Do-it-yourself fireplace repair

Repair of fireplaces or brick stoves is carried out in the event of functional or external damage. For example, the stove smoked, or bricks burst, seams fell out. It makes no sense to think about repairs if the oven was initially folded illiterately, and its internal structure does not allow it to work fully.

Let's take a closer look at the prices for repairs and cases that are most often amenable to DIY repair.

Repairing brick ovens is interesting for a keen craftsman, but, everyone understands, frankly dirty, physically hard and painstaking work. The stove-maker who has been soaked in ash, who has repaired the stove, is sincerely unreasonably happy!

The prices for the repair of brick ovens are just as difficult to predict as for masonry, without seeing the exact amount of work. But for a reference point, 1 working day of the master will cost you about 5-6 thousand rubles... During this time, he will be able, for example, to replace the stove, door, several burnt-out bricks. The operating time will inevitably increase when dealing with internal bricks that are inconvenient to get to.

Let's consider the situation. You arrived at the dacha or country house after winter, decided to light up the stove, but it does not flare up and the smoke goes into the room. In this case, most likely, the smoke channels are clogged, for example, with ash swollen from moisture or a crumbling clay solution. Here are our DIY brick oven repair tips.

If the stove has cleaning doors for access to the channels, then the owner can easily clean the stove. There are stoves in which there are no cleaning doors, they were not installed before, but stove-makers, respecting their fellow, as well as the owner of the stove, left the bricks at the channel level slightly extended. They are easily recognized, they were taken out, cleaned, and then put back with clay.

Of course, today it is more convenient to have special doors, and if they are not there, and the oven is still good, it makes sense to install them. It is worse if there are no clean-out devices, and they are not indicated in any way. This is a bad form, the channels must first be found, then cleaned, and then it is certainly better to put the doors.

If the stove is melted, but the draft is not very good or the stove smokes a little, you can clean it by burning aspen or alder wood.

We will also give an answer to one of the most frequently asked questions - how to seal the cracks in the furnace between bricks or between a metal door and masonry? Everything is simple here. Take basalt cardboard and use heat-resistant mastic to glue the cracks with it. If the vault or smoke channels have collapsed, then you cannot do without masters. This will require a major overhaul of the stove.

Brick, like any other material, has a certain service life. And it is very difficult to name it in advance. If there is a factory characteristic of a brick in terms of frost resistance in the number of winter cycles, then for a brick in a kiln there will be many factors that will affect its durability in the future. The mode of operation, the quality of the brick (initially it is assumed that the brick is a furnace), the presence of a furnace lining, the type of furnace, the uniformity of heating of the massif, and many others. Burnt-out brick has a changed color and a characteristic sound when tapped. Don't wait for it to burst. Such a brick is already of little use without accumulating a sufficient amount of heat. This part of the repair consists in the fact that the master will carefully cut out unusable bricks and replace them with new ones.

The firebox door mount is burnt out - it doesn't matter. The door can be reinstalled. It is the furnace door, which accounts for the main heat load, that it is better to put on a steel strip.Others (blower, cleaning) can be on nichrome wire. A hob burst - unpleasant, but you can replace it with a new one in an hour.

The maintenance of the stoves can be divided into 2 components: the maintenance of the owner's stove and the maintenance of the foreman. The habit of going to the doctor when everything hurts also extends to our wards. When half the stove burned out, the chimney shifted, the fire shines through in the seams - it's time to call the stove-maker and ask him to fix it, but he doesn't want to. Let's look at what is the responsibility of the owner of the stove, and what should be shifted to a specialist.

Maintenance of brick ovens should start by studying the operating instructions. Studying it will save you from mistakes and help you save money on repairing a stove or fireplace. Each stove has its own characteristics, a master stove-maker must tell about them.

A person who regularly fires the stove should choose the most gentle and economical mode for it, in no case overheat it, especially carefully heat it after a break. It is highly desirable that the stove has one owner. It is necessary to regularly remove the accumulated ash through the ash and cleaning doors. In the first year, the oven “shrinks”, small cracks may appear and this is normal. If the owner has time and is not afraid to get smeared with clay, he can get rid of them on his own.

The owner of the stove should, if possible, regularly (at least once a year) inspect the stove for internal and external cracks, burns, displacements and other possible malfunctions at the initial stage. Clean, cover up, replace in time. If you suspect a serious malfunction, you need to call the wizard.

The operating mode is one of the most important factors in the durability of the furnace. The oven will work the longest, which is regularly heated in a gentle mode, which practically does not cool down in cold weather. And, accordingly, summer cottages suffer, which once a week are in a hurry to melt the owners tired of traffic jams.

