- Jul 22, 2012
- 5
I'm on the market for a wood stove insert for an existing masonry fireplace. House is about 2600 sq ft., 2 floors and a very open floor plan with a stair case in the middle of the house. I've been to 5 different stove shops and am a bit overwhelmed by the number of different brands of wood stoves. I've gotten the same story from a few that they have stopped carrying Vermont Castings because their quality has suffered lately due to the company being sold and them selling to big box stores. Other stores that carry VC of course say this is not true. I love the look of the merrimack but am concerned about the quality. The Quadrafire 3100 also looks like a great stove and very efficient with ACC. I've also seen Harman, Regency, Napoleon, Osbourne, Lennox and I'm sure others as well but my impression is that Quadrafire and VC are the two big hitters. So:
1. Is it true that I should be concerned about VC quality. I've read on this forum about weld issues and fan noise and the fan not kicking on for a long time.
2. Are Harman, Regency, Napoleon, Osbourne, etc... smaller companies and should I be concerned about going with them?
3. Is the ACC on the Quadrafire really that much more efficient? Do any other companies use that concept?
Thanks!
Dan
1. Is it true that I should be concerned about VC quality. I've read on this forum about weld issues and fan noise and the fan not kicking on for a long time.
2. Are Harman, Regency, Napoleon, Osbourne, etc... smaller companies and should I be concerned about going with them?
3. Is the ACC on the Quadrafire really that much more efficient? Do any other companies use that concept?
Thanks!
Dan