Looking for large insert opinions

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Clarkbar2311

Member
Mar 16, 2010
222
SE Michigan
Right now I have a masonry fireplace and am planning on installing an insert yet this summer or early fall. I have a fairly large fireplace so I'd like to get a fairly large insert to be able to heat as much of the house as I can. The house is a 1700 sq ft ranch with the fireplace in the middle and I understant that heating the whole house isn't practical. I just want to put a dent into the natural gas bill and enjoy the fireplace. I've been looking at the Jotel c550 and the hearthstone clydesdale. I'd like to avoid a cat stove. Nothing against them just a preference. I'm looking for some experience with the larger inserts.

Thanks,
Jim
 
You may be plesently surprised to find that the insert will heat your whole house. Sounds like you may have a good setup with the fireplace in the middle of your house. I think any insert with a 3cu ft fire box like the 2 you mentioned would be a good choice. Personally I like the looks of the Rockland better.
 
It's the floor plan that makes me think its not going to heat the whole house evenly. I'll have to sketch it out. Either way It will be a drastic improvement to the open heatsink I have now. I like the jotul better too, just have to sell the wife. The only thing I dont like is the the way the door opens. I'd rather it be hinged on just one side. It's not a show stopper though.
 
Todd said:
You may be plesently surprised to find that the insert will heat your whole house. Sounds like you may have a good setup with the fireplace in the middle of your house. I think any insert with a 3cu ft fire box like the 2 you mentioned would be a good choice. Personally I like the looks of the Rockland better.
Click to expand...

Unless I'm mistaken, the Clydesdale does not have a 3.0 cubic foot firebox. I think its about 2.5 or so. That being said, it is a great peice of equipment. You'll get an overnight burn pretty easily with it. I would call it a 1500 square foot heater (regardless of what the brochure says). A nice whole house heater that I sell here in NY is the Regency I3100. Just one of a bunch of good quality large inserts you can buy. Check out a Regency dealer near you!
 
I have the 550 and heat 2,500 sq. ft. It keeps up unless it falls in the teens. The 550 does hinge on one side.

Good luck.
 
Franks said:
Todd said:
You may be plesently surprised to find that the insert will heat your whole house. Sounds like you may have a good setup with the fireplace in the middle of your house. I think any insert with a 3cu ft fire box like the 2 you mentioned would be a good choice. Personally I like the looks of the Rockland better.
Click to expand...

Unless I'm mistaken, the Clydesdale does not have a 3.0 cubic foot firebox. I think its about 2.5 or so. That being said, it is a great peice of equipment. You'll get an overnight burn pretty easily with it. I would call it a 1500 square foot heater (regardless of what the brochure says). A nice whole house heater that I sell here in NY is the Regency I3100. Just one of a bunch of good quality large inserts you can buy. Check out a Regency dealer near you!
Click to expand...

Yeah, your right, their site says 2.4 cu ft, I guess I was thinking it was the same size as the Mansfield.
 
I'll 2nd the earlier comment about looking at a Regency I3100L. I'm heating approx 2,000 of my 2,300 sq ft with it comfortably. As you have mentioned there are so many variables that make heat distribution much more complicated than just the size of the heater.
 
I would also agree with the AVALON OLYMPIC, I have one and it heats the whole house easily.
 
The PE Summit insert is 3 cu ft. and the Quadrafire 5100 is also a big puppy.
 
Thanks guys. Can you post pics of your setups so I can show the old lady.
 
I have a Rockland and it hinges on one side, not sure where you saw two sides. It cannot heat my whole house of 3,200 sq feet, but at 1700 it may do it. My wife ended up liking it the best, even though she was not a fan of any of them. She warmed up to it though.
 
You may have seen the Jotul Kennebec. Looks similar to the Rockland, but sticks out a little farther and not as big. I thing it has the double doors. I installed the Rockland this spring and am looking forward to seeing how it performs. Seems like a wildly popular stove and its tough to find someone to talk bad about it. Here is a link to pics i posted of my install. https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/55605/
 
I've got a Lopi Freedom (not the bay) and it heats quite a bit of my 2700 sqft house. The key is not how much but how you burn, and how good is your wood supply. Last year I started getting it, and found if I turned the fan OFF and just let it cook low-n-slow I got a pretty even heat. My insert is on end of the house, in the worst possible configuration and it still heats incredibly well.

There are a lot of good stoves. Much more importaint is the wood.
 
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