I am shopping for my first insert. The Napoleon seems appealing on price. I am told by a non Napoleon dealer that a Napoleon will only last 5-6 yrs. I would appreciate any feedback.
Are Napoleon Inserts inferior?
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My first inert was a Napoleon 1101 and I just replaced it because it was too small and the blower broke down completely and was located on the back of the insert making it very hard to clean/replace. I had it for 3 winters and the blower began to malfunction in the second winter and finally quit during the third....
Don't know how long it would have lasted.
If you have dealers in your area go and look at what they have and you will be able to see for yourself how good/bad the quality is after awhile.
Check out the stove ratings listed here too. People list their pros and cons on many types of stoves/inserts.
Good luck!
Don't know how long it would have lasted.
If you have dealers in your area go and look at what they have and you will be able to see for yourself how good/bad the quality is after awhile.
Check out the stove ratings listed here too. People list their pros and cons on many types of stoves/inserts.
Good luck!
"I am told by a non Napoleon dealer that a Napoleon will only last 5-6 yrs. "
Wow, is that ever a load of BS!! No, Napoleon stoves are NOT inferior.
I've been heating with the same Napoleon 1401 for 11 years on a 24/7 basis in the winter. I estimate that this stove has consumed about 35 cords of wood. They don't wear out, but as with any insert, they do have wearing parts like the fans and the refractory panels. The gold plating on my door is still as shiny as it was the day the stove was delivered.
Wow, is that ever a load of BS!! No, Napoleon stoves are NOT inferior.
I've been heating with the same Napoleon 1401 for 11 years on a 24/7 basis in the winter. I estimate that this stove has consumed about 35 cords of wood. They don't wear out, but as with any insert, they do have wearing parts like the fans and the refractory panels. The gold plating on my door is still as shiny as it was the day the stove was delivered.
I'm back again to be more specific with my first response.
Dealers.....Beware and read. Some dealers know what they are talking about and others, unfortunately, do not and pretend as though they do. My first dealer fell into the second category and I had no clue and did not know that this forum existed. When I started having problems with the blower I found out the truth and the dealer was very uncooperative in helping me resolve my problem.
So find out about customer service too. Most stove manufacturers can't be contacted directly and have to be reached through your dealer calling them with your problem. Understandable in that there are only so many reps. available.
My dealer also sold me an insert that was too small for our heating needs. It was I who didn't know any better.
I think the 1401 has blowers mounted on the side and in front which makes them easy to clean. A blower will last ages if kept clean. Mounted in the back presents a major problem when trying to clean it out - ie removal of entire unit from the fireplace.
My Napoleon was a great little insert to use. Very easy to burn in and very predictable. Just not enough firebox space to keep up on our cold winter days.
When I got our new insert this winter I, obviously, chose another dealer. I shopped around a lot and ended up with the dealer I chose not because she knew a lot but because when she didn't know something she admitted it and then was more than willing to find the info. I needed.
There are a lot of different makes and styles of stoves and inserts out there and they are changing all the time. It is hard keeping up with all of the info. and understandable that a salesperson doesn't 'know it all'. Many haven't been selling that long either so it was up to me to educate myself this time and rely as best as I could on what I had learned from my past experience.
Know what you want from an insert. Know about maintenance issues. Know about quality. Notice on this site that many people have had any number of stoves over the years.
Have fun with what you are doing and enjoy the process. Welcome to the complex world of wood burning where choosing the insert will soon seem like the easy part. :coolsmile:
Dealers.....Beware and read. Some dealers know what they are talking about and others, unfortunately, do not and pretend as though they do. My first dealer fell into the second category and I had no clue and did not know that this forum existed. When I started having problems with the blower I found out the truth and the dealer was very uncooperative in helping me resolve my problem.
So find out about customer service too. Most stove manufacturers can't be contacted directly and have to be reached through your dealer calling them with your problem. Understandable in that there are only so many reps. available.
My dealer also sold me an insert that was too small for our heating needs. It was I who didn't know any better.
I think the 1401 has blowers mounted on the side and in front which makes them easy to clean. A blower will last ages