This is a great forum, I really appreciate all the effort people have put into their posts. There are a lot of good questions and a lot of very informative answers. I used this forum about three years ago before buying a wood insert for another home. I chose a Vermont Casting Montpelier insert.
I purchased a house last year that has a wood burning fireplace. I am researching what type of gas insert to purchase. The home is a 1929 English Tudor located in Portland, OR. Our winters are rainy but fairly mild. We have been down to the single digit temperatures during winter, but typically we are in the 20s – 30s during the nights in Dec/Jan/Feb.
The room we want to heat is the living room. It is 15x20 with 20 foot ceilings. There is a large cathedral window on one wall, French doors leading outside on the another wall and two sets of windows across from the French doors. The windows are the original, leaded glass. The walls are plaster and the outside is stucco, I doubt there is much wall insulation. When the rest of the house is warm, the living room is chilly.
The fireplace is in the living room. It is 40” wide and 30” tall. It is deep (but sooty so I didn’t measure).
The fireplace is ornate with an arch around the fireplace opening. I need to put something in that is plain and doesn’t detract from or clash with the look of the original work.
The units available in this area are: Valor, Avalon, Enviro, Scan, Jotul, Regency and Mendota. I have seen two units so far that I like. I have two more stores to visit this coming week.
I looked at a Mendota FV44i. I liked that the BTUs can adjust from 40k – 11k. I liked the two burners and being able to shut the back burner off. The remote had plenty of options. There is a variable speed fan. The unit, installation with a gas line, wiring, and customizing the surround to fit would cost about $5k.
I also looked at a Regency Liberty L540E at another dealer. The BTUs go from 38k to 25K. It has a wide viewing area but is about 1.25” shorter than the FV44i. It too has a variable speed fan that comes standard and a remote. I liked the flame and log set, but wish I could see it next to the Mendota. The unit, installation with a gas line, wiring, and customizing the surround to fit would cost about $3500.
Both dealers will do a presale onsite checkup. I’m wondering though if you guys could give me your thoughts on the following:
Is 40,000 BTUs overkill?
Is there any brand I should stay away from? I am looking for reliability and for a company that will stand behind its product.
Do you agree I should go with a basic look to try and blend it or would an arch look be better?
What features in an insert or fireplace do you current owners especially like?
If you could do over again, what would you do different about your selection (more BTUs, less BTUs, more fans, different log set, different panels, different brand)?
Thank you very much for your help.
Here is the existing fireplace:
I purchased a house last year that has a wood burning fireplace. I am researching what type of gas insert to purchase. The home is a 1929 English Tudor located in Portland, OR. Our winters are rainy but fairly mild. We have been down to the single digit temperatures during winter, but typically we are in the 20s – 30s during the nights in Dec/Jan/Feb.
The room we want to heat is the living room. It is 15x20 with 20 foot ceilings. There is a large cathedral window on one wall, French doors leading outside on the another wall and two sets of windows across from the French doors. The windows are the original, leaded glass. The walls are plaster and the outside is stucco, I doubt there is much wall insulation. When the rest of the house is warm, the living room is chilly.
The fireplace is in the living room. It is 40” wide and 30” tall. It is deep (but sooty so I didn’t measure).
The fireplace is ornate with an arch around the fireplace opening. I need to put something in that is plain and doesn’t detract from or clash with the look of the original work.
The units available in this area are: Valor, Avalon, Enviro, Scan, Jotul, Regency and Mendota. I have seen two units so far that I like. I have two more stores to visit this coming week.
I looked at a Mendota FV44i. I liked that the BTUs can adjust from 40k – 11k. I liked the two burners and being able to shut the back burner off. The remote had plenty of options. There is a variable speed fan. The unit, installation with a gas line, wiring, and customizing the surround to fit would cost about $5k.
I also looked at a Regency Liberty L540E at another dealer. The BTUs go from 38k to 25K. It has a wide viewing area but is about 1.25” shorter than the FV44i. It too has a variable speed fan that comes standard and a remote. I liked the flame and log set, but wish I could see it next to the Mendota. The unit, installation with a gas line, wiring, and customizing the surround to fit would cost about $3500.
Both dealers will do a presale onsite checkup. I’m wondering though if you guys could give me your thoughts on the following:
Is 40,000 BTUs overkill?
Is there any brand I should stay away from? I am looking for reliability and for a company that will stand behind its product.
Do you agree I should go with a basic look to try and blend it or would an arch look be better?
What features in an insert or fireplace do you current owners especially like?
If you could do over again, what would you do different about your selection (more BTUs, less BTUs, more fans, different log set, different panels, different brand)?
Thank you very much for your help.
Here is the existing fireplace:
