Insert for fireplace.

[dkron]

Insert

I put in an insert into our split entry 2200 sqft house in the basement. The thing heats our whole house. I have to make sure the blowers stay clean to move air upstairs but it is nice. We had the 1970s bult in blower vents (heatalators??) in the fireplace. I was told theyare 10% efficient. New inserts=70% efficinet. I can heat our house in MT on pine with 4-5 chords now. Thinkabout size of box. Out here we can only get pine so larger box = longer burn at night so I spent more on a larger box without a ash pan. My experience is that if they say say a 18 hr burn, cut it in half unless you use ash or oak on a smoldering setting. If you plan to suppliment don't worry about size as much. If you plan to heat...worry about size of box. Maybe your fireplace cant do a larger box anyway.

 

[Knotdodger]

Out here we can only get pine so larger box = longer burn at night so I spent more on a larger box without a ash pan. My experience is that if they say say a 18 hr burn, cut it in half unless you use ash or oak on a smoldering setting. If you plan to suppliment don't worry about size as much. If you plan to heat...worry about size of box. Maybe your fireplace cant do a larger box anyway.

A little off the thread topic but , I know you guys out there burn pine. But my dad and everyone I know here in michigan say never burn pine.. Is there that much more creasolt ????

 

[Brushwacker]

I am not sure if everybody means the same type unit when they say fireplace insert,
When I moved in where I am at it had an insert called a heatolater or something like that. Looked similar to the 1 knotdodger posted a picture of.
Big metal box in the fire place with a fan on each side you could turn on to blow the hot air between the brick and box out in the room. Was nice but I tried to heat the house with it and it ate wood like a dragon and I still burned about 600 + gallons of lp gas a year in the small farmhouse I live in. I burned some pine now and then and 1 year used more then usual and I had some very hot chimney fires. I called a chimney specialist out the 1 spring and he professionally cleaned the chimney and discovered cracks in the insert and chimney and said I was lucky I never burned the house down,and that I shouldn't use it any more. That summer I found a very nice woodstove fireplace insert, basically a regular double wall wood stove downsized to fit into a fireplace with a blower to blow heat out of the double wall for $100 ( at a yard sale ). I put this in with stainless double wall stove pipe from Menard's, inside the original chimney. This unlike the heatalater I coul control the draft like a regular wood stove. I would have to guess I use about 4 cords of wood and now I am only using lp for gas for my cook stove.
If you want to save money with the fireplace you need the wood stove type insert.
As far as pine goes , the pine we have builds creosote so it is necessary to clean the chimney regularly. I just cleaned my dads yesterday cause it was getting plugged , and I had already cleaned it a couple months ago. He had been burning some pine and said he is going to quit using it again. For me its good for kindling or mabe a short , small , hot fire in mild weather. If you burn it slow you will need to clean the chimney frequently or you risk chimney fires or geting plugged which can be a pain on a nasty winter day.

 

[allthegross]

Who here has a wood fireplace insert ??? And if so , Do you think it heats better than your fireplace did with out the insert??? I just dont want to shell out the $$$$$ if it is not much better. It would have to be noticable anyways. Thanks for any feedback.

Rob.

no question at all the insert is 1000 times better than an open fire place. i used to burn a open fire and could never get the room over 65 to 68 degrees when it was cold outside. not only that when the furnace kicked on all the air i paid to heat would go up the chimney. Now with the insert i can heat the down stairs to 85 when it is super cold outside. the combustion air come from outside so none of my inside air that is heated goes up the chiming. my insert came with the option of hooking up two other zones that pipes the heated air to my fathers in-law apt in my basement. another benifet is the burn time i can load it around 10 at night and when we get up in the morning it is still nice and warm in the living room. just throw a few more logs in and im good till the afternoon. the room i have the insert in has a 40 ft ceiling so you can imagine my heating bills before the insert. i have only burned 72 gallons of oil this year. i used to burn about 600 gallons by mid dec. so with oil prices where they are now this insert will pay for itself in two years. I bought a heat n glo northstar and did alot of research before i got it...love it

 

[Knotdodger]

Thanks for all the replie's.. I never knew to much about the inserts until I found this site.. And everything to do with Tree's , forestry, Lumber. And I love a chainsaw.. Is On This Site... I will have a insert by next heating season.. Already working on the wood pile for it.. Thanks again.