NEw home owner, have fireplace, want a wood insert....

[Freakingstang]

I'm a fairly new home owner and the house has a relatiely new (within the last 10 years) fireplace. i have no experience with fireplaces, just wood burning stoves and furnaces. I would like to install a good, but not too expensive wood burning insert. The problem is I've read and seached and not really sure what kind of insert I need. The fireplace is on the first floor of a 2600 sq ft Cape Cod home. The fireplace is in my 24x20 living room that was an addition to the house. It is a brick chimney that appears to be insulated from what I can tell up top.

What do I need to do to install an insert and what are some of the better units out there. Alot of the ones I've seen don't seem to have an ash pan/tray and i don't see those as being too effective/friendly if you have to empty the ashes every day, or twice a day. My goal is to use this as primary heat, and having the oil furnace as the emergancy, extra heat. In the basement under the old house, there is not an easy way to plumb in a wood furnace or stove as there is not a true chimney.

So, what do you all reccomend?

 

[mbtech81]

Is it a ZC (zero clearance) fireplace, or a real masonry fireplace? If it's a ZC you'll want to get an insert that's approved for use in them. Also, what is the hearth like? The other option (if you have room) is to get a cast iron stove with a rear exit flue and do a "hearth mounted" install using a liner up the existing chimney. I did this with a Jøtul F 100 Nordic QT and it worked quite well, I did it all myself quite easily.

 

[johncinco]

They let you out of the chainsaw forum? :msp_tongue:

 

[Freakingstang]

Is it a ZC (zero clearance) fireplace, or a real masonry fireplace? If it's a ZC you'll want to get an insert that's approved for use in them. Also, what is the hearth like? The other option (if you have room) is to get a cast iron stove with a rear exit flue and do a "hearth mounted" install using a liner up the existing chimney. I did this with a Jøtul F 100 Nordic QT and it worked quite well, I did it all myself quite easily.

I'm not sure i know the difference...It's a real stone flush fireplace.

 

[EXCALIBER]

You might want to do a search on this site for Blaze King inserts. A couple of people have switched/bought one after hearing about my stove. They are definatley worth a look. Sorry can not help with the install. Good luck stove hunting.

 

[Fyrebug]

Looks like a ZC. Before you start looking at models etc... take all the inside dimensions. You'll want to put the biggest ones that will fit in there.

We make 4 brands of wood inserts (Century, Drolet, Osburn & Enerzone) and many people will tell you conflicting things about whether or not you can use an insert into a ZC. Here's a more or less definitive answer...

It is possible to install a wood insert into an existing factory-built zero-clearance fireplace. However, there currently exists no UL or ULC standard specific to that type of conversion. The first thing that must be verified is that the factory-built zero clearance fireplace is listed (it must be certified by a competent certification body such as Omni or Warnock Hersey). It must be suitable for use with solid fuel and nothing in the owner’s manual must specifically prohibit the installation of a fireplace insert. When in doubt, check with the fireplace manufacturer. The installation of the zero-clearance fireplace MUST be thoroughly inspected by a professional in order to ensure that it still meets the manufacturer’s specs and code conformity. The chimney must be of at least 1" (25 mm) larger in diameter to accommodate a required continuous stainless steel liner running from the flue collar to the top of the chimney termination.

Never remove parts that serve to insulate the zero-clearance fireplace from combustible material. Only readily detachable parts that are easily replaced, such as damper parts, screens, and doors, are to be removed from the fireplace. These parts must be stored nearby and available for retrofit if the insert is ever removed. Removal of any parts which render the fireplace unfit for use with solid fuel requires the fireplace to be permanently labelled by the installer as being no longer suitable for solid fuel until the removed parts are replaced and the fireplace is restored to its original certified condition. Furthermore, any air vents, grilles, or louvers that serve to create an air circulation pattern around and outside the zero-clearance fireplace shall never be removed.

In other words, before you get your heart set on a particular model you have a little bit of homework to be done. Then you have to figure out what your Total install budget is (as an example low cost insert + liner will be about $1,500). At that point provide us with the answers and we'll steer you in the right direction.

 

[mbtech81]

I agree it looks like a ZC. How deep is your hearth?

 

[phidelt1736]

I had an almost identical situation when i moved into my home. I also had a zero clearance stove, lennox i believe i can't remember the model. I wanted to go the route of installing an insert and calling it good but after doing all the research ie heating capacity, cost, insurance coverage, etc it was easier to just rip the thing out and install a zero clearance stove. It wasn't cheap but i did the majority of the work myself with the occasional six pack thrown around to talk a buddy into helping out. Some differences for me where that i had a chase and steel liner on the old fireplace so removal may have been easier than in your case. However don't assume it's in fact a brick chimney without thorough investigation. You may have already done that I'm just saying rock facades are easily done both inside and outside the house. Mine had a rock facade built right up to the face like yours in the picture and i know people that have put facades on their chases to look masonry. Anyway as the probably more knowledgeable post above me stated do your homework. I know going the insert route didn't sit well with my insurance company probably due to the ul issues mentiones above and due to the size of my existing fireplace overnight burns and the ability to heat my square footage was limited. YMMV just thought I'd post some food for thought.

 

[Fyrebug]

I had an almost identical situation when i moved into my home. I also had a zero clearance stove, lennox i believe i can't remember the model. I wanted to go the route of installing an insert and calling it good but after doing all the research ie heating capacity, cost, insurance coverage, etc it was easier to just rip the thing out and install a zero clearance stove. It wasn't cheap but i did the majority of the work myself with the occasional six pack thrown around to talk a buddy into helping out. Some differences for me where that i had a chase and steel liner on the old fireplace so removal may have been easier than in your case. However don't assume it's in fact a brick chimney without thorough investigation. You may have already done that I'm just saying rock facades are easily done both inside and outside the house. Mine had a rock facade built right up to the face like yours in the picture and i know people that have put facades on their chases to look masonry. Anyway as the probably more knowledgeable post above me stated do your homework. I know going the insert route didn't sit well with my insurance company probably due to the ul issues mentiones above and due to the size of my existing fireplace overnight burns and the ability to heat my square footage was limited. YMMV just thought I'd post some food for thought.