In order not to make frequent repairs to a brick oven in the country, there is a way out. This is a metal stove that heats up quickly, but, unfortunately, heats from one bookmark for no more than 6 hours. If you have a thermos house, it will be great, if not, you will have to get up at night, and a lot of firewood will burn out. If it is still brick, then it is worth considering a fireplace stove or a heating and cooking stove with a stove. The point is that while the stove is heating up, reflective heat goes from the stove with the fireplace door open, and from the stove with a stove through the stove.

And this is the result of the repair of the fireplace in the spa salon. Previously, he smoked and there was no craving. Now you can evaluate his work yourself!

One of the most important points in the care of stoves and fireplaces is their timely repair. Depending on the degree of wear, maintenance (minor), medium or major repairs may be required.

Minor repairs to stoves and fireplaces include repairing small cracks, replacing doors, grates, valves, and individual bricks. Each operation must be carried out according to certain rules so that during subsequent operation the heater does not present unpleasant surprises.

In order to more firmly fix or replace the combustion door, it is necessary to remove it from the oven masonry together with the frame. In this case, the masonry will have to be partially disassembled. If the door fixing legs become unusable, they must be replaced. The feet are also installed on the new door. Then, at the place of installation of the door, the masonry is cleaned of the remains of the previous solution, it is abundantly moistened with water and the door is installed in such a way that the legs hit exactly the seams of the masonry. The door is laid with bricks, and the seams, like all existing cracks, are carefully filled with mortar.

Replacing the grate yourself is not a big deal.It is enough to remove the grate that has become unusable, clear the vacant space from the ash and put a new grate on it, leaving a small gap, which is subsequently covered with sand.

In order to prevent fires, special attention is paid to the condition of the pre-combustion plates in front of stoves and fireplaces, replacing them at the slightest signs of wear. The old sheet is removed, after which the floor is covered with sheet asbestos, a new sheet of roofing steel is laid and nailed down.

In addition, work on sealing small cracks and replacing cracked masonry elements can be attributed to the current repair of brick stoves and fireplaces. The slots are cleaned by removing the old solution, moistened with water, filled with fresh solution and rubbed.

A more serious approach to work and, accordingly, the presence of certain building skills requires the average repair of stoves and fireplaces, which includes the elimination of blockages in the chimneys, the correction of various damage to the pipe and other work directly related to significant defects.

You can determine the formation of a blockage by heating the furnace - in the place of the blockage, the wall will be cold or slightly warm. The blockage is removed either through the firebox or through the cleaning holes. If it is impossible to get to the place of the blockage in this way, then you will have to disassemble the wall masonry, restore the internal partitions of the chimneys and re-fold the disassembled wall.

Over time, not only parts of a brick stove or fireplace that are exposed to high temperatures can become unusable, but also the head of the chimney, because precipitation gradually destroys it, creating a fire hazard. The part of the pipe that has damage must be disassembled, the old mortar must be removed from it and abundantly moistened with water, and then a new masonry must be erected on cement mortar, observing the thoroughness of the dressing of the seams. The upper end of the pipe should be leveled with cement mortar and beveled slightly outward. Such measures will facilitate the movement of flue gases and prevent the pipe from getting wet. By the way, the cement mortar can be replaced with a case made of roofing steel.

Places of contact between brickwork and wooden parts of the building are called fire cuts. Settlement of structures, impacts and shocks significantly change the strength of the cutting for the worse - the solution crumbles, cracks appear. The destroyed cutting is restored in a known way - replacing the old masonry with a new one, and for the prevention of subsequent destruction, the door frames are securely fixed. The cuttings in the ceiling and in the attic, the so-called fluffs, are periodically inspected in order to carry out urgent repairs if necessary. Whitewashing with lime or chalk is an old tried and tested method to control the integrity of the cut, since if even a small through crack appears on the whitewash, black soot will be visible.

The overhaul of fireplaces and stoves includes complex work: repair of a firebox or a fire channel, alteration of a firebox (for example, there is often an option when a firebox with a dead hearth is converted into a firebox with grates and a blower, or a firebox for firewood turns into a furnace for burning coal and peat), alteration of the chimney scheme. All these work on the repair of brick stoves and fireplaces require partial or complete disassembly of the stove, and in some cases the disassembly of one or two walls. Do-it-yourself overhaul of a furnace often requires special knowledge and skills.

When reworking chimneys, the existing ones are first dismantled, and then new ones are laid out, carefully tying them up with the main masonry and making sure that the same dimensions are maintained.

The greatest difficulty is the alteration of the hearth furnace with a dead hearth into a furnace with a blower and grate bars.In the event that the base of the stove is located at a distance of five or more rows of masonry from the hearth, the fire door can be left in the same place. Otherwise, the door is raised a little higher, given that the height of the furnace for coal should not be less than 0.4 m, and for firewood - at least 0.5 m. , disassemble under and carefully remove all the garbage. Then the remaining masonry is moistened, the blower is laid out, while the blower door and grate are installed, and then the firebox is erected and the disassembled wall of the furnace is closed up. Masonry is carried out with bandaging of bricks and thorough grouting.

