another new guy here with questions

  • 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
Not open for further replies.
cwill

cwill

Member
Oct 13, 2010
182
W. MI
been lurking for about a year now and finally decided to join in on the fun. little info for everybody. i have a 1100sf 2 bdrm ranch house with a prefab preway z-c fireplace in my living room/open kitchen area. i have been burn in it for two seasons and it works ok with a radiator deal with blower in it, but i know its not really very efficient. it does good until it gets really cold. thanks to u guys i have 3 cord of cherry c/s/s (been done since early april) and another 1-2 cord in rounds waiting for the splitter+ more to be cut yet this year. i feel like im off to a good start with that part, just gotta keep gathering. i have had plans to do some sort of stove or insert but dont know what would be better. i think most inserts will be to small for the z-c to get any good overnite burns or just long daytime burns and im really not sure a stove would look right in the room. so my question is: What would you do?
(A) insert in the z-c.
(B) hearth stove in front
(C) rip out all the preway crap and start over, but with what?

there are too many choices to look at and im not really sure where to go from here??? i want to heat with wood! i HATE the propane people!!!

i would like to 24/7 burning eventually. is that even possible in a insert.

budget is about 3500.

tried to post pics but computer wont read the card from my camera. ill try again tomorrrow.
 
Welcome cwill. It shouldn't be too hard to heat 1100 sq ft. If the Preway is large enough to accommodate a medium sized insert, it should be fine. Can you provide the dimensions for the fireplace front and back? A tear out would be more costly, but might give you a better final result, with a free standing stove. Your budget is realistic, so tt all depends on how much energy you want to put into the project. If the answer is - not much, an insert will probably be the easiest, with the least change in the interior space. It will need a liner and maybe a hearth extension, but you could be ready to go after a weekend's work. If the answer is - I love projects and got seriously inspired by IndianaTech's new hearth, then have at it. Plan on it taking a few weekends. But at the end you will have a setting you will always be proud of.
 
I like to start fresh with my own ideas, so I vote for total overhaul since you can't get what you want from whats there now. I would visit the picture section a few more times and google hearth pics and see if something really jumps out at you. You seem very prepared so far don't rush it just to burn wood, I did and now the stove is fine and safe, the hearth is safe but I would have done things very different if I had the chance to do it again. My hearth is just some 5x5 cooblestone looking squares, they look cool but not by themselves, it needs more and now it's too late without major work. I would have a built in wood storage box and more stone up the wall. IndianaTech’s new hearth is beautiful, I wish I had none something similar.
 
I just went with an insert for my masonry fireplace. I would have liked to go with a freestanding stove as I like the radiant heat and not needing electricity. I have a busted back and a hernia so tearing the fireplace out would not be an option for me. If I had a zero clearance I would have considered tearing it out. Energy King does make a catalytic high efficiency zero clearance fireplace, I am not sure if anybody else does or not though.

I have not had a chance to fire up my new Osburn so I can't say how well it works. I am very happy with the build quality and the setup it is designed very well IMO.
 
thanks for the replys everybody. leaning more towards a insert ( if there is one that's reasonably sized for my preway) did some measuring and the back of the fireplace is 21" wide and widens to 31.5" at the front. i have looked through the pics here and found alot i like but have no idea if they would work. would a hearth stove even be possible or would it just look weird? im sure the hearth would have to be redone some with whatever i do but the idea of ripping it all out sounds less apealing the more i think about it. the entire wall around the fireplace is t&g wood. would be hard to match it or i would have to redo the entire wall ( not fun and way more work). if i went with an insert what kind of burn times can i expect, with seasoned wood of course? Also does anyone know if the tax credit will be renewed for 2011 or is it about to go away for good? thanks

got the pic to work so this may help.
 

