The house was designed and built around a central wood burning stove. The hearth and flue were designed for the WinterWarm insert. The 4 x 9 foot block chimney is surfaced with fieldstone and exposed to the first and second floors up to the cathedral ceiling to serve as a heat sink. The cold air return shaft runs down the chimney adjacent to the flue so as to heat return air going back to the heat pump air handler in the basement.
With temps below 20F, the WinterWarm augments the heat pump nicely, preventing 2nd stage electric activation and limiting heat pump cycles to just enough to circulate warm air for even heating. In an electric outage, the WinterWarm will heat the entire house (though not very evenly) and keep the water pipes from freezing. We also made provisions for a coal stove in the basement with a third flu that is capped off -- just never saw the need to use it.
All the stone came right off the property. The oak mantle is perfectly straight (camera gives a fisheye effect). The unit sits on a 12" thick concrete floor and no structural wood framing is closer than 4 feet to anything that gets hot.
I change the catalytic combustor about every 6 years. This winter I overhauled the unit and installed all new gaskets. The WinterWarm has been an efficient, reliable heater for 21 years.
With temps below 20F, the WinterWarm augments the heat pump nicely, preventing 2nd stage electric activation and limiting heat pump cycles to just enough to circulate warm air for even heating. In an electric outage, the WinterWarm will heat the entire house (though not very evenly) and keep the water pipes from freezing. We also made provisions for a coal stove in the basement with a third flu that is capped off -- just never saw the need to use it.
All the stone came right off the property. The oak mantle is perfectly straight (camera gives a fisheye effect). The unit sits on a 12" thick concrete floor and no structural wood framing is closer than 4 feet to anything that gets hot.
I change the catalytic combustor about every 6 years. This winter I overhauled the unit and installed all new gaskets. The WinterWarm has been an efficient, reliable heater for 21 years.
I think the single reason that people become unhappy with their Winter Warms, believe it or not, is that many are run with no thermometer! I don't know if dealers don't point it out that you need one' or if customers figure they can't spend the extra $ or what. Another reason I've found is those who live near the ocean can have terrible rust ing problems. Apparantly some installations just don't dry out in behind there or something 'cause I've seen som that are just ROTTED! Tragic, really. I'm quitr sure as well that people sometimes push them too hard. In a milder climate like PA they might very well do a great amonut of work, but way up north we just can't expect as much from them. THey are such beautiful units, I'm really glad to hear a success story like yours. Happy Heating
