Who uses fireplace inserts?

[bmarleyzq8]

I've been giving some thought to installing a woodburning fireplace insert in my home. The house is a ranch style modular. My current heating source is a natural gas furnace which is pretty in expensive to run but the down side is that my home is not the best insulated and it struggles to keep us warm. I've had the system looked at several times and everyone tells me that is operating the way that it is supposse to, however we get very little heat to the two bedrooms that are actually occupied. I have gone as far as to block off the vents in the spare room and extra bathroom hoping that that may help us out a little but with no real positive results. So the only thing that we have been able to come up with is to run a couple thermostat controlled electric heaters to keep those rooms warm. This has driven my electric bill up almost $100 per month. Those things are crazy expensive to operate. With all this said, I would like to look at some different options.

Wood will be no problem comming by for me. I have access to all I want and it wont cost me much. Most likely just alot of my time helping cut and split for my father inlaw and then for myself of course. We do currently have a normal fireplace, its nice to look at but beyond that its pretty much useless. I really cant figure out a place to put you typical woodstove where it wouldnt be in the way and taking up alot of valuble space, and thats why i am thinking about the insert. the location of our current fireplace is dead center of the house so that also seems to be a plus.

What do you all think, do they work? Pros, Cons any advise would help. Thanks

 

[keving]

I have been heating our ranch home for three years exclusively with a fireplace insert and we love it.( I found it on craigs list for 200.00 )our fireplace is in the center of the house and is in a room were there is ceramic tile so any mess is easily swept up.my only regret is, I wish Id done this twenty years ago

 

[kyrob]

I heat my whole house with an insert as well. You should have an easier time heating yours since the fireplace is in the middle. Mine is on the end but it still does the job. Just get one big enough for the area you want to heat and use good seasoned wood.

Rob

 

[outdoorlivin247]

Boiler took a crap in the coldest month of last year and my insert keep my house nice and toasty...:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Wife'nHubby]

Our fireplace is also central to our home. It acts as a room divider between our kitchen & living room; has stone on three sides so it acts as a great heat sink (retains heat). We opted for a hearth mounted wood stove, the Jotul Oslo. We are heating about 1500 sq ft of our 1700 sq ft ranch (2 bedrooms closed off, not in use).

We did not choose an insert because we didn't want to be reliant on a fan system to 'get the heat out' of an insert. We sometimes use a ceiling fan in the adjacent dining room and a very, very small desk type fan in the hallway blowing cooler air towards the living room to circulate heat through our home - but only if outside temps are around 15 degrees or less. Our inside temps are between 74-78 on a regular basis. I even got the inside temps up to 81.5 a couple of times without trying very hard.

Last year: heating with oil forced air furnace

This year: 24/7 with our Oslo

I'd compare oil bills of this season versus last season - except we no longer have an oil bill.

PS Our Oslo install is pictured in my avatar.

Shari

 

[Ironworker]

We use an insert to heat our 3100 sq. ft. home and love it, we use it with the blower which you can leave on low except on cold nights, no regrets absolutly love it.

 

[Stew7]

I just had a Regency wood stove insert installed into my fireplace a few months ago and I love it. Mine is located roughly in the center of 1700 sf ranch home and it does a pretty good job of heating the place with the blower on.

Mine has a two-speed blower and I'd say the only minor complaint I have is that my tv is located in the same room and when the blower is on high, it's a little louder than I like and have to crank up the volume on tv. The trade-off is well worth it though since it really pumps out the heat when it's on high.

I would recommend doing it, especially if you have access to firewood cheap or free.

 

[RAG66]

I use one too, however I need to insulate and do windows.... ("COUNTRY 210")

 

[WAPITI39]

I also use an Insert ( Avalon Olympic) and absolutely love it. Highly recommend installing one.

 

[mooseracing]

My parents have used an old Lopi for about 20 or so yrs now. Blower has been dead for a long time but hasn't seemed to matter. No problems heating their 3000 sq ft.

The chimney is in the middle of the house, the insert downstairs and 2 fireplaces blocked off upstairs. So it has nice radiating affect.

 

[cnice_37]

We heat 1800 sq ft w/ our Jotul insert

Jotul Rockland.

I don't think inserts are nearly as efficient, but working with "what ya got" it was what we had to do. On the coldest of days in Mass we can still get to 70 degrees, and we have a Gambrel. I'm trying to figure out how to even out the heat now, but with a central location I think you'll be better off.

They aren't cheap new either, I paid over $3k in 2007.

 

[bmarleyzq8]

Sounds like a good way to go. I'll have to get a little more serious about it now. Thanks for the insight on them. I just have a hard time seeing how they throw off so much heat but it sounds like they do. I guess the one thing that I am affraid of is...with the insert going in my living room would my living room become to hot to bear inorder to heat the bedrooms?

 

[subhunter]

We use a older Buck insert that was made in the late 70's. It is very nice. It puts out lots of heat and will take up to a 24" long piece of wood.It was a pre EPA stove so I am not sure if that makes it 'better' or not?:monkey:

 

[saxman]

Inserts do a GREAT job, don't let the "freestanders" trick you. If you already have a fireplace with a good flue it is the best way to go. Make sure and get a good brand insert from a good dealer. I have a Lennox (Country Stove) model 310 which is the biggest they make, It has a variable speed blower which is very quiet but I don't run it unless it is a very cold night. Since most inserts protrude from the fireplace they radiate heat and through the glass as well. I would highly recommend using an insert in your situation and forget you gas furnace, you won't need it anymore.

Steve

 

[stihlaficionado]

I have an insert but no blower. The firebox is larger then what I have seen in
typical inserts, and it seems to be well built & heavy duty. It sits in a corner of the living room with an open kichen so it heats an 800-900 sq ft area easily.

Firewood is free from a local arborist

 

[Stew7]

Sounds like a good way to go. I'll have to get a little more serious about it now. Thanks for the insight on them. I just have a hard time seeing how they throw off so much heat but it sounds like they do. I guess the one thing that I am affraid of is...with the insert going in my living room would my living room become to hot to bear inorder to heat the bedrooms?

I think it really depends on the layout of your house and if your living room position allows for the heat to move to the bedrooms. In my house, the insert heats up the living room, kitchen, and family room area and can maintain about 70 degrees. However, the bedrooms are down the hall far enough that the heat will not make it's way to the far corners very well. But it does keep things comfortable for me as far as I need it.

And it obviously depends on the size of the insert as well.

 

[WAPITI39]

My Avalon Olympic insert is on the opposite side of my house ( 1600SF) from my bedrooms and they are heated just fine without overheating the room it sits in. I also do not run a blower on my insert. I do use the ceiling fan ( reversed) on low and I agree that the glass on the door and the protruding face kick off plenty of heat. I think a freestanding would obviously kick off more heat but this kicks off more than I could ever need as is and its what I had to work with ( as mentioned above.) I think you would be very happy with a good quality large firebox insert.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

we use an older earth stove insert works great but the fans are about done on it....its our only heat source now... we had electric ceiling heat until roof leaked...the stove even heats when power is out, electric won't!

 

[woodhaven]

I have the Napoleon 1101. I don't use it that much as I primarily heat with a wood furnace. It's nice in the evening to warm up the living room but that's about it. It doesn't put out enough heat to even heat that floor.

 

[Cerran]

7+ Years on my insert

I've been heating for more than 7 years with our insert now and love it. I don't use a fan and use natural circulation but I do have a split level which makes that easier. With a rancher a couple ceiling fans might be useful in moving heat around.