Attachments

  • resize.jpg
    resize.jpg
    67.5 KB · Views: 501
I suspect you will easily find a 2cu ft insert that will fit in there. There are a lot of good brands to choose from. Some inserts are flush and some project quite a bit into the room.No need to tear anything up, but you will need to protect the floor a bit better in front of the insert out to 18" beyond the door glass. This protection can be as simple as buying a hearth extension pad that gets placed in front of the existing hearth. You can expect overnight burns from a 2 cu ft stove like the PE Pacific Super or a medium sized Lopi insert.
 
Cwill,
Last year I did what you want to do. I have a majestic zc fireplace, a horrible heat source. It made my house so cold I had to light a fire just because of the air that would leak in around it. I'm not familiar with yours but I was limited to about 3 different inserts because of the size and flue the insert unit connects to. You must only buy one that is rated for zc insert fireplace.

I ended up with the Avalon Pendlelton just under 2ci firebox and believe me I get heat that can heat my 2300 sf house. I almost get a overnight burn with small coals that I was able to start up again.

Your heating a 1100 sf house be-careful not to ROAST yourself out of your room with going bigger.
I to did not see the reason to spend $7000-10000 to rip my zc out and if I ever want to move the Avalon I can buy legs and put it in another room if I want. I didn't need to extend the hearth but the hearth extenders are great for that if needed.

Two other things, one...wait till you see how much wood you save compared to the zc and how long the wood last while burning.
Second...mine cost me $3400 installed with a liner and with the ''Obama rebate", it's a no brain-er. Last year my monthly heating bill was lowered by $100 a month, so my return will take no time...plus I'm warmer.

Good luck, hope this helps you...
md
 
Lighting Up said:
Cwill,
Last year I did what you want to do. I have a majestic zc fireplace, a horrible heat source. It made my house so cold I had to light a fire just because of the air that would leak in around it. I'm not familiar with yours but I was limited to about 3 different inserts because of the size and flue the insert unit connects to. You must only buy one that is rated for zc insert fireplace.

I ended up with the Avalon Pendlelton just under 2ci firebox and believe me I get heat that can heat my 2300 sf house. I almost get a overnight burn with small coals that I was able to start up again.

Your heating a 1100 sf house be-careful not to ROAST yourself out of your room with going bigger.
I to did not see the reason to spend $7000-10000 to rip my zc out and if I ever want to move the Avalon I can buy legs and put it in another room if I want. I didn't need to extend the hearth but the hearth extenders are great for that if needed.

Two other things, one...wait till you see how much wood you save compared to the zc and how long the wood last while burning.
Second...mine cost me $3400 installed with a liner and with the ''Obama rebate", it's a no brain-er. Last year my monthly heating bill was lowered by $100 a month, so my return will take no time...plus I'm warmer.

Good luck, hope this helps you...
md
Click to expand...

thank you for your info. i know what you mean about the cold air. looking at a lopi republic 1250 or answer. anybody know what the difference between the two is? also found the quadra-fire 2700i. any others that are highly rated i should be aware of?
 
Hi Cwill,

I think that getting an insert in there, if possible, is definitely the best way to go! Let us know if you want some advise on which inserts to take a look at.

Regarding the tax credit, so far there’s no indication about this being renewed for 2011. In all honesty, with this already being around for almost two years, personally I don’t think so. Keep in mind that the tax credit includes not only the cost of the unit, but also covers all the expenses related to (chimney, installation, labor, etc), and this up to $1500.

All the best!
 
cwill said:
Lighting Up said:
Cwill,
Last year I did what you want to do. I have a majestic zc fireplace, a horrible heat source. It made my house so cold I had to light a fire just because of the air that would leak in around it. I'm not familiar with yours but I was limited to about 3 different inserts because of the size and flue the insert unit connects to. You must only buy one that is rated for zc insert fireplace.

I ended up with the Avalon Pendlelton just under 2ci firebox and believe me I get heat that can heat my 2300 sf house. I almost get a overnight burn with small coals that I was able to start up again.