Good points... Keep in mind a decent low range ZC will be around $3,000 plus chimney $1,500 plus masonry, lumber etc...

Again, it depends on your budget. But if you go the ZC route it will definitely be your primary heater. The high efficiency ones are like small furnaces and some of them can even push heat to up to 3 different rooms in your house. Well worth investigating.

What are you heating with? If it's oil, propane or electric then it's a no brainer. Your money is going to be made up in a short time.

 

[farmboss45]

I'm a fairly new home owner and the house has a relatively new (within the last 10 years) fireplace. i have no experience with fireplaces, just wood burning stoves and furnaces. I would like to install a good, but not too expensive wood burning insert. The problem is I've read and searched and not really sure what kind of insert I need. The fireplace is on the first floor of a 2600 sq ft Cape Cod home. The fireplace is in my 24x20 living room that was an addition to the house. It is a brick chimney that appears to be insulated from what I can tell up top.

What do I need to do to install an insert and what are some of the better units out there. Alot of the ones I've seen don't seem to have an ash pan/tray and i don't see those as being too effective/friendly if you have to empty the ashes every day, or twice a day. My goal is to use this as primary heat, and having the oil furnace as themergencycy, extra heat. In the basement under the old house, there is not an easy way to plumb in a wood furnace or stove as there is not a true chimney.

So, what do you recommendmend?

I bought a Naploleon three years ago. It has dual blowers and is very efficient. I have never seen one with a clean out, but that does not mean they don't exist, but they are not needed. Clean out of most stoves with an ash shovel is easy, straight into the box, scoop and dump in the bucket, no biggy. I had a freestander w/ a cleanout pan, it was more of a PITA than it was worth, and messier.

 

[jimbo64]

I'm a fairly new home owner and the house has a relatiely new (within the last 10 years) fireplace. i have no experience with fireplaces, just wood burning stoves and furnaces. I would like to install a good, but not too expensive wood burning insert. The problem is I've read and seached and not really sure what kind of insert I need. The fireplace is on the first floor of a 2600 sq ft Cape Cod home. The fireplace is in my 24x20 living room that was an addition to the house. It is a brick chimney that appears to be insulated from what I can tell up top.

What do I need to do to install an insert and what are some of the better units out there. Alot of the ones I've seen don't seem to have an ash pan/tray and i don't see those as being too effective/friendly if you have to empty the ashes every day, or twice a day. My goal is to use this as primary heat, and having the oil furnace as the emergancy, extra heat. In the basement under the old house, there is not an easy way to plumb in a wood furnace or stove as there is not a true chimney.

So, what do you all reccomend?

Have owned both a quadrfire 5100 and an avalon---both have fans for additional heat distribution= i like the quadrafire much better-----it heated 2500 sq ft of Pennsylvania farmhouse- avalon ===not so good-it works marginally

 

[MN Ripper]

Another vote for the Blazeking insert if you have a lot of sq ft to heat. We only use it when it gets real cold out because the freestanding Drolet stove in the basement does a good job for a large part of the heating season doing the basement and upstairs. The blazeking burns well over half a day on one load of wood and still gets the upstairs of our 1600 sf ranch home way hot if its not real cold out. That's why it doesn't get used until its below 15°F or the house gets in the high 70/low 80's which is to hot to sleep in. If it would of fit in the basement fireplace I would rather have it down there but it didn't work out that way.

 

[ri chevy]

LOPI Freedom

Also check out LOPI Freedom and Freedom Bay ZC Fireplace Inserts. I have both the Freedom and Revere. They work very well. Very efficient. Very well built. These are "Non Catalytic" inserts. I prefer non-catalytic stoves. 74,300 BTU's of heat output per hour from cord wood. Made from 5/16" boiler plate steel. Weighs 470 lbs. Emits 2.6 grams per hour. 6" flue size.

Lopi | Wood Stoves | Gas Fireplaces | Pellet Stoves

http://lopistoves.com/TravisDocs/98800200.PDF

 

[Iron Head]

Also check out the Lopi.

 

[bcorradi]

I'd personally surf your local CL and see if u can find a nice freestanding woodstove and some double wall pipe/chimney and use the fireplace for nostalgic sake.

I personally run a 1960's ashley stove ($75 on CL 3 years ago) in our 3200' sq ft house (lower and upper level combined) and it does a great job. Our block chimney is situated in the se corner of our house. Our house was built in the 80's and our windows are a bit newer and they aren't drastically inefficient, but we are also heating it in about the coldest climate in the lower 48 and it does great. To each their own, but that is what we use and it works really well.

 

[Fyrebug]

Before you get all confused by all the inserts / stove suggestions thrown at you, you need to know there really are no 'bad' inserts. They all will do the job. Some better than others. In order to make a rational decision and for us to help you, you need to tell us a couple of things

1) Your budget. Since a liner will be about $500 then an insert will vary in cost from about $1,000 to $3,500. I can throw at you about two dozen brands and 80 inserts that fits that range. You narrow this and we're talking...

2) inside dimensions of your ZC. That will further narrow what you are looking at.

All the best!

 

[ri chevy]

Good advice Fyrebug. I was going to say the same thing. Most of the inserts/stoves are made well today. It comes down to what you can afford, and the amount of room that you have to fit the stove. I would really stick with a newer stove though. They are more "air tight," than some of the older designs.