These are procedures that take from three to five days in time, but at the same time they require stopping the furnace. The fact is that most often repairs are aimed at sealing cracks, therefore, the fireplace is prohibited at this time.

So, first of all, this includes the repair of plastered hearths. With them, you can make a partial change of the lining of the inner parts of the fuel chamber, as well as the beginning of the flame channel. As a rule, replacement of the lining is required where not refractory fireclay bricks were used, but the most red material. Moreover, when the lining is burned out, the furnace is usually made not with traditional firewood, but, for example, with coal, which forms high temperatures (usually from one thousand two hundred to one thousand three hundred degrees Celsius).

During a lining change, the site is first prepared by removing old bricks and clearing the site of mortar. The resulting gaps are laid with new elements with the obligatory dressing of the seams. In this case, the dressing is carried out as follows: refractory bricks - with refractory bricks, and ordinary bricks - with ordinary ones. A similar procedure is performed in a similar way, since the two types of material have different thermal expansion. After the masonry has been made, a small fire is kindled in the furnace and dried. Similarly, the elements in the walls of the chimneys are replaced.

Tiled fireplaces and stoves. Often cracks appear in them, which affects not only the appearance of the heating device itself, but also the entire decor of the room, because a wood-fired fireplace is often the main element of the interior. Of course, when replacing one tile, the repair cannot go unnoticed, because the entire structure is violated, therefore in some cases it is required to shift the entire masonry of the unit, but this will already be a major overhaul.

Stoves in metal cases. Repairing such a hearth is quite difficult, because the masonry is located under the sheets of metal, not even allowing you to understand what is inside. Therefore, in order to carry out repairs, you need to carefully remove the "beetles", and after the completion of the repair put them in place.

The simplest is considered current repair, it can be done even with a heating unit. This includes, for example, reinforcing or replacing different types of doors. Suppose that it is required to replace the door of the firebox, which has loosened and become unusable from frequent use. How to proceed in this case?

If an ordinary reinforcement is required, the door from the masonry does not need to be removed; it is possible to repair them on the spot. To remove the fasteners, use an ordinary grinder, cutting off the necessary places with it. After that, dismantle the masonry around the door without touching the internal parts of the unit. The resulting place is cleaned of soot and soot, the new brick is soaked in water. New bricks are laid in the prepared place, after which the masonry is cleaned.

Replacement of grates. This process is noted for its simplicity, so it can be performed by a person who does not have special building skills. At the very beginning, the grate is removed, taking care not to damage the combustion chamber. After the element is removed, the place is cleaned and, if necessary, the material is removed.Having prepared a place for the future grate, a new brick is laid. And only after that a new element of the stove or fireplace is installed.

As you know, grates are made of cast iron, which is subject to strong thermal expansion. In order to prevent the destruction of the internal parts of the furnace, a small gap should be left between the grate and the masonry of the device, five millimeters will be enough.

Have cracks appeared in the main body of the device? It doesn't matter, you can handle it. Cracks need to be cleaned to a depth of two centimeters, after which they are filled with a prepared solution using a spatula. The mortar must be strongly pressed into the cracks and carefully cleaned. It should be remembered that the cracks are repaired on a previously heated stove or fireplace.

With frequent exposure to high temperatures, cracking of individual bricks occurs. In this case, it is necessary to remove the damaged bricks from the masonry of the hearth and clear the place from the old clay mortar. The brick, as in previous cases, is soaked in water and installed in a new place. Of course, this requires adherence to the dressing of the seams and the obligatory cleaning of the resulting new masonry.

Overhaul of stoves and fireplaces is much more difficult than all the above procedures. This includes, for example, the repair of the fuel chamber and smoke channels. For major repairs, as a rule, specialists or masters of fireplaces are invited.

Before making an electric fireplace with your own hands, you should first study the theory. Since ancient times, fireplaces were popular. Their "work" was carried out on natural resources. Currently, fireplaces have not lost their relevance. With the improvement of technology, ordinary electricity is sufficient for the operation of these devices. Due to the huge number of variations in the design of fireplaces, it is easy to choose a model for a specific interior.

Currently, an electric fireplace is used as an additional source of heat in the room. This device not only provides heat to a certain room, but is also one of the important elements of style.

The main types of fireplaces:

Floor-standing fireplaces are portable designs. They are made in the form of a stove, which is installed on special legs, which is made to look like a fireplace. This device is not demanding on the location and can be installed in any convenient place.

