New member, intro and a few questions. :)

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AnalogKid

AnalogKid

Burning Hunk
Oct 22, 2012
229
CT
Hi all,

New member here. Been lurking for a while and decided to register. I like forums and belong to quite a few automotive, boating, home A/V, etc., forums. It's amazing what you can learn from folks who are really into the respective interests. I enjoy learning new things and contributing when I have something to offer. **Disclaimer** I have literally nothing to offer here......yet :)

So, my wife and I have decided we are going to add a wood insert in our existing fireplace. We have been in our home for about 5 years and we have wanted to add an insert but other things in life ($$$) always seemed to take priority. Our house is a single story Frank Lloyd Wright-style contemporary home with 8' ceilings, appx. 1450sqft, with flat roof (no attic). It has all brand new Marvin windows and doors, and is insulated well. It is an open floor plan design with kitchen/living area all open with small dining room off to the side and the 3 bed rooms down a short hallway off the main living area. Located in CT.

The insert we have decided to go with is the Heatilator Ecochoice WINS18. We selected this unit based largely on aesthetics; it is a very basic design with clean straight lines and 90* angles. It matches our home and decor well. Also the price was attractive too. Does anyone have any input regarding this insert? I can find vitually no information on-line other than the factory site. http://www.heatilatorecochoice.com/products/details.asp?cat=wood-inserts&f=WINS18

Our goal with this insert is to help lessen our home heating oil usage. This is my first time ever heating with wood, so I am not totally sure what to expect as far as how well it will heat the home, particularly our bedroom. If it cuts our oil usage in half I would be happy. Anything more than that would be a bonus.

I have one cord mixed of fully seasoned wood consisting predominantly locust, oak, and maple. Not much wood I know. I have about another 2-cords of maple, locust and cedar that has been cut and stacked for about 14-16mos., but not split. Therefore it may not be usable for this year. I live on a 3acre lot, 2 of which is dense woods. I will have wood for a while.

Anyway, glad to be here. We are excited about getting into heating with wood. Admittedly, we are summer people, but preparing for this, getting the wood together, etc., makes welcoming the winter months a little more exciting.

I am all ears to any tips, advice, comments, constructive criticism, etc. anyone would like to give.

-Cheers!
 
Welcome to the site! I'm a newbie to burning too and you can't beat the community here, always happy to answer questions, give advice, etc.

I did it for the same reason, wanted to cut down on my electric bill (electric furnace). Stove installed earlier this fall and started burning last Thursday. The house is a few degrees warmer up and down then where I would have kept it with the furnace on.

Can't wait for the power company to come by and see what's wrong with the meter! :)
 
First off, welcome to the forums !! Good folks here !!!

I don't have much knowledge of the insert you have chosen, but we have the same climate.

A bigger firebox, than what is stated from the manufacturers is generally an excellent idea.

Get that wood split & seasoned, you'll be much happier knowing it's ready to go !
 
Welcome to the forum. Winter is a lot more enjoyable with a truly warm house so kudos on getting your new insert.

x2 on what Dixie said. Get that stacked wood you have, split. I just checked the moisture on some oak that I got that was dead standing. I split it last summer (2011) and the mositure meter reading still at 34% this past Saturday. As I am learning first hand that just won't cut it.
 
Welcome to the forum! I do not know the heatilator insert but if you like a more contemporary look you may also check out the Osburn Matrix and the Enviro Venice 1700. Especially the Venice has a larger firebox which will be helpful with heat output and overnight burns. Have you checked about the minimum chimney length? The way you describe your house that may be an issue. Most inserts require at least 15 ft from the manufacturer. Some people here get away with less but if your house is rather airtight you may have draft problems. I would also recommend to get your wood split ASAP and then look for a friendly soul that is way ahead in the wood supply and may trade a seasoned cord for one (and a bit) cord of your green wood. This way you can burn a fair amount already this winter. Good luck.
 
Welcome to hearth.com
 
Grisu said:
Have you checked about the minimum chimney length? The way you describe your house that may be an issue. Most inserts require at least 15 ft from the manufacturer. Some people here get away with less but if your house is rather airtight you may have draft problems.
Click to expand...

Good heads-up, thanks. I have 12'6" from base of firebox to top of chimney crown.
 
Mighty short... what's the construction? Is an insulated liner in the budget?
 
