Need help selecting a wood burning insert

Hello,

New to forum. Spent some time on here a few weeks ago-my kind of folks.

I would like to purchase a USED fireplace insert.

-My house is 1600 square feet with an additional 800 square fot basement.
-Very well insulated: we remodeled ourselves and had 2" closed cell foam on walls of first floor (all we had space for) and apporx 5" of open cell foam on second floor (mansard) and attic.
-All new thermopane casement windows.
-my wife does not want a stove so we compromised on an insert.
-stone house, galzed tile cimney

I went to local fireplace store and they had Lopi's on display. Did more research and settled on LOPI Answer. I subsequently saw a used a used Lopi republic 1750i for sale but my wife wants to keep looking as it sticks our farther.

My questions: what other stoves are approx equal in perfomance to LOPI answer? Since I am new to this what other information do you need? What other questions should I be asking?

Ideally I would review the entire forum but my internet access is limited so I thought I would just post.

Thanks in adance for you guidance

Karl

Excavator said:

First thing is to measure the inside of the tile and you should consider looking at having a insulated liner installed for safety and performance.
I installed my own and it is not very hard if you are handy.

And welcome to the site

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I will be back at home on sunday and will measure. Thanks

Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:

Excavator said:

First thing is to measure the inside of the tile and you should consider looking at having a insulated liner installed for safety and performance.
I installed my own and it is not very hard if you are handy.

And welcome to the site

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+ 1 on the liner.

I would also consider an insert with a front that sticks out, gives more heat output in a power outage.

Welcome to the forums, Karl !

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Thanks. I will revisit larger stove idea. Good reasoning above.

Locust Post said:

Welcome Karl,

If you are not in a huge hurry you may want to wait until spring/summer if you are looking to go used. Sometimes you will find some deals then. Also get started gathering wood now so you have a good supply for next winter. If you are planning on buying, get it now and get it stacked. If you are going to cut your own start working on it. All stoves burn much better on well seasoned wood but with the newer stoves it is almost a must.

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I may have to wait depending on what comes up. I will post a search on craiglist pro (an app that alerts you when someone posts an item that meets your criteria) and see what comes up. I will use the brands mentioned in asubsequent post.

I have a large side yard which I plan on stacking/storing large amounts of wood. Plan on splitting myself after some point (I will need some seasoned wood to get me going so I might have to buy/scavenge (enter craiglist app again). I split a lot of wood when I was a kid.

Why does a new stove need more seasoned wood than an old one? And if I buy used and it was actually used would that address whatever issues arise with suboptimally seasoned wood?

Thanks

lopiliberty said:

The answer in my opinion has a good size firebox for no bigger than the stove is but I would want something that sticks out of the fireplace opening more in the event of a power outage and also I would want the firebox size and N/S loading of the republic 1750i or possibly the revere. The revere or republic 1750i are going to give you longer burn times also.

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What is "N/S loading"?

Thanks

usner21 said:

I have the Napoleon 1402 insert and I love it. Great insert at a good price. It's rated at 2000 sq ft and has a nice 18x18 firebox for loading both N/S and E/W. It also sits out of the fireplace on the Heart a decent amount to help with the radiant heat.

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so 18" by 18" is considered a good size firebox? And N/S means north/south, E/W =east/west! I get it now (I had a question on this in prior post).

Ill add the napoleon to my long list

I read an article on a site written by a guy who seemed quite knowledgable about burning wood. He may have been at it for 30 years or so. He described a method of burning to minimize polution and extracting maximum value. My point was that I think he placed the logs north south and built the fire exactly the opposite of the way I learned in boy scouts: he put kindling on top. Is this advice that I should follow and should I then have a decent size N/S capability? If so how big is big enough? 18 by 18?

Thanks

KarlP said:

Smarl said:

I subsequently saw a used a used Lopi republic 1750i for sale but my wife wants to keep looking as it sticks our farther.

My questions: what other stoves are approx equal in perfomance to LOPI answer? Since I am new to this what other information do you need? What other questions should I be asking?

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So it sounds like you are looking for a wife-approved pretty near-flush-mount insert with a fairly large firebox?

First thing is to carefully measure your fireplace's interior dimensions and see what fits...

Do the Lopi CapeCod or Declaration Plus fit? How about offerings from Jotul (Rockland?), Vermont Castings (Merrimack?), Quadrafire (Voyageur?), or Hearthstone (Clydesdale?)?


Second thing is to find a stove shop with a good-looking smooth-talking salesman that carries the stoves you want to look at. Have him flirt with your wife while you check out the insert's technical features.

Third thing is to enjoy your new insert your wife was involved in picking out. :-D

Sure these are more expensive models and you'll probably end up buying new, but marriage is expensive.

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I am not sure what I am looking for. Still in requirements stage. Getting an insert vs a stove seemed like a reasonable compromise after reviewing this site and realizing how well insulated my house is.

I measured my firebox but cant find them right now. I will post later (I am not at home or I would remeasure).

I will add all of the makes and models to my long list.

Pretty sure we are not buying a new one. And I prefer speaking to people like the ones on this forum: much better and more information than my admitidly small sample of fireplace salespeople.

Thanks for your help

daveswoodhauler said:

Woody Stover said:

I would have thought that, based on Lopi's rating, the Answer would be too small to heat that area and configuration. However, daveswoodhauler seems to be having pretty good luck heating a larger area, according to the linked review...
I'd want an insert that stuck out a bit. Better heat and a cook top for power outages, but maybe that's not a big problem where you are.
Hard to find what you want used, but there's a lotta people in Chicawgoland...

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I agree with Woody on this one.
I have had good luck with my stove, but I was limited on the size of the insert I could fit in as my fireplace tapered off towards the back.
Had the footprint of the fireplace been a true rectangle....i.e. width in the front is the same as the back...I would have went with the largest stove I could fit in. Don't get me wrong, I like my stove, but really wish I could get overnight burns....would really like something with a mid sized firebox and have the front not flush, as you really need to use the blower to dispurse the heat.

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Thanks for answers on the size. I am leaning towards one that sticks out due to ability to burn n/s, extended power outages (but they occur almost exclusively in summer I think I just moved into house 6 weeks ago) and overnight burns.

That said, I think my house is REALLY well insulated. I program thermostat to turn go to 57 degrees from 9:30pm to 7:30am and I dont think it runs much at all overnight so not sure I need a bigger one for overnight burns.

Would there be a downside to having a bigger one like the republic 1750i (which i assume I can burn n/s, over night, etc) given my situation?

I am responding to daveswoodhauler next!

You all are a ton of help!

Thanks again

BeGreen said:

Yes, 18 x 18 is good. Cut the wood to 16" and you will be golden. As for stove size, how much area will it actually be heating?

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1600 VERY WELL insulated suare feet

I forgot we are putting an additional 400 square feet on (we are forecasting having relatives live with us). It will be on the back of the chimney. So the fireplace will be more in centrally located vs on the end of the house.

Total square feet= 2000