Masonry Magazine May 1980 Page. 16
THE MAJESTIC CIRCULATOR
The Majestic Company
In virtually every area of home building and remodeling, homeowners are seeking greater return on their dollar investment. In the fireplace market, this trend is reflected in the growing market share for fireplaces equipped with heat circulating devices.
Mason contractors are finding that the aesthetics of a fireplace are ranking second to efficiency in consumers' minds. Some homeowners are choosing to forego a fireplace entirely because of the warnings about energy losses through chimney systems. In order to meet customers needs in the residential fireplace market, a growing number of mason contractors are becoming proponents of the pre-engineered heat circulators which reflect the developing technologies of maximizing heat output.
Bob Cox, who has been involved in the developing technologies of the fireplace industry for more than 20 years, is vice president-marketing for The Majestic Company in Huntington, Indiana. Cox asserts that fireplace technology has advanced to the degree that "fireplaces should be able to deliver significantly more heat to a home than they lose, even at very cold outside temperatures." Majestic manufactures both zero-clearance prefabricated fireplaces and heat circulator fireplace forms for masonry fireplaces.
According to Cox, mason contractors are becoming more attuned to the demands of a marketplace in which the heat output of fireplaces is replacing aesthetics as the number one concern of homeowners. "As a businessman. the mason contractor is finding that he can overcome the homeowner's concerns about heat loss through fireplaces and trade up his customers to heat circulator units because of the long-term dollar value those units offer," says Cox.
Some homeowners, in fact, who wouldn't dream of putting a wood stove in their home, are having two and three heat circulating fireplaces installed as an alternate heat source to reduce the consumption of furnace fuel.
Research undertaken by Majestic indicates that a fire built in a masonry firebox will provide estimated heat output from zero to 10% of the wood being burned. When a circulator is built into a masonry fireplace, heat output increases to more than 20% of the wood being burned. Thus mason contractors can promise customers the efficiencies of a heat circulator plus the aesthetic value of real masonry construction. "Mason contractors agree that there is an aesthetic trade-off when you forego the brickwork firebox," states Cox, "but the trend toward circulators is irreversible, and it's growing."
The Majestic Circulator is placed on the prepared foundation and firebrick hearth. The pre-engineered damper, throat, and hearth area are designed to assure proper chimney draft. Pre-engineered precision also eliminates the need for post-installation adjustment. The natural convection of flow of air is augmented in the Majestic Circulator through the addition of optional fans to force heated air into the room. Positioning of heat-return vents maximizes comfort by spreading warmed air over a larger room area.
An optional outside air kit can be installed below the hearth to promote the efficiency of the fireplace. Some states and some federal agencies are beginning to require an outside air supply in new construction.
The operation of a circulator is based on heat transfer principles of convection. Cool room air is drawn into a continued on page 26
Elegant stone masonry surrounds a heat circulator fireplace form to combine welcome warmth with added beauty. The unit at right has a glass firescreen which provides both safety and better combustion of the wood fuel.
16 MASONRY/MAY, 1980