The fickle whims of wives: She wants a lopi now

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tiber

tiber

Feeling the Heat
Oct 4, 2009
453
Philadelphia
Well at least my wife is showing interest in the project. From being here for a month or so I've seen that most people's wives want no part of it. ;)

We were ORIGINALLY going for a Jotul, then she started googling around (I swear to god she reads this site and hasn't told me) and found the Lopi Declaration. She likes the fact it's flush mount and that it has nice looking trim.

So, here we go again. It looks like people like the brand. Anyone have experience running this insert? Will it heat an 1800sqft house? Can "it be run with the doors open" (her way of asking about the screen - does it have one)?

Also we have a fireplace so we can run a SS liner and not have to kill ourselves building a chimney. This alone pleases me greatly.
 
tiber said:
Well at least my wife is showing interest in the project. From being here for a month or so I've seen that most people's wives want no part of it. ;)We were ORIGINALLY going for a Jotul, then she started googling around (I swear to god she reads this site and hasn't told me) and found the Lopi Declaration. She likes the fact it's flush mount. . .
Click to expand...
Flush mount needs a blower to get the heat out of the fireplace and into the room. Not as good a fail-safe heater as other configurations would be in case of a power failure.
 
Not to 'rock the boat' but just keep in mind with any 'insert' you will have to have the blower running in order to get heat 'out'. If power goes out you probably won't be able to heat your home with an insert.

Shari
 
Flush mount needs a blower to get the heat out of the fireplace and into the room. Not as good a fail-safe heater as other configurations would be in case of a power failure.
Click to expand...

I was under the impression this was any configuration of insert?
 
I just had a Lopi Declaration installed. It is supposed to be inspected today. With any luck, I'll be lighting the first fire tonight. :D

I really wanted a flush mounted insert because my fireplace is right next to the front door, and having to extend the hearth or having anything stick out into the room would be obstructive. I was a little concerned also that you basically need a blower to get any heat out of it, but after talking to several installers, they said that's pretty much the deal, whether the insert is flush or whether it sticks out 6".

Check out the owner's manual online. I don't think you are supposed to operate it with the doors open. I think 1800 sq ft is on the large end of what the stove is supposed to heat. Lopi also makes the "Freedom Bay" which is not quite flush mount, but doesn't look as goofy (imho) as most non-flush mount inserts do. It is a bigger stove.
 
tiber said:
Flush mount needs a blower to get the heat out of the fireplace and into the room. Not as good a fail-safe heater as other configurations would be in case of a power failure.
Click to expand...

I was under the impression this was any configuration of insert?
Click to expand...

Some inserts stick out further and therefore it is possible to get a little heat out of them without a blower, however, I would guess 98% of responders to this list will say they use the blowers on their inserts all the time. Lots of discussion about the noise level of various blowers has been mentioned.

Have you looked into freestanding hearth mount stoves? More heat and an on-board blower is not always needed. Not more heat in terms of but's just more heat naturally radiated into the room.

Shari
 
I have a Lopi Declatarion that was installed this year. The only issue I have is the blower motor does not kick in consistantly. Repair call is set for December 4th,
 
Have you looked into freestanding hearth mount stoves? More heat and an on-board blower is not always needed. Not more heat in terms of but's just more heat naturally radiated into the room
Click to expand...

The room with the fireplace in it is actually fairly small. It's definitely supposed to be a den and it's tucked behind the stairs with doors to the foyer and kitchen. Heating this room would also let the heat up the stairs, but it might not be the best configuration for the first floor since the heat would have to pass through the foyer (or kitchen) to get to the dining room and living room. That being said I would be hard pressed to put a freestanding hearth stove in that room and have any space left for most anything else.

As far as the blowers are concerned, I figured I would also end up running a box fan. And, given where the room is in the house, the noise wouldn't bother me.

The problem with freestanding stoves it hat my wife originally settled on a Jotul, which I had budgeted basically $1k for the whole project and the stove alone would have cost $2600. I belabored the board with many posts about how I would build a chimney since our house wasn't arranged for such an addition and haven't really worked it out with the where and how beyond knowing I can build it myself and up to code with parts from Lowes. I also priced out a basement install and after figuring that out I decided against it.

However, putting the stove elsewhere would mean putting it in the living room or the dining room. The dining room already hosts the air conditioner for the house (no central air or forced air) but it's also the room furthest from the stairs. The fireplace is in the den right in the middle of the far right hand wall. Drawing is roughly to scale. I am not an archatect nor artist.
 

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The Jotul 550 is a flush mount insert as is the smaller 350 model.

Recommend blowers as everyone has suggested.

Look at both in showrooms together and you will get a better feel for construction etc than pictures on line.

Can't go wrong with either brand.

Enjoy!
 
