Want to boil water on open fire, would fire bricks help

sweetpea26

Hi all

I have an old Victorian fireplace in my home which I recently opened up and light the fire every evening. I would love to be able to boil a little kettle or teapot of water. If I had a 2/3 fire bricks stacked at the side. Would this work ... it is a big fireplace so there would still be lots of room left for the fire to burn well.

The fire heats my domestic water which means not having to switch on the dreaded electric water heater.

I see sets on amazon but wanted some advice before purchasing.

Thank you

macman

Would be about 500% more efficient to use an electric kettle though...the saving by using the residual fire heat would take a long time to get back, once you've paid for the bricks (which are not the lightest and cheapest objects to courier).

sweetpea26

Thanks Pacman

We are here until we leave in a wooden box which I hope will be a long time. So in the long run it would eventually pay for itself. I was just wondering about the practicalities and possibility of it actually working. So it is possible to use this method? Thanks so much for your help.

vaio

as it's a long term plan you'd be better off installing a proper burner/stove.

General figures are with open fires 80% of the heat goes up the chimney, with a burner 80% comes into the room, burner/stove also has a nice flat top to sit your kettle on

teddysmum

I remember that both my grans had old houses with fireplaces that needed black leading and included side ovens. Their kettles, which became rather sooty, were boiled on a trivet that pivoted into and out of the fire area.

Errata

It's do'able, but you'll burn the bottom out of a lot of kettles.

Gloomendoom

You would need to use a cast iron kettle.