When choosing an electric fireplace, you should consider the interior design

In order to start using the device for its intended purpose, it is enough to unpack it, install it in a house or apartment. A socket with an alternating voltage of 220 volts is used for connection.

Note! All models of electric fireplaces are made in different styles, and are equipped with software to control the device.

Built-in models, due to their technical design, allow them to be mounted in walls, niches and, in some cases, in furniture. These devices consist of two main elements: a hearth and a portal. For the manufacture of portals, they use various materials, wood, stone and artificial materials.

One distinguishing feature of built-in fireplaces is that an artificially created flame is almost impossible to distinguish from a real one.

Hanging fireplaces are devices that are manufactured according to innovative technologies. These devices have small dimensions, which allows their installation in almost any convenient place.

It should be understood that the choice of each device depends only on preferences.

In most cases, people are pushed to make an electric fireplace on their own by the opportunity to implement their own design solution. A basic knowledge of electrical engineering is required to produce quality work.

Elements of the construction of the electric fireplace:

• Heating TEN;
• Metal frame;
• Simulated fire.

First of all, you need to choose the heating element of the electric fireplace. In various models, heating elements in the form of spirals are used, of which there are three types: nichrome, on ceramic bases and a spiral placed in a quartz tube.

Note! Regardless of the type of heating element, when installing it, grounding is mandatory.

After you have decided on the choice of the heating element, you should make a special frame for it, in which it will be securely fixed. To do this, it is worth choosing sheets of galvanized metal, which are mounted together with special corners.

It is worth noting that for the correct and safe operation of the fireplace, it is necessary to correctly consider the choice of conductors with a plug. They must be of a certain section, according to which they are able to withstand the power of the device. You can supplement the electrical circuit with various regulators and switches.

Next, you need to make a light decoration. It is made from several wooden logs, which are illuminated from below by LEDs. The LEDs should be red / yellow.

The frame for the electric fireplace can be made of drywall

Then the structure is installed in the case, which serves as additional protection against high temperatures and connection.

One purchase is not enough for the built-in fireplace to work correctly. It must be installed in the wall, placed in a niche, or a special portal must be made for it.

To work you will need:

• Perforator;
• Screwdriver;
• Hammer;
• Construction knife;
• Pliers;
• Metal scissors;
• Putty knife.

First of all, we measure the fireplace. These dimensions are necessary for the correct installation of the device. After that, you can proceed to the installation of the portal.

There are a lot of variations for the portal device. Therefore, in this case, it is necessary to observe the internal dimensions, according to which the installation of the fireplace will be carried out. Make the outer part of the structure according to the design solution.

To make precise work, we make markings on the wall. According to this marking, it is necessary to fix vertically two racks, which will serve as the outer part of the structure. Further, the racks are fastened together with horizontal jumpers.

Note! The bottom lintel should be 12-15 cm from the floor.

After that, parallel to the lower lintel, a guide is attached to the wall. Next, a plywood or chipboard base is screwed to them. Then, inside the structure, racks are attached to the wall and floor, which are mounted according to the width of the fireplace, and one lintel, according to its height.

Further, from the guides, it is necessary to make a pedestal that will play the role of decoration. During work, do not forget to try on the fireplace according to the internal dimensions of the portal. After the portal must be sheathed with plasterboard and make a beautiful frame. In order to decorate the portal beautifully, various materials are used. It remains to install and connect the built-in fireplace.

An electric fireplace is a device that consists of various electrical and mechanical elements. Therefore, in order to carry out the repair yourself, you need to familiarize yourself with its design features.

Malfunctions in the operation of electric fireplaces:

• Increased noise;
• No heating;
• Artificial flame does not work.

The reason for the increased noise in the operation of the electric fireplace may be a fan, in the bearing of which dust has gotten. In this case, it is necessary, using a vacuum cleaner, to clean the fan and bearing from dust and lubricate it with oil.

If you do not have experience in repairing electric fireplaces, then you should contact a qualified specialist.

The fan, which is powered by streams of warm air from a lamp, which creates the effect of a flame, can also make a lot of noise.In order to get rid of the noise, it is necessary to replace or set the impeller to its initial position and replace the lamp with a less powerful one.

Note! By many manufacturers, elements of the structure of electric fireplaces are made in such a way that they are not repaired, but it was possible to replace them with blocks.

In the absence of heating of the electric fireplace, it is necessary to check the integrity of the supply cable and plug.

If these items are in order, all contacts in the device are checked. The lack of heating may be due to the thermostat, which cuts off the power supply to the heating elements of the device, when a certain temperature level is exceeded.

There is no heating, it may be due to a malfunction of the heating element, which must be replaced immediately.

It is worth noting that the absence of an artificial flame can only be corrected if the light source is a lamp. If necessary, it is simply replaced with a new one.