Opinions please! We have the opportunity to replace our 19 year old stove. I currently have a jotul CB 3 sitting on a 30 inch high raised hearth in front of a zero clearance fireplace. The stove is in an 18 x 18 ft room with a 14 ft high ceiling. Because my hearth is just 17 inches deep, this really put restrictions on stove size plus, I had to deal with issues on flue height to tie into the ZC fireplace. So back in 1996, a CB 3 with the short leg option was my only answer. Now, I would like to install a Flush Wood Hybrid- Fyre insert. I go through about 4 cords and 1200 gallons of oil. (4000 sq ft colonial). We spend all of our evening time in this stove room, so appearance is a must. After 30 years of fire viewing, wood- fire boilers, ( not an option). I know that I will have to install a larger ZC firebox and replace the chimney. So my concerns with this insert are; will I get more heat from my 4 chords?, I never had an appliance without an ash pan. Because I usually burn 24/7, how often will I need to attempt to scoop out ash, and how much dust will this generate in the room? None of my friends have inserts, so I am forced to believe whatever the sale rep tells me. ( a frightening thought) !
Time for an upgrade
- Thread starter 2biker
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
Why would you spend the money to put in a new zc unit and a chimney to go with it to just put an insert in there and drop a liner to it? In most cases that is not even allowed by code but it also costs allot more than either putting in a high efficiency zc unit or making an alcove and putting in a freestanding stove and a new class a chimney.
The back wall of my existing firebox is just 17 inches high. I need a minimum of 19.75 inches to fit any insert of decent size. I have no interest in an insert that offers me the same BTU (43000) of my current CB 3 Jotul.
Is there an option to go with a larger freestanding stove instead? What is the height of the fireplace opening?
No, a larger stove is not an option. It would force me to place the stove off of the raised 17 inch wide hearth down to the floor in front of the fireplace. So constructing a new 4 x 6 ft hearth on the floor would only take up valuable space. Plus a new stove would have to be placed at least 20 inches in front of the firebox to clear the existing raised hearth. The floor of the firebox is 36 inches above the floor of the room. That would also limit me to a stove with a top existing flue. A rear existing stove would force me to move the stove out even further into the room. Connecting to my existing flue which is 48 inches above the room floor would only result in some god awful looking pipe configuration. So, I want to hear from someone who went from a stove to an insert. Are you satisfied with the heat output?
What are the full dimensions of the fireplace? Include front and back H, W and top and bottom depths. If you can get up to a 2 cu ft insert in there you should note an improvement in burn times, thus more heat over a longer period of time.
In some cases folks have lowered the center section of the hearth to accommodate a larger stove.
In some cases folks have lowered the center section of the hearth to accommodate a larger stove.
There are only a couple zc fireplaces which allow for an insert to be put in them. To my knowledge there are only a couple heatilators that allow it but i may be missing some and those still require a full liner to be installed inside the chimney. Unless the manufacturer of the zc unit says it is ok to put an insert in the fireplace it will void the ul listing on the zc unit and there fore your installation will not meet code. I really think your best options are to either put in a high efficiency zc unit or tear it all out and put in a stove with its own class a chimney.
I had a similar insert to the one you are looking at (though not a cat model), and was fully unsatisfied with the heat output and burn times, plus dust accumulation, noise etc. Switching to a free standing cat I'm now very happy, so I think you might experience the reverse of that. Also, you mentioned burning 24/7, maybe someone with the Flush Wood Hybrid- Fyre insert can chime in, is that doable ? I kinda doubt it is.
Hi Begreen, my firebox is 29" wide by 20" high at the front. The depth is 17". The back of the box is 21" wide by 17" high. This had to be a builder's special. I've never seen any ZC this small. All of the good size inserts can't even come close to a flush fit in this ZC. So, before I commit to an insert, I want to hear from anybody who switched from a stove to an insert, (pros, cons, regrets, etc.).
They do put out a little less heat than a comparable stove and they will require a blower to get much of any heat off of them. A flush insert will be worse in both of those respects. And you do realize that even in the heatilators that allow inserts you need to leave the air vents around the firebox completely exposed which means you cant push the insert all the way back regardless.
Grisu
Minister of Fire
Hmm..., installing a ZC fireplace including pipe only to put an insert in there sounds overly complicated. Why are you not considering an efficient, EPA-approved fireplace in the first place? There are quite a few models that have similar heating efficiencies as an insert (> 70%) with fireboxes of 3+ cu ft. Plus, they have actually been tested to be installed as a fireplace and some come with additional perks such as outside air supply and venting options to deliver heat to other areas of the house. Since you have looked at Travis already, their Elite 44 fireplace has a 4.3 cu ft firebox. Some other options in the large category would be the Superior WCT6840, RSF Opel 3, Quadrafire 7100, Valcourt FP9, Kozyheat 231-ZC to name a few.
I agree with the suggestion to put in a good, clean burning ZC. That will eliminate the need for an insert. Note however that the KozyHeat 231-ZC is EPA exempt. The Z42 is their EPA certified fireplace.
Last edited:
- Status
Similar threads
