Hi Vermont Castings Montpelier insert owners...
The Montpelier has been on the market since the fall of 2008 but I rarely see them mentioned here. That could be a good thing or a bad one. Either they are great inserts so nobody has any problems with them OR they are soooo bad nobody wants to talk about it. How has your experience been?
I installed mine in January, 2010. Internal masonry fireplace with a 15 foot 6" SS lined clay flue. I use it to heat my 1,800 sq ft main floor. It does well in the LI,NY climate. Without pushing, it keeps the 1,000 sq ft open floor plan in front of the unit in the low 70's, the bedrooms behind it in the mid to upper 60's. When it gets really cold we light the coal stove downstairs to help.
The only real problem I had with the unit was the bearings on the fan fried the first season. They were permanently lubricated sealed bearings that may not have been oiled during assembly. VC authorized a replacement with no hassle.
Like most new wood burners I had a learning curve both with the stove settings and "seasoned" wood. By fall of 2010 I was getting pretty good with the stove and my wood had been css for over a year. Now I usually have fairly clean glass (just a little gray fly ash that I wipe off once or twice a week) and easy "overnight burns". I usually pack the stove about 11PM and get up to re-load about 6 AM (have to warm the house before the boss gets up). In the morning I have a good bed of coals and can easily start a new fire with some small splits on the bottom and some medium ones on top.
I clean the flue twice a year getting a cup or two of dry black dust each time. Shoulder season I check the screen on the cap frequently.
One of my neighbors liked my unit enough that he just bought one for himself. I helped him install it and noticed that over the last two years VC has updated a few components (fan assembly, outer skin, etc) but all were minor changes. The new fan did not need any tweaking to quiet it down, it was great right out of the box.
I'm happy with my unit, are you?
KaptJaq
The Montpelier has been on the market since the fall of 2008 but I rarely see them mentioned here. That could be a good thing or a bad one. Either they are great inserts so nobody has any problems with them OR they are soooo bad nobody wants to talk about it. How has your experience been?
I installed mine in January, 2010. Internal masonry fireplace with a 15 foot 6" SS lined clay flue. I use it to heat my 1,800 sq ft main floor. It does well in the LI,NY climate. Without pushing, it keeps the 1,000 sq ft open floor plan in front of the unit in the low 70's, the bedrooms behind it in the mid to upper 60's. When it gets really cold we light the coal stove downstairs to help.
The only real problem I had with the unit was the bearings on the fan fried the first season. They were permanently lubricated sealed bearings that may not have been oiled during assembly. VC authorized a replacement with no hassle.
Like most new wood burners I had a learning curve both with the stove settings and "seasoned" wood. By fall of 2010 I was getting pretty good with the stove and my wood had been css for over a year. Now I usually have fairly clean glass (just a little gray fly ash that I wipe off once or twice a week) and easy "overnight burns". I usually pack the stove about 11PM and get up to re-load about 6 AM (have to warm the house before the boss gets up). In the morning I have a good bed of coals and can easily start a new fire with some small splits on the bottom and some medium ones on top.
I clean the flue twice a year getting a cup or two of dry black dust each time. Shoulder season I check the screen on the cap frequently.
One of my neighbors liked my unit enough that he just bought one for himself. I helped him install it and noticed that over the last two years VC has updated a few components (fan assembly, outer skin, etc) but all were minor changes. The new fan did not need any tweaking to quiet it down, it was great right out of the box.
I'm happy with my unit, are you?
KaptJaq