I generally run the blower on the Vista but have used it without the blower and it still puts out heat, just not as much. In a power outage, I would not shut the air down as far and run a bigger fire (being careful not to overfire). I would use more wood and have to reload more often, but it's doable. Luckily, we don't get many power outages, so it's not really an issue.
 
We have the Jotul 550 insert and my wife was even more difficult than yours about not wanting any inserts (The window looks like the size of a microwave, was the lament). It turns out she wants a fire every night now and has warmed up to it. Everyone seems to love it who visits. I looked and the Lopi and liked it as well. You might want to know that Lopi doesn't make their inserts. It is from another company. I guess that is not a big deal. I found the Lopi to be as much or more than the Jotul and I do like the Jotul has been around for over 100 years. However, they are not American, if that matters.
 
I have a Jotul and really like it. Have you considered taking the other path where you get a new wife who likes Jotul?
 
Lopi actually does make there own stove in there plant in Mukilteo Washington. They are owned by Travis Industries and Travis makes Lopi Avalon and FPX thats why all three brands have a flush wood insert that is exactly the same except for the face. In my opinion the Jotul insert is going to give you a nicer look and more glass space but less heat output then the Lopi. Both are good quality stoves
 
Another thing you want to make sure off is that your opening is large enough for the Lopi it is the largest box for an insert that i have seen.
 
Your floorplan is most identical to mine. From the living room i can see the insert through the two 6 ft doors of the foyer, which would represent a un-obstructed path for radiant heat. That being said, we use our blower constantly, and it appears to start a circular pattern of air movement through all the adjoining rooms,,,as your floor plan would also suggest when comparing it to mine. Our thermostat is located on the wall of what is your living room near the entry into the foyer,. Once we start burning it seldom kicks on, except early morning when the fire has died down. I work a swing shift and am an early riser when on days, so it is seldom that it kicks on. We also have an old pre Epa, which likely might be putting out near 400 cu. ft of air,,,( not certain of that ) I would suggest the largest blower you can get, if going with an insert. Of course a lot of that hot air climbs the stairs, however just the same, I believe the blower is responsible for a circular pattern of air movement.
 
I have measured the fireplace .What was originally suggested as getting the biggest box I can afford and fit was one of the reasons why I'm OK looking at the lopi. I am interested in the other stoves made by Travis, if anyone has links. I also checked out the jotul insert line. I may have to actually start visiting shops (again) to check these out.

The one fireplace shop just got back to me and quoted me $3k for the insert alone (not the faces or blower), which makes the $2600+chimney start looking reasonable for the jotul (plus I can put it anywhere and keep the fireplace). The jotul inserts, while nice, are only rated to 1800sqft. I would have to run it flat out all the time verus the lopi which is rated for just a little more than I have. While 200sqft might not be a lot, I'm also updating an early 1960s house so it's not the tightest insulation job in the world at the moment...

EDIT: Thanks for mentioning FPX and Avalon, whomever that was. We have a lot of brass fixtures in our house and those match much better. This is why I love these forums.
 
The Declaration is a good stove and will heat your space
with no problem.
 
budman said:
The Declaration is a good stove and will heat your space
with no problem.
Click to expand...
+1
I heat 2300' with mine. Here's a pic!
 

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Shari said:
tiber said:
Flush mount needs a blower to get the heat out of the fireplace and into the room. Not as good a fail-safe heater as other configurations would be in case of a power failure.
Click to expand...
I was under the impression this was any configuration of insert?
Click to expand...
Some inserts stick out further and therefore it is possible to get a little heat out of them without a blower, however, I would guess 98% of responders to this list will say they use the blowers on their inserts all the time. Lots of discussion about the noise level of various blowers has been mentioned. Have you looked into freestanding hearth mount stoves? More heat and an on-board blower is not always needed. Not more heat in terms of but's just more heat naturally radiated into the room.Shari
Click to expand...
Mine sticks out ~ 10". . .and it can boil a kettle, but I do like what the blower does. :)
 
If you are going to heat the whole house you are going to need a blower to help move the heat anyway or lots of other fans. Then we have the if the power goes out... How often does that happen to you for any extended period? Hardly ever happens here and if it did you can run it with a power inverter or generator.

I would have picked the Heathstone Equinox but my wife liked the flush stove better too!
The Declaration does have a real big firebox for an insert.
Good luck!
 
wayneg said:
I have a Jotul and really like it. Have you considered taking the other path where you get a new wife who likes Jotul?
Click to expand...

That would probably end up being WAY more expensive!

Karen
 
We ended going with the Declaration for it's good looks, liked the double door setup, and it's output. We can pretty much heat the 2000 sq ft floor that the stove resides on.
 
I'm in lurking mode until she can find work - so this project is on hold. Anyway, I was quoted $2900 for the insert, then the final price was $3100 after door, blockoff plate, etc.
 
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