[Greenbuilding] Fireplace questions

[David Delaney]

At 08:56 AM 08/11/2006, Corwyn wrote:

>People heated their houses for centuries with fireplaces.  

They heated mainly themselves by huddling around the fire to intercept
thermal radiation.  The fire didn't really heat anything that it could not see.
My experience of a couple of houses in England in the 70's is
that houses "heated" by fireplaces were as cold as outside except
in front of the fireplace. And I did damn nearly freeze in them.

David Delaney, Ottawa