Wood Burning insert... HELP!

[phyrephyter2379]

Well I have a medium insert that I am quite happy with, so for 1800 sqft, I would recommend a large insert
Lopi is something to look at, they were a bit more expensive but I was told it would be too much stove for the 550 I was heating. You will definitely save money installing your own, it is quite easy, took me and a friend less then 4 hours till we had a fire going and that was with a 6"ss flex that barely fit down the chimney. Sounds like money is no problem so I say get big and get what looks best to you, mine has a big fire viewing area and looks awesome, so get the biggest glass surface area without any decoration in between to hinder the fire view. I hope this helps, here's a pic of my non cat.....gl

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I'm leaning towards the Buck 74. I looked at one yesterday and really liked it, as it seems very well built and solid. I plan on installing it myself... I installed my old Buck 23 years ago and had no problems. I removed my 8" SS liner yesterday and will have plenty of room for an insulated 6" liner. I didn't mean to give the impression that money isn't an issue, because it definitely is. I just want to make sure that whatever I get will suit my needs for many years to come. I like the pics you posted... nice looking fire!

 

[Woody Stover]

in their literature it says EPA tested output BTU/H is 40,900. Other stoves I've seen are 70,000+... am I not looking at or comparing the same thing? Also, the blower fan seems small to me. Will I get good airflow pushing out of it?

In their brochure, a mfgr. sometimes lists a max output rating; The EPA test rating is usually quite a bit lower. I would think the 74 should handle that space. If the stove isn't centrally located, you may need a small desk fan on the floor somewhere to move cool air back to the stove room.

http://www.epa.gov/oecaerth/resources/publications/monitoring/caa/woodstoves/certifiedwood.pdf

The fan could be stronger, no doubt, but it works well and the jacketed set up(think box in a box) really get the air out into the room. My buddy got a model 81 I think (check my older posts) and the fan on it is REAL strong, like jet engine strong!

Is the blower on the 74 more quiet, as well? The smaller fan would be adequate, I would think, and the quieter the better IMHO. It sounds like the 91 I have at my MIL's probably has the larger fan, but I don't generally have it up all the way if the house is up to temp and the stove is cruising.

 

[phyrephyter2379]

Ok... made my decision.... it's going to be the Buck 74! I will have to build a new hearth, mantle, and stone work up the wall, so I have a little work ahead of me. I'll post photos as I go along through the process. Thanks for everyone's help and input. Very much appreciated!
Anyone have a good place to buy an insulated 6" flex liner?

 

[begreen]

Congratulations! Post some before pics now so that we can spot any gotchas.

 

[Woody Stover]

Ok... made my decision.... it's going to be the Buck 74! I will have to build a new hearth, mantle, and stone work up the wall, so I have a little work ahead of me. I'll post photos as I go along through the process. Thanks for everyone's help and input. Very much appreciated!
Anyone have a good place to buy an insulated 6" flex liner?

Congrats!
If your chimney is a straight shot, you can use rigid SS chimney and that would be cheaper. If not, price will depend on what kind of flex liner you want. I got the HomeSaver RoundFlex 304, which is heavy-duty stuff. $30/ft. I didn't do an exhaustive search though, maybe it can be had cheaper? It is also just plain heavy, but two of us were able to feed it up from the bottom with a nose cone. Then you need insulation, top plate, clamp and rain cap.

 

[phyrephyter2379]

Congrats!
If your chimney is a straight shot, you can use rigid SS chimney and that would be cheaper. If not, price will depend on what kind of flex liner you want. I got the HomeSaver RoundFlex 304, which is heavy-duty stuff. $30/ft. I didn't do an exhaustive search though, maybe it can be had cheaper? It is also just plain heavy, but two of us were able to feed it up from the bottom with a nose cone. Then you need insulation, top plate, clamp and rain cap.

Thanks for the info Woody! Not quite a straight shot. Have a bit of a bend leaving the firebox, enough that I can't run rigid. I'm not familiar with the types of flex liners available, so I've got to do some research on them.

 

[clemsonfor]

I got mine from chimney liner depot and they price matched ebay

 

[phyrephyter2379]

OK, it's been a few months and progress has slowly been made. I did end up buying the Buck 74. I've been burning for 4 days and, so far, have been very pleased with it. I'm amazed at how much heat I get out of it only burning a few logs, without having to continuously stoke and pack the firebox like I did with my old Buck insert. I'm attaching photos of my progress so far.
I tore out the old hearth and framed for the new one...


I then sheeted with 3/4" OSB...


Inside the opening I poured a wire reinforced 2 1/4" thick high tensile strength concrete slab...


After curing I then installed a 2' x 8' x 2 1/4" rock faced limestone slab for my hearth...


I then slid in my Buck 74 and attached my liner. I purchased my 6" flexible SS liner from Liner Depot. They did price match ebay and I also got free shipping. I upgraded to a terra cotta cap too. My stove dealer sold me the insulation kit for about half price...


I was planning on installing the surrounding trim kit to cover the opening, but realized there is a significant amount of heat around the insert in the fireplace box. I've decided to leave it open. I have a small table fan blowing air through one side and out the other to circulate the heat from around it. I am currently waiting for my mantel to finish drying from a kiln at the local woodworking shop. I cut down an ash tree from my yard and had it cut into an 8" x 9" x 6' long beam...


Once the beam is up I will be installing a stone veneer to the wall. I had hoped to have this done before I installed the insert, but time didn't allow it.
I would appreciate hearing any and all comments, suggestions, criticisms on what I've done so far.

 

[begreen]

The final look is going to be great. However, I'm concerned about stove base and the stone hearth resting directly on wood. In the least I would have put a layer or two of cement board like Durock NexGen down for insulation protection. The stove being off its pedestal is going to project a lot of heat in front and underneath. That is going to warm up the stone a lot. Hopefully this will dissipate over the block, but I am concerned that the stone will act as a conductor and not an insulator when there is a strong 24/7 burns going. I have even greater concerns for inside the fireplace directly under the stove. There I would have used only metal studs and cement board under the poured cement floor.

Call Buck and ask what is the hearth insulation protection under and in front of the stove that they recommend when the stove is off the pedestal. The manual doesn't cover this case. I suspect they are only thinking of installations with a full masonry fireplace floor and hearth.

 

[Hogwildz]

If your considering a PE, go with the Summit.
Oops, never mind