Any regrets on insert?

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pigc said:
Craigslist however has some sketchy looking inserts
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As with anything on CL, time is your friend both when buying or selling.

If you are in no hurry, you can keep your eye open and make offers. Many people will accept well below asking price for great items when moving, remodeling or upgrading. I have gotten some real deals (a virtually new $700 dishwasher for $30) when patient and selective.

I have also GIVEN people some great deals when I was in a hurry to unload something.
 
pigc said:
$4k+
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Is that number from an actual quote or just ballparkin it? Do you have a model picked out?
Just a lil FYI here, you could buy one of the "economy" models, such as Drolet 1800-i, 'bout $1100 or so at Menards (less on sale) still a pretty quality unit though. That insert and a SS liner for $5-600 or so, DIY install, your in for less than $2k...
 
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Others have noted, ROI is measured in more than dollars. Even if my stove, liner, saw, splitter, etc. were not giving me monetary return, I would still consider them a good purchase. I suppose choosing the wood-burning way of life makes it much more of a pleasure than it would be if it was forced upon me.

I view it the same way as gardening: the degree of enjoyment one gets (or doesn't get) is much more important than the dollar-value of the food grown, assuming one already has a reasonable income and living standard. I got sick of gardening, so I gave it up. Now I bake in the backyard. The ROI, given the time I spend to make a few loaves of sourdough, is WAY negative... that is, if you measure it in the dollar-value of a standard loaf.

Forget about the dollars and cents. I suspect, like many of us, you would end up preferring the EPA stove to the open fireplace. It is hard to explain why it is so satisfying, other than to say you almost feel like you are getting your entire ROI in a single single-digit weekend, when the power is out and there is a blizzard raging outside. Priceless.
 
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brenndatomu said:
Is that number from an actual quote or just ballparkin it? Do you have a model picked out?
Just a lil FYI here, you could by one of the "economy" models, such as Drolet 1800-i, 'bout $1100 or so at Menards (less on sale) still a pretty quality unit though. That insert and a SS liner for $5-600 or so, DIY install, your in for less than $2k...
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Yes, we like the Jotul Rockland 550 ($3429+$490 (liner) + $550 (install) + $275 (tax) = $4744. Also was looking at the Pacific Energy Neo 2.5 for about $4100 total. The least expensive one was the Enerzone Destination 2.3 which was approx. $3500 total. I like the fact that the Jotul can take up to 24" log since I burn 18-20" logs now.

I wish the economy models had the higher end look to them but the ones I've seen do not. Seems you have to pay for looks, especially the contemporary looking ones that the wife likes as do I.
 
pigc said:
Does anyone have an experience with heat exchangers or these grate wall of fire grates? Looks like this would help with efficiency but are these just a gimmick?

I found this link today on the site on making an open fireplace more efficient. https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/upgrading_fireplace
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I think most will agree with this, doing those things will help, but they will never make an open fireplace a good full time (or even part time) heater. I see open fireplaces as much more of a decorative thing. You light them for ambiance, not for heat. Think of it like this, if your fireplace is 20 percent efficient right now, and you go and do every single thing on that list you get it up to 25-30 percent efficient. Yeah, you gained 5-10 percent, but its still not going to be a viable heat source. All you really did was make ita 'less bad' heater.
 
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If you've got natural gas even free wood has a long payback. 18" rounds?

I've got an insert with free wood. If I had natural gas I would have put in a gas fireplace before a wood insert. For me its about btu/effort.

I don't regret the wood insert but a lot of people don't count things like their own time when doing a cost analysis. It would have made more economic sense for me to get a seasonal low-wage job rather than start heating with wood.

There are other benefits. I'm guessing the odds of killing myself with a chainsaw are about even with getting shot while working a at a convenience store. At least this way I get a free chainsaw.
 
We've had an insert for not quite a month yet, and it's a HUGE improvement over our fireplace in terms of heat.

We went with a Regency CI2600, flush and contemporary look.

If you care about ease of loading your stove, and from the sound of how you load your fireplace, you will...then I would suggest NOT getting a flush insert. We went with flush for safety reasons and aesthetics, but it's a lot harder to load. Those dimensions day it will take a 20" log, but they mean ONE 20" log, not all 20" logs..the firebox narrows towards the back, and is only 13" deep if you don't remove the andirons and pack it to the glass. That means I'm spending more time playing real-life Tetris to pack the firebox full of oddly-sized splits than I ever though I would be.

Also, look around on here for advice on getting a block-off plate installed and insulated liner. I didn't find out about those until AFTER we had our insert installed.
 
edge-of-the-woods said:
We've had an insert for not quite a month yet, and it's a HUGE improvement over our fireplace in terms of heat.

We went with a Regency CI2600, flush and contemporary look.

If you care about ease of loading your stove, and from the sound of how you load your fireplace, you will...then I would suggest NOT getting a flush insert. We went with flush for safety reasons and aesthetics, but it's a lot harder to load. Those dimensions day it will take a 20" log, but they mean ONE 20" log, not all 20" logs..the firebox narrows towards the back, and is only 13" deep if you don't remove the andirons and pack it to the glass. That means I'm spending more time playing real-life Tetris to pack the firebox full of oddly-sized splits than I ever though I would be.

Also, look around on here for advice on getting a block-off plate installed and insulated liner. I didn't find out about those until AFTER we had our insert installed.
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I was looking at that model too but they wanted almost 6K all said and done! I do like the looks of it though. If we end up going with an insert we want to stay in the 4k range or less. I noticed the same thing on the Rockland, it tapers down quite a bit in the rear of the box. I don't think the wife will go with they type that bay out...pretty sure the flush mount is ONLY option.

