thinking of a new insert

http://www.acmestoveco.com/locations/richmond/

They have a nice showroom. Jotul might have some nice options for you. Last year Jotul had a decent spring rebate too. If you happened to be in the Blacksburg VA area, Blue Ridge Heating and Air has a decent showroom. Mine are in exterior walls too so I put some stone in behind mine to try to keep some of the radiant heat off the back wall. Stone was from a granite shop and was free scraps from their "boneyard"

ptman said:

i would say average low is in the low 30's to upper 20's here in jan and february w/ highs in the upper 40's and 50's most of the time. we will get the occasional cold snap of highs only in the 30's every once in a while. i think heat wise, the 13 would work for us. although, i do have a tendency to go for the "if it's bigger, it's better" idealogy .

what length fits going N/S in the 13?

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It will take an 18" split, but you get 3-4 in it max, depending on width.

ptman said:

That's a nice stove, any way you can take a picture showing the whole hearth and the surround?

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Yea, so this is my basement install. This one is a raised hearth and I only had 17" out front so I had to set this one in the firebox about 3". My lintel is 29.5" I think and the stove is 28.5". This fireplace is wider too so I can still get to the tee without moving the stove. The stone scraps are free standing in there so they can be moved for clean out time. I don't know if I had to because of the stove/hearth being raised but I did strip 18 inches of parquet and replace it with slate on the concrete floor out front. You opening is narrower but lintel is higher so I actually think that gives you more options. A narrower deeper N/S loader could work well. Ill try to get a pic of the living room install because it is more like yours.

ptman said:

im not opposed to extending the hearth.

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Smoked said:

so many options

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Yep, there's a lot of ways you can go if you're open to extending the hearth. I would look for a side-loader the is wide but shallow, then you can set it out on the hearth without coming out too far yet still take advantage of all that radiant heat coming off the stove...that really makes it toasty if you are sitting in that area. And with a free-stander, blower noise is optional. With a nice-looking stove, you may even be able to convince your better half. You're in no hurry now, since the season's about over. Take time to give some serious thought to the pros and cons of different types of stoves and setups, and you'll end up with something you can be happy with for a long time.
Here's a pic of my setup, though I have a different stove in there now. The stove rear-vents into a tee so I just take the cap off the bottom of the tee, attach a plastic bag and brush the chimney once a season without moving the stove. She might not go for you splitting kindling in the living room, though...

ptman said:

do you have to put down a hearth extender in front of the stove? it looks pretty close to the edge of the wood floor. also, what is the usual clearance required on the sides of the stove as far as combustibles? the mantel on mine doesnt sit but about 8" off the edge of the fireplace

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The required front clearance on mine is pretty low since it's a side-loader. You will have to look at the clearance tables in the manual of the stoves you are looking at. Yeah, your side trim is pretty close...that could be a problem if you don't want to alter it.

ptman said:

i do have a tendency to go for the "if it's bigger, it's better" idealogy .

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If you end up liking wood-burning, and you get free wood, you can offset the cost of a bigger stove with the savings over time.

begreen said:

If you don't buy a couple saws, splitter, axes, tractor, carts, build a shed, etc. it might pay off in a few years.

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DOH! Enjoying the process goes a long way, too.

ptman said:

i have everything on that list except the tractor (but it's on the list too). i grew up w/ a wood stove heating the house and i absolutely hated all the work that went into it, but looking back on it now, it was great times w/ my dad and brother. i enjoy the work part of it too, at least at this point in my life. my wife, on the other hand, just wants gas logs. (how boring is that)

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Ha !! Send her to me, I'll fix that *she said with a sly smile*

ptman said:

that does look really good. do you have to put down a hearth extender in front of the stove? it looks pretty close to the edge of the wood floor. also, what is the usual clearance required on the sides of the stove as far as combustibles? the mantel on mine doesnt sit but about 8" off the edge of the fireplace

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Some manufacturers state a different number to trim vs the actual mantle. Any stove you are thinking about, you should be able to view manuals online! Research is fun!

ptman said:

ok, im pretty sure im going to buy the 13nc stove. home depot has them in stock now. i would like to have the nc30 but im just not sure how tight it will be. im going to call the manufacturer tomorrow to ask about the short leg version and the clearances to trim pieces just to be sure it wont work. my last question is this; can you clean the chimney from the stove with this type set up or do you have to do it from the top of chimney?

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While you are talking to Englander, ask about brushing from the stove (how hard is it to remove the baffle) and then look at treads here that mention the sooteater.