Fireplace vs Insert

[etc]

All I have is a fireplace but it is not as bad as I thought it would be.
The initial heat is generates is immense. Way more than then old wood stove I had. It does heat the whole house, at least when the temperature floats above freezing, in the 30's to low 40's. No idea yet how it performs in cold weather.

The fireplace has a dampener and I think it helps.

One problem with the fireplace is that the living room becomes unbearably hot, with candles melting 6'-8' away. Couch to hot to seat on.
The real problem is that everything burns out in the middle of the night and the fire is completely out in the early morning. The bricks stay warm but I think below freezing, I will have issues past 3-4AM, assuming I get it full at 10PM. The old wood stove I had at another house stayed warm the entire night instead of going from Africa to Antarctica temperatures.

Therefore I am looking at an insert.

 

[Encore]

I would definitely get an insert. Fireplaces aren't designed to be run quite so hot and with that much wood squished in them. Personally I would not be comfortable going to sleep with that much wood in a fireplace and no doors on it. Just an accident waiting to happen in my opinion

You'll use a fraction of the wood in an insert or wood stove than with that setup.

Maybe the stove you previously had was undersized?

 

[oppermancjo]

No wonder you're melting candles... I think you've got a half cord of wood in there! :msp_biggrin:

I put up with an open fireplace the past two winters. It had an old blower system on it that helped put heat out but also pushed out soot and smoke from time to time.

You are right about having to feed that bad boy though. If I got up in the middle of the night to use the little boy's room and dropped some logs in, mine would still have coals in the morning. Otherwise, I had to start a new fire every morning. It looks like your fireplace opening is huge so I would think you could find a good size unit to put in there. The problem with my fireplace is that it is small. I found a unit to fit in there and so far it seems to be doing well but winter has yet to fully set in so we'll see how I fare.

So, for your investment you will burn a fraction of the wood and keep a more consistent temperature in your house. Worth it in my opinion. Oh, and you'll save some candles from certain death...

 

[dsell]

I agree, get a good quality high efficiency insert and insulated chimney liner. My wife misses the open fireplace, but I don't. Mine is the perfect size for our house. We comfortably set in the room with the stove and heat the rest of the house most of the time. We still need help from the natural gas furnace when the ambient is below 30 F. I just wish my stove had an ash drawer. If you do it, make a metal plate to seal the area between the chimney liner and smoke shelf to keep your heat from going up the chimney.

 

[etc]

Makes sense. I am thinking about this old Lopi:

Wood Stove insert - Lopi

or a Big Buck:

Wood Stove Fireplace Insert - Big Buck

Need to measure it to make sure they will fit. What's a good price for the Big Buck? It looks newer than Lopi.

 

[dsell]

Those are both good brands. Do either have the reburn air tubes at the top of the firebox?

http://sutherlands.com/products/product.php?item=8814915

 

[oppermancjo]

That Lopi looks just like the one we had when I was growing up cept ours had cast doors instead of bronze. I remember it working well. Too bad we left it with the house when we moved...

EDIT: Just looked back at it and saw the blower isn't included. I wouldn't pay $550 for that because the guy is right, it's old. Not sure what you would have to pay for a new blower but I'm willing to bet it would be a couple hundo...

 

[etc]

I offered the Lopi guy $350, waiting to hear back. No blowers there.

Not sure what to offer the Big Buck person, asking how old it is.

 

[mellow]

The buck is atleast 30 years old, most of the stoves you will find on CL are older and people are upgrading to the newer EPA stoves.

Get some dimensions on your fireplace and how tall your chimney is and what size your flue is to determine what size stainless steel liner you can fit down it.

Good writeup on installing an insert:

How to install a wood burning fireplace insert

 

[etc]

I had some kind of insert in it before.

 

[bentring]

Try stacking the wood tighter and the fire should last longer, at least from my experience.

 

[stihly dan]

Some things you should just buy new. Wood burners are 1 of them. The other is snow blowers. Spend the cake on a new EPA unit. You won't be disappointed. Looks better, heats better, easier to use, and uses less wood.

 

[pyankura]

Although either will be safer and your wood will last longer and better controlled heat. I would save my money and get an epa stove! You will really save on wood, be safer, and way better controlled heat. The best is: epa stove/insert, pipe from stove to cap. Your furnace may never kick on! Craigslist can turn up some really nice deals.

 

[CTYank]

Meanwhile, do NOT let your insurance carrier find out how you operate your fireplace!

 

[saxman]

I have a Lennox Canyon C310 and for the last 3 years I has been great. I replaced an older insert that was non-EPA certified. I agree that you should go with a newer unit that uses a CAT or secondary burn tubes, it will be much more efficient.

Steve

 

[saxman]

Here is a picture of my Lennox in operation. The C310 is their biggest insert View attachment 258278

 

[pyankura]

Wow, that sucker has a huge window! Big box too!

 

[msvold]

Your situation is similar to mine. Burned open fires for a couple of years, went through 6 cords for a KS winter (4 + months of burning (Nov-Feb). Problem was overnight, when the fire went out, cold came in, heating bills in the winter were Approx $300 average/month. Paid a pretty penny for a woodstove, but after i did the math the stove, chimney liner and install will be paid off in 4 years - Installed a woodstove - highest gas bill this past winter was $30. Here's a pic of Hearthstone homestead with soapstone panels - which lend a gentle, radiant quality to the heat. Our hearthroom is our favorite room to be in during winter. Couldn't be happier.
http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=258277&stc=1&d=1350784191

 

[ri chevy]

Lopi Stove Insert

I use 2 LOPI fireplace inserts in my house, one in each end. They are very efficient and throw off nice heat. I bought the blowers, but took it off, as I do not need all the extra heat. The insert works just fine the way it is. I have the Revere, and the Freedom Bay. I bought both of them around in 1995.

LOPI Revere

 

[tnichols]

We have a Regency small insert with a blower. We've had it 5 years now and love it. Rough numbers if I remember correctly is 55,000 BTU's and 77% efficient. The wood you have in your fireplace would run our insert for a day. Burns clean and safe. Downside is our firebox is small and no ash drawer.