The GR Grate Heater: A Full Grate That Blows Heat Back
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Most folks start with a Hard Times Heater (HTH). It's small, modular and easy. But some fireplaces want more. A wide firebox, a big room and a long winter call for a full grate. That's the GR.
An open fireplace is an air leak. Warm room air rides the draft up the chimney. The GR catches that heat and blows heated air back into the room.
How the GR works
Cool room air goes in at the bottom, rides through 1" steel tubes leaning forward over the flame, and comes back out warm. That's heat that was headed up the chimney, handed back to the room.
The tubes are the grate. Your fire sits right on them, so they live in the coal zone, where the heat is. Blower fans push air through the tubes, and turbulent flow keeps it tumbling against the hot steel to pick up more heat. The moving air also keeps the tubes from glowing, so the steel doesn't scale and burn away.
For the same width, a GR packs about twice as many tubes, so there's more hot steel meeting the fire. It's fully welded, designed by an aerospace engineer, and built in Texas. We've been family operated since 2000.
Sizes and tube counts
The GR comes 14" to 36" wide, with 7 to 18 tubes:
- 14GR: 7 tubes
- 16GR: 8 tubes
- 20GR: 10 tubes
- 24GR: 12 tubes
- 30GR: 15 tubes
- 36GR: 18 tubes
All of them use 1" round tube. The tube length follows the TD you pick: 14TD, 16TD, 20TD or 24TD. The legs give you an extra 3" of adjustable height.
How to pick your size
Measure the full opening: front width, back width, height, and depth at the bottom and the top. Our fireplace dimensions guide shows where each number goes. Pick a width that fits inside your firebox and a TD that fits your depth. If you have glass doors, choose a depth that fits behind the shut doors.
If your firebox is a lot narrower at the back than the front, look at the TGR. It tapers to match. If you want even more steel, the DGR doubles up with two rows of tubes. And if your fireplace is an odd one, Pre-Order means your heater is built to fit your fireplace.
Options
- Finish: seasoned steel is the default, like a cast iron pan. It darkens with use. Paint is a custom option.
- Variable speed: variable speed fan control is a custom option for dialing your airflow up or down.
- Ash tray: a lift-out ash tray is an option on the GR, TGR and DGR, for quicker cleanup.
A grate of tubes, a fan that blows, and warm air out to your toes.
GR or HTH?
Both blow heated air back into the room. The HTH is the easy starter. It's modular, so you can stack up more later, and its USB fan runs from a battery bank when the power's out. The GR is a full grate with more tubes across the whole width of the fire. If you want the biggest step up from an open fire, the GR line is where to look.
Caring for it
Keep the fans clear of dust so air can move freely through the tubes. When the season's done and the steel is cold, rub it down with cooking oil, like a cast iron pan. Over time it darkens toward a natural gun-blue patina, and it'll be ready for next winter.
Got a welder?
The GR qualifies for the DIY kit. Got a welder and a Saturday? You bring the welder, we send the steel parts. The DIY kit is 35% off the ready-built heater. See how it works on our DIY kit page.