Fist off, GREAT forum w/ a ton of great information. I truly have learned a bunch reading various threads here. Hopefully, I will be able to help others in the future as so many of you have done.
Our situation is the same as others that I have read: builder installed crappy ZC fireplace that we hate (MartinSCF36M) and want to upgrade to something more efficient and appealing. Burning 1400 gallons of oil a year has got to stop. I think that we have decided on the Quad 7100 based on owner reviews and a reliable local dealer. From what I have read, this thing really throws some heat. I plan to rip out the existing FP myself, re-frame, and have the new 7100 and chimney installed by the dealer. Cultured stone, aux piping, and electrical connections will be done DIY as well. I'll be sure to post pics. This leads me to some questions. Our house is a 2800 sf cape cod with an additional 1600 sf radiant heated finished basement. The main level where the fireplace will be located has a fairly open floor plan however, the house is fairly long (70 ft) and the room most distant to the fireplace is about 54 feet away. I do not think that we will be going with the heat zones because the only viable places to run the zones would be bedrooms and all of my family prefer relatively cool sleeping quarters. So I am looking for for your experiences with:
-How well the heat from this unit distributes throughout your house.
-Indoor Convection air cold air return. If you use it, how well does it work? How long is the piping run?
-Zone heaters: Although we currently do not plan on installing them, I would love to hear your experiences with them and what you have learned.
One additional thought. Our central air main return is located in the same room as the fireplace. Anybody care to share there successes in utilizing this as the heat distribution?
Any other input would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Our situation is the same as others that I have read: builder installed crappy ZC fireplace that we hate (MartinSCF36M) and want to upgrade to something more efficient and appealing. Burning 1400 gallons of oil a year has got to stop. I think that we have decided on the Quad 7100 based on owner reviews and a reliable local dealer. From what I have read, this thing really throws some heat. I plan to rip out the existing FP myself, re-frame, and have the new 7100 and chimney installed by the dealer. Cultured stone, aux piping, and electrical connections will be done DIY as well. I'll be sure to post pics. This leads me to some questions. Our house is a 2800 sf cape cod with an additional 1600 sf radiant heated finished basement. The main level where the fireplace will be located has a fairly open floor plan however, the house is fairly long (70 ft) and the room most distant to the fireplace is about 54 feet away. I do not think that we will be going with the heat zones because the only viable places to run the zones would be bedrooms and all of my family prefer relatively cool sleeping quarters. So I am looking for for your experiences with:
-How well the heat from this unit distributes throughout your house.
-Indoor Convection air cold air return. If you use it, how well does it work? How long is the piping run?
-Zone heaters: Although we currently do not plan on installing them, I would love to hear your experiences with them and what you have learned.
One additional thought. Our central air main return is located in the same room as the fireplace. Anybody care to share there successes in utilizing this as the heat distribution?
Any other input would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