Just wanted to pass on a welcome. Like you, I'm taking more than giving, but learning good stuff. I agree with a PP that this forums folks are very helpful!
 
Joful said:
Mighty short... what's the construction? Is an insulated liner in the budget?
Click to expand...

Brick chimney with clay flue, 11" x 11" internal dimension, on exterior wall. Yes, liner will be insulated. Think I will have issues? I am going to call Heatilator tomorrow to get their input.
 
Welcome to the forums! Nice to hear you will heat with wood to help save some money on oil. It seems as if you are fairly well ahead knowing dry wood will give you the best results! As far as your flue length, it seems kind of short and could potentially cause some draft problems but you never know, it may just work itself out. You will definitely want an insulated SS liner installed. Good luck!
 
An insulated liner in that masonry stack is your best shot at developing good draft. Maybe some of the more experienced guys might recommend oversizing one step to increase air volume, since your air velocity is bound to be on the low side, but I'd hesitate to recommend that myself (I'm just learning about this stuff).

Just don't Roll the Bones on some Fly By Night operation from the Subdivisions to do your install, or Presto, you could be out some Big Money. You gotta get the Chemistry right to keep your stove In The Mood. ;)
 
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Welcome AK. Heatilator states the ideal chimney for this insert will be between 14-16ft. I would stick with 6" insulated liner, but try to increase the height. You could accomplish this additional height by having an additional 2-3 ft section of rigid stainless liner added at the chimney top plate or perhaps have the chimney itself extended?
 
begreen said:
Welcome AK. Heatilator states the ideal chimney for this insert will be between 14-16ft. I would stick with 6" insulated liner, but try to increase the height. You could accomplish this additional height by having an additional 2-3 ft section of rigid stainless liner added at the chimney top plate or perhaps have the chimney itself extended?
Click to expand...

You are correct. I looked in their manual last night and did find where they stated the insert was designed and tested using 14-16'. I stopped by the dealer this afternoon and explained to them my scenario. They are going to have someone come out and take a look.....hopefully tomorrow.

Extending the liner or chimney itself is not an option, so I hope we can get this sorted out.
 
You'll likely be okay in cold weather either way, but with a short chimney, you may have draft problems when it's above 40'F outside.
 
I have another question for you guys......

My house has forced air heat and a/c. If I turned on just the blower fan, would it move heat around the home put out by my wood insert?

I will mention that all of the return ducts are on the floor/baseboard, which is obviously less then ideal for moving warm air. Just thought I'd ask.

Thanks.
 
There are lots of discussions to be found on this subject. Unless you have a fresh air mixer / intake, you're not going to do anything to the net pressure inside the home by running that fan, so there's generally no effect on the burning of the stove/insert. If your ductwork is all run in warm space, not a cold basement or attic, it can help with circulating the warm air generated by the stove (i.e. space heater) to the rest of the house. Unfortunately, most ductwork is run in unheated spaces, and so the heat loss of warm air traveling from your stove room to the far reaches of the house are usually such that you just end up blowing a bunch of cold air around, making occupants less comfortable than just leaving the blower turned off.

Was that your question?
 
AnalogKid said:
Extending the liner or chimney itself is not an option, so I hope we can get this sorted out.
Click to expand...
My house has forced air heat and a/c. If I turned on just the blower fan, would it move heat around the home put out by my wood insert? I will mention that all of the return ducts are on the floor/baseboard, which is obviously less then ideal for moving warm air.
Click to expand...
With your open floor plan I wouldn't think you would need to move warm air very much. Most folks like their bedrooms a bit cooler anyway. The way to move warm air out is to move the more dense cool air back to the stove room. You can do that with a small fan, on low, on the floor in the hallway...
As far as draft on the short stack, I know that some stoves breath easier than others and I would assume that the same holds true for inserts. I cant' offer particulars...anybody? As stated, the insulated liner should help. I'm not sure if there's a consensus on how many "effective feet" the insulation would add to stack height.


Joful said:
Just don't Roll the Bones on some Fly By Night operation from the Subdivisions to do your install, or Presto, you could be out some Big Money. You gotta get the Chemistry right to keep your stove In The Mood.
Click to expand...
Is your location info correct? Certainly, you must be from Canada... ;)
 
Well, I ordered my insert, it will be here on tuesday! Hoping to have it installed wed or thurs, very excited. I went with the aforementioned Heatilator EcoChoice WINS18.
 
Best of luck. Take pictures!
 
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