I'm sure it will be hard for me to get used to burning smaller and not as much wood. Thanks for the tips, I do plan to install a block-off plate if we decide on the insert. Do you think an insulated liner would make much of a difference on an interior chimney in middle of the house? How much more would that cost? I think my clay tile chimney is 6x9 so the fit will be tight, might even have to ovalize it some to fit.
 
pigc said:
Do you think an insulated liner would make much of a difference on an interior chimney in middle of the house?
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Do you have the required 2" of clearance from the surface of the masonry chimney to any combustibles? If not insulation is required and yes even on an interior chimney it will improve preformance.
 
NinjaTech said:
I think most will agree with this, doing those things will help, but they will never make an open fireplace a good full time (or even part time) heater. I see open fireplaces as much more of a decorative thing. You light them for ambiance, not for heat. Think of it like this, if your fireplace is 20 percent efficient right now, and you go and do every single thing on that list you get it up to 25-30 percent efficient. Yeah, you gained 5-10 percent, but its still not going to be a viable heat source. All you really did was make ita 'less bad' heater.
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Good point! Why spend $500 or more just to get possibly 5-10% increase. The insert is sounding more and more the best solution, especially if I want to burn 24/7 and not lose all that heat up the chimney!
 
pigc said:
I was looking at that model too but they wanted almost 6K all said and done! I do like the looks of it though. If we end up going with an insert we want to stay in the 4k range or less. I noticed the same thing on the Rockland, it tapers down quite a bit in the rear of the box. I don't think the wife will go with they type that bay out...pretty sure the flush mount is ONLY option.

I'm sure it will be hard for me to get used to burning smaller and not as much wood. Thanks for the tips, I do plan to install a block-off plate if we decide on the insert. Do you think an insulated liner would make much of a difference on an interior chimney in middle of the house? How much more would that cost? I think my clay tile chimney is 6x9 so the fit will be tight, might even have to ovalize it some to fit.
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Not sure about the cost of anything, especially between CT and NE, but here's the quote for our install.


ci2600-quote.PNG
 
bholler said:
Do you have the required 2" of clearance from the surface of the masonry chimney to any combustibles?

I believe I do. I've been talking to an installer and he did not make any mention of insulated liner. They were coming out today to take a second look to see if everything would fit.
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pigc said:
I believe I do. I've been talking to an installer and he did not make any mention of insulated liner. They were coming out today to take a second look to see if everything would fit.
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Also almost all liners i have read the instructions for and absolutely every one i have installed needs to be insulated when used for a wood appliance in order for the ul listing to be valid. Many installers don't insulate because it takes more time and raises the price which could make them loose the job But in my opinion and according to most liner manufacturers they should all be insulated for use with wood
 
btuser said:
a lot of people don't count things like their own time when doing a cost analysis. It would have made more economic sense for me to get a seasonal low-wage job rather than start heating with wood.
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If you really like playing with wood, fire and saws then wood heat almost always makes economic sense, because the work is not really work. If you hate it, and prefer working at Walmart as a way to pass the time, it wood heat may not make sense.

I'm still amazed at how many people PAY for the ability to go to a gym and do non-productive work. If you want to get me in a gym, you better be paying me... and more than minimum wage.
 
Cut the wood and sell it and use the money to pay your natural gas bill.:p
 
Huntindog1 said:
Cut the wood and sell it and use the money to pay your natural gas bill.:p
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I have considered that! I still will always have some type of fire going. It gets in your blood like many of you know and there is no other heat like it!
 
NinjaTech said:
+1 on the Insert here. Had a regular fireplace that I had used for years just for the crackling fire, but I never even tried to actually use it for heat. Just wasn't going to happen. Put in a BK Princess insert and have no regrets at all. It will easily go overnight, and keep the house toasty. The only downside to it, is that its catalytic and you don't have the nice fireshow you get with a non-cat or open fireplace. It really is just a hot dark box as quoting another thread. But that is something I was aware of buying it, and when thinking about how long it will burn for I don't miss the pretty fire quite as much.
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I seem to get a light show when the dial is set on anything from noon position to 4:00 position. Do you? Im concerned my insert might be getting too much air?
 
Hell no my family room is 76.8 degrees and it's 35 out.
 
branchburner said:
Others have noted, ROI is measured in more than dollars.
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The other thing about ROI is this. Are you calculating what it would take to just heat your house, or what it would cost you to get the heat you get from wood?? If I calculated what it cost to heat my home vs what it cost to get it as warm and toasty as my Ideal Steel, those would be vastly different numbers.
 
I used to have an occasional fire with the fireplace, now with the insert I have one every chance I get, for me it's a hobby that I love, I also save money on the oil bill as a perk.....
 
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My satisfaction with my insert has gone way up since we chopped a big giant hole in the wall for the kitchen remodel. before there was a 60"x80" opening (framed for slider) from the kitchen/dining room to the family room. I used to have dueling fans and still it was a trick to get heat distributed. A 15-20 degree difference between the bedrooms and the family room was about all I could hope for. Now there's a 12' opening floor-to-ceiling, and with the family room about 74 the upstairs bedrooms are 67-68, no extra fans and the heat spreads quickly unlike before. This has held true for the few "cold" days/nights we've had so far this year.
 
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