Fireplace insert choice help needed

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joshuaviktor

joshuaviktor

New Member
Dec 19, 2005
234
Northwest New Jersey
I have a need for a fireplace insert that is not too big. Especially front to back, as I do not want to build a big ol hearthpad. I have a nice hearth on my fireplace, made of solid rock, and it would be nice to fit an insert into it without modifying anything.

I have my eye on a Gold Marc insert, and a kodiak stove insert. Both are probably within my budget (under 200), and they look fine. Any opinions on them?

The gold marc has a rectangular exhaust (3.5 inches wide by something long), so I would have to buy an adapter to fit it to the 6 inch flex liner. Anybody know how much those cost?

The kodiak looks fine, and old. But it has the right size flue, I believe, and looks about right for size. Just looking for opinions, and maybe a website, if anyone knows where the manufacturer went. The only con on this one is I don't think it has a blower. Can I just put a blower near it? Duh, scratching head, don't know.

Thanks

Joshua
 
Measure the flue on the Gold Marc. I just retired the Sierra insert today. Before it went on the concrete blocks out back to power a meat smoker I took the new $90 cast iron Homesaver insert adapter off of the top of it. Been burned into four times. Groan.

I'll take 40 bucks for it plus UPS shipping to New York. Sucker weighs 22 pounds.

Here are the picture and specs:

http://www.hartshearth.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=3826
 
BB, thats a very good deal for somebody!
 
kd460 said:
BB, thats a very good deal for somebody!
Click to expand...

Yeah. New baffle, new adapter for the liner, new gaskets and a new paint job for the season. But when it overfired twice because of monster draft a weld let go up in the top of the firebox that furnace cement just won't be trustworthy to fix. Inside the shroud so it can't be re-welded and an old friend had to be put down today.

Guess I got my $750 worth over 21 years but damn that thing was a bear to get out of the house.
 
BrotherBart, Thanks for the offer, though. HArdwood, the insert has 2 air screws on the front, not the 4 I see in your pic. Is it the same? He said the exhaust was 3.5 by something. I know, real specific. I just haven't been able to find much good info on the gold marc inserts.

Elk, I have a welder on tap to fix the VC. The problem is its too darn tall. It has to fit in the fireplace, and it will, barely. But then I lose top locad capability, and its just a little too close to the mantel, and I want to be careful with that. And I am not revamping the mantels. They are bloody gorgeous, and historical, besides. My wife would shoot me. I just don't know what to do with the VC. Fix it and sell it? Trade? Look at it and sigh? <sigh>

Gorgeous stove. Just too damn tall. Argh. And I have a fireplace that will fit it, too. But my in-laws, who live on that side of the house, do not want a red stove in their fireplace. Plus, with an eight foot wide, five foot tall fireplace, that VC would be like lighting a match in a concrete house. Not very useful.

Not sure what to do. I should have the coal baron stove going this weekend. But I have a six inch liner going begging for an insert.
 
HArdwood, the insert has 2 air screws on the front, not the 4 I see in your pic. Is it the same? He said the exhaust was 3.5 by something. I know, real specific. I just haven’t been able to find much good info on the gold marc inserts.
Click to expand...


I haven't seen the insert with the 2 knobs, Mine is a 1980 and I know the plainsman free standing has the 2 doors with 4 knobs also, the prospector free stander has a single door with 3 knobs. If the Gold Marc you saw has 2 doors with 1 knob on each door, then its a different year, they stopped making stoves in the 80's not sure what year. I would think if the measurements you said are 3.5 X ??? then it would probably incorporate the same damperslide I have and mine goes the full width of the stove minus the thickness of the sidewalls, I think its 3.5 X 30. Not much if any info at all out there on these, they were made in Monticello NY, by Gold Marc Industries, I called them and they are a steel manufacturer, but couldn't give me any info, except to say damn we havent made stove in years! Craig the forum webmaster and owner of hearthnet said he used to sell them, and they were a decent stove, mine is 25 years old, but only saw maybe 2 years service until I revived her, in the hearth she sat all these years. I havent figured a way to adapt anything to the damperslide outlet, but you figure in a 8x12 flue, it almost matches the chimney damper exactly, which i took out and what they called SLAMMED it in it sits in the fireplace and vents into the chimney, as it was made to do years ago, i clean her, pull her out(450 Pounds)and do damper area, chamber and brush the chimney often, and as was taught here burn dry wood and hot fires.
 
I don't think you can make an adapter easily to fit a gold-marc and then go to a round. If someone was to do so, it would have to be 8", not 6" ------

Given this insert, I'd try to make up a rectangle adapter - even out of regular sheet metal - and somehow have it go up through a block-off plate. This is a 25+ year old insert which was not designed in any way for direct connection.
 
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