is not suitable.

There is a need for fireplaces suitable for the demands of cottage heating and this has been noticed by fireplace manufacturers. New half reserved fireplaces have been introduced to market lately. They give heat quickly, such as light stove type fireplaces, but also reserve the warmth of the fireplace like true reserved fireplaces. This type of fireplace is suitable for cottage heating, which typically is during autumn to spring times and only on weekends.

Regulations for fireplaces

In Finland, all factory-made fireplaces manufactured must be CE marked according to EN-standards. This regulation will be legal from the beginning of 2012. These fireplace standards are product standards, which mean that they can

be affixed to equipment on the basis of the CE mark. These standards must be followed all the big European manufacturers like Uunisepät.

All fireplaces must pass standardization tests in future. In the test, concentration of carbon monoxide or carbon monoxide emissions is being measured. The level of carbon monoxide emissions must be under 0.3% and the efficiency of the fireplace must be over 70%. The fireplace according to the CE standards cannot cool down too quickly from the surface. In Finland, this threshold is set at 6 hours, ie the surface of the fireplace must not be less than 6 hours, which means that the fireplace cannot cool to 50% of the surface temperature at this peak.

Factory-made chimneys have their own EN standards and CE marking, depending on the type of chimney. Chimneys have been divided according to the categories of heat, from which T600 is the highest. Safety distances are changing longer when the temperature class grows. For example for fireplaces from Uunisepät the T400-class chimney is recommended for at least. Sauna fireplaces are prescribed T600-class chimney. It is the task of the fireplace manufacturer to determine which temperature and size the chimney is compatible with the fireplace.

The chimney is designed and dimensioned being suitable for the fireplace and so that it will achieve a sufficient traction, fire safety (safety distances), life and strength. Chimney sizing information and selection criteria will be based on the chimney CE marking. Chimney and fireplace from the same manufacturer is usually the best option, as they are tested and working together flawlessly. Uunisepät gives their fireplaces 3-year warranty, and for the fireplaces’ frame the warranty of 10 years.

As demand grows, and the customer requirements and preferences change, it is important that the manufacturer of the fireplace is closely involved in the product development. Safety, functionality and suitability must be kept at the days’ level. Product design and full service are important factors in choosing the fireplace, but CE markings and extensive testing should be valued the most. Reliable testing is, above all, necessity for the environment, and also became a place in the user's interests.