FIREPLACE
The fireplace has always been the warmest corner of the house as family and friends gather round it, to appreciate the sweet, warm atmosphere it creates. Today, it is not only a decorative piece in a room but also good aesthetics and solution to heating, especially when it comes to energy fireplace. Of course, to have the best result, the correct study of the area and special technical knowledge of the constructor, is essential.
The main characteristics of the energy fireplace is the controlled burning of wood: a) The maximum performance by measuring the energy of the wood about 80% which can be achieved with a door that is air tightly and controlled air of the area b) fuel saving – wood.
ENERGY-BURNING
Energy fireplaces are ecologically friendly and ideal to heat large areas providing at the same time less use of wood. Taking advantage of the maximum sum of the heat that is produced by the protogenic but also the secondary use of wood totaling 18,6KW – 16.000Kcal/h and efficiency 76%.The secondary burn helps to burn the smoke in the air of the protogenic burn to burn with a secondary flame before it enters the smoke collector – creating an impressive sight – a double flame – better efficiency and therefore less pollution to the environment (ecological burn).
ADVANTAGES
All the energy fireplaces are built by clear cast iron and steel of the highest quality, ensuring the best quality in the construction and finishing.
The choice of an energy closed type (with a door) fireplace ensures:
- Higher efficiency
- Saving of fuel
- Warm air passing through air pipes
- Safety
- Ecological secondary burn
At the same time another advantage is the door, which is one of the most important parts of energy fireplace because:
- It does not let the warm air out of the house
- It does not allow the fireplace to get cold
- It does not allow the fireplace be affected by currents and hoods, always depending with the strength of the hood and therefore it does not smoke
- Less use of wood as it does not let them burn easily
SMOKESTACK
The smokestack is a metallic conductor, round section; vertical, with upper slope 45 degrees, where the produced burning air is diffused through it. It is a very important element of the fireplace, as it’s responsible of its correct function and efficiency. Its intersection, manufacture and the other material that are going to be used, have to be based on strictly specifications and operation rules and security. You should give special caution in its insulation, where it comes through the outside area, to avoid its liquefaction. It is important for the installer to have done seminars as far as the safety placement of the smokestack is concerned. The materials that are going to be used have to have authenticity of their use. Another important element is the hat on the roof; to avoid any swirl from the wind.
CONSTRUCTION
All the construction of the KEVO’s fireplaces is from a highly quality of steel electro welded like a one-piece body (monoblocco) and absolutely waterproof. The area of the burning wood is covered in cast iron. The choice of the specific material is done because:
- It is more authentic in use than any other fire material
- Its color doesn’t change
- Has less thickness
- It is restored easily whenever is needed
All models are constructed on a common converter and are different in shape and size and for this exact reason, they have identical heat performance. Most parts are identical for all the models, so, the cost of construction and assembly to be kept in low levels whereas the quality in high levels, making them more competitive in market.
The production of the energy fireplace KEVO 80/100/120 is according to the harmonized standard ELOT EN 13229.02 which applies to the security requirements, which have to be completed, in accordance with the European guidance 89/106 for building materials.
DOOR
The door in the whole collection has a robust construction from steel as far as the frame and the casket is concerned; has a silent function and has ceramic glazing which lasts in thermal shock 800o C. The door slides up and opens from the outside, so that it is easily cleaned. The movement is done with a counterweight, steel wire, with some bearing and safety, so that the wire won’t come out.
All the construction of the door is based and moved on vertical axes with bearings and in its upper and outside side has a cup for the protection of the mechanism. The oxygen’s adjusting for the burning is done by a damper in the right down part of the door and the exit of the exhaust from the damper, functions automatically in On – Off by opening or closing the door but also manually.
The existence of a door in an energy fireplace ensures more advantages, which concern the safety, the performance of the fireplace, the saving of wood and the sight.
Specifically:
PERFORMANCE
The performance of a closed (with a door) fireplace reaches up to 65-75%. This is due to the air the fireplace spends for burning, which is to little 6-8m3 per hour for every kilo of wood, while in an opened fireplace due to the traction, large quantities of warm air are removed from the house with a flaw through the chimney, as a result, this quantity to come up to 60 – 100m3 per hour for every kilo of wood. It is understandable, the air that is removed from the chimney for the needs of the burning and the traction, is substituted with cold air, through the cracks of the house. Thus, the cast iron fireplaces not only do not remove heat from the house but on the other hand system of warm air produce, heats the whole place up. The high performance is due to high burning temperatures which are developed in the fireplace and which burn a higher percentage of carbon monoxide gases, whereas in traditional fireplaces escapes through the chimney. Theses gases are the energy that the closed (with a door) fireplace takes advantage of.
ECONOMY
The burning of a close fireplace is always controlled. The wood is burning with less air, so, there is less consumption of wood. It is calculated that 3-4 times less wood is needed, as a result less money is spent. All the closed (with a door) fireplaces have a system which sets the burning air and thus it sets the intensity of the fire, in particular weak or strong fire, something that can’t be done in any traditional fireplace. In addition, during the night, wood can be burnt, ensuring heat until the morning, contrary to the traditional open fireplaces, where by the time the woods is burnt the house gets really cold. In closed (with a door) fireplaces, the door keeps the heat inside the house and it doesn’t allow its escape through the chimney.
