Considering Pellet Insert Purchase

hinkbot said:

I just moved into a new house this summer. One thing that we are beginning to notice is that the room we seem to spend most of our time (LR) in runs a little cooler than the room the thermostat is in (FR). The LR has a brick fireplace which doesn't seem to throw off as much additional heat as we would like for the room. We have decided on an insert to add some additional warmth to the room, and the hope that we can scale back the natural gas heat throughout the house. We are hoping to make a decision this week.

we have the selection narrowed down to a few different inserts from different stores. what sort of things should we be looking for/at from the store we ultimately purchase from? Some questions...

-does a new insert with install generally include pellets? i've seen some mention receiving a free ton.
-what sort of questions can i ask to seem understand if that store provides quality service on the insert?
-how long on average does an installer guarantee the install? to me, it sounds like there are a lot of factors with each install, and would seem that an install may need to be tweaked to get it right.
-are the prices for the insert set in stone? can you generally haggle on price?
-and as a similar question, will stores take some money off if paid in cash?

thanks for the help!

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tjnamtiw said:

I have two fireplace inserts, both Quadrafires, and I'm happy with them. The biggest problem is that they are much more of a PITA to service and do the yearly PM's on since they must be dragged out of the fireplace. One newcomer to the marketplace slides out on rails, which is a real plus in my book. Unfortunately I can't remember the brand but I'm sure someone will chime in.
A 'free' ton of pellets is sometimes thrown in as a 'hook' but look at it as a discount. I haggled on my stoves and got a few hundred off and a reasonable price on the installs.
It would be best if the seller of the stove also did the install since there can't be any finger pointing at who is to blame for any screw ups. If that isn't in the cards, then some conversation with the installer before hand would be advisable to get a feel for his expertise and willingness to correct problems.
You'll need a chimney reline which means that they should run 3 or 4" pipe all the way up the chimney and terminate it at the top with a metal plate to seal the opening and a storm collar and cap. If you have an ash cleanout trap door in your fireplace, INSIST that the install includes an outside air kit into that cleanout, which should then be sealed/insulated. If you don't have a cleanout, then if you still want an OAK (outside air kit) they will have to run a 3" hose up the chimney and terminate it with a 'U' pointing down. Look in the stove's manual to see how that is done.
In any case, once you decide on a stove, ask to see its manual and read through it on how it should be installed BEFORE buying it and talking to who ever will install it.
Get FIRM prices in writing.

These are all lessons I learned the hard way.

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Marc P said:

My new Harman Accentra insert slides out, nice design. Harman also had a promotion for a free ton of pellets about a month ago, not sure if that has ended. I went to two dealers and was able to get a better price by doing that.

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BradH70 said:

My Enviro M55 is built onto a track and roller system that lets it slide out. I also built an extension from scrap lumber that I had laying around that allows the stove to come all the way off of the hearth and provides plenty of access for cleaning everything.

And as Eric said, make sure the stove fits. The M55 was the biggest stove I could get that would fit into my fire place opening in the back.

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