Your heating a 1100 sf house be-careful not to ROAST yourself out of your room with going bigger.
I to did not see the reason to spend $7000-10000 to rip my zc out and if I ever want to move the Avalon I can buy legs and put it in another room if I want. I didn't need to extend the hearth but the hearth extenders are great for that if needed.

Two other things, one...wait till you see how much wood you save compared to the zc and how long the wood last while burning.
Second...mine cost me $3400 installed with a liner and with the ''Obama rebate", it's a no brain-er. Last year my monthly heating bill was lowered by $100 a month, so my return will take no time...plus I'm warmer.

Good luck, hope this helps you...
md
Click to expand...

thank you for your info. i know what you mean about the cold air. looking at a lopi republic 1250 or answer. anybody know what the difference between the two is? also found the quadra-fire 2700i. any others that are highly rated i should be aware of?
Click to expand...

Cwill,
Lopi was one I looked at however the Avalon had a off center flue so I was able to utilize all the space in the zc...flue had no 90 degree bends in the pipe for easy chimney cleaning and GREAT updraft...never have a problem starting a fire. So ask about that for whichever stove your looking at. Also I would recommend getting the blower with the temp control switch on it...well worth the money.
md
 
what can be done about the cold air when its not burning and is that problem fixed when the insert is put in? mine gets near frozen when its not lit. i have two tubes in my attic on each side of the chimney, can these be blocked off with an insert. pretty sure that's where the cold is coming in from.

Also other than the three i listed before what else is worth looking at.
 
Not much if your using it to burn now...keep in mind if yours is on a outside wall there not much you can do. Mine zc has a outside air vent that feeds air into the box its designed for that to keep it cool while burning with a zc...that's why you feel the cold air and on a down draft day you really feel it.

When I had my insert installed I blocked the the air vent on the outsideof the house. But keep in mind my zc is on a outside wall so it gets cold just by being placed there. I will say just installing the insert alone help and stopped the cold air and made the room warmer. The insert is well sealed for air lost not like those glass doors you have now and that made my room warmer.

It's funny you put in a fireplace in your room and when its not in use it's like a open window with house pressure and drafts...can't recommend a insert for your zc fast enough.

good luck
md
 
went to two stove shops today. looked at the regency i1200 and the h2100 hearth heater also looked at the quad 2700i and the 3500 free-standing stove. we liked the quads more than the regency because of the larger firebox. Would the 3500 be to big if we went that route. Hows the quality of the regency stuff? looked nice but looks can be deceiving. anybody in the kzoo/grand rapids area that sells lopi. the one in kzoo closed.
 
ok, so after further measurements none of the inserts will fit. main limitation is the back width or height. we have spent the better part of 4+ hours trying to decide. we both agreed a freestanding corner install is out even though that would be easy. the size and shape of our living room would not allow a good furniture arrangement with a corner install. so that leaves us with a alcove install as the best possible option. more work yes but should get us what we want. so what do i need to know about alcoves. im thinking floor to ceiling where the current z-c is. rip all that out and do a simple alcove. what should i really look for in a stove for a alcove install. also what about stove pipe and chimney? this is not an exterior wall and there is no chase in the attic so what would be the best option for chimney once i hit the attic ( insulation is the main issue). would tripple wall be better or just double and build a chase around it. Suggestions please!!

Stoves we like so far:
Napoleon 1450
Regency 2400
Quad 3100
PE Vista ( cant find a fire box size so not sure if its big enough)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

W
New guy here with a few questions.
Replies
101
Views
5K
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
bigealta
bigealta
M
Convert propane to wood burning fireplace- pics and questions
Replies
1
Views
752
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
begreen
begreen
A
Confusion identifying fireplace type and options to add insert/stove
Replies
1
Views
570
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
EbS-P
EbS-P
B
Should I Get a Blaze King? (New & Confused)
Replies
33
Views
5K
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
BKVP
BKVP
bgermain1689
chimney pot cap/rain guard help
Replies
8
Views
1K
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
bgermain1689
bgermain1689
Top Bottom
Back