VIEW
The “magic” that a fireplace offers is due to the unique sight of the flame. A closed (with a door) fireplace has a permanent full flame; contrary to the opened fireplaces, we can’t see the flame unless we scratch the wood. This is succeeded from the high temperatures that are developing in closed (with a door) fireplace, where the gazes are burning in a higher percentage with secondary burn.
DAMPER
To set the duration of the wood burn, Starfire Caminetti constructed a damper which automatically functions with the opening and closing of the door but also manually with a special key in middle positions. Also, the set of the oxygen’s burn is manages with a damper beneath the door. In particular, beneath and on the right side of the door there is a joystick of the air burning, moving left and right and Off<On, where on the upper side of the door a new automatic smoke damper, which functions automatically with the movement of the door, is placed. Thus, the closed door means closed damper, so higher duration of burn whereas the opened door, with an opened damper has a big loss of energy.
VENTILATOR
Optional, all the KEVO’s models accept a ventilator with an automatically speed regulator and allowance 1000m3/h air. This has as a result, the quick flow of warm air, inside the house and better distribution and channeling in other areas, which are away from the fireplace. It functions with a thermostat, ensuring warm air not lower temperature than 45o C and not higher than 100o C maintaining the required humidity in the area.
They have big efficiency – savings in wood
An energy fireplace is a closed source with a ceramic glazing and an inside cast iron, which is fed with air from the outside area, which after, is heated in the tube of the fireplace, warm air is diffused in our area. In this way, we take advantage of the efficiency of the fireplace by saving money.
They are ecological
The KEVO’s line fireplaces are ecological because, by inserting preheated oxygen high in the exit of the exhausts and in combination with the high temperature that there is in the chamber of the wood burn, the burn of the monoxide is operating and thus they do not pollute the environment and furthermore they bring more heat in the space from the secondary burn.
They are absolutely secure
The closed (with a door) energy fireplaces have the opportunity to function without any danger even if when you are away from home, maintaining at the same time the warmth of the house.
They are certified – Have seven years guarantee
All the models of energy fireplaces are certificated and come with a seven year guarantee as far as the placement and the appliance is concerned.
Despite all the advantages that they offer, they have low cost.
Why do we have to change our old fireplace with a new one – with an energy fireplace?
There are different kinds of fireplaces, for example, the traditional fireplace with firebrick. It might be the most widespread construction, but it has the lowest percentage of efficiency, since the losses of temperature come up to 90%, without giving the possibility of highly input of warm air in the area. The traditional fireplace from cast iron stands to higher temperatures and has better conductance, transferring the heat in the area with less losses between 75-80%.
According to experts, an energy closed (with a door) fireplace is the best solution, which is constructed from firebrick or cast iron and combines a much higher heating performance (up to 70%-75%) and saves money, in burning wood. Energy fireplaces, closed with a door, have a system of air pipes which can heat more than one room. Also, they guarantee total security since the danger from fire cinder is excluded and at the same time the area stays clean.
Most types of conventional fireplaces can be upgraded with a simple process, which is brief and economic: in the existing surface you place a new energetic (tape) of the same material and the necessary changes are done during installation (air pipes exits, insulation, entry external air).
Turning the old traditional fireplace into energy we ensure higher heating performance (a closed door increases the temperature) and economy, as through the oxygen control the burning level is also set.
Why should we place an energy fireplace from the beginning?
One of the main reasons, to choose an energy fireplace, as the main resource of heating in our house, is that fuel pollutes the environment and the family budget costs more. Comparatively, with other kinds of fireplaces, the energy fireplace has better efficiency, because of its build and its material. Its performance reaches up the percentage of 75-85%. The way to get heat from an energy fireplace is by heated air power which passes indoors through natural or forced circulation. On the contrary, the traditional built fireplace has less performance, equal to 10-20% of the heating energy it consumes.
It heats only with radiation through the space in front of the fireplace and frequently it has smoking problems, because it gets large amounts of oxygen from the area since it is lighter, throwing it away from the chimney. The losses that are recorded from a built fireplace are up to 70-80%.
Also, the energy fireplaces don’t smoke because they have good constructing surfaces, well done chimney profiles, a door that doesn’t allow any influence from currents or hoods and strictly placement specifications. On the other hand, built fireplaces often have the phenomenon of smoke because of its bad construction, the wrong diameters of the surface in comparison with the space that they take, the short length of the chimney and the currents inside the house.
In addition, the secondary burn contributes so that the fuel gas of the protogenic burn is burn down with the secondary flame, giving an impressive sight of a double flame, larger efficiency and less pollutant in the environment (ecological burn).
On the other hand, the surfaces opened type from cast iron or firebrick absorb through the smoke-collector only the fuel gas which is produced in the burning area but at the same time large amount of heat of other heat surfaces of the area (radiator).
Today’s homes are designed based on the multifunction use of the rooms in bioclimatic architecture consideration and in advanced technical applications. The main objective is comfort and healthy living, as ergonomic and stylish as it can be. Thus, the fireplace lately isn’t considered just a traditional solution for the heating of the house but is the main decorative part of it. As an integral part of the architect design, it helps to separate or as a space division but also as independent design tool which can function regardless, either as a background, where the attention is focused on and the interest in a minimal decoration, or separated, for example in the center of the room.
The coverage of the fireplace, i.e. its external integument, which can be constructed from any material (such as granite, stone, marble, wood, plaster, firebrick etc) and in any design and style (such as classic, traditional, modern, rustic) which will define the character of the house from its aesthetic side and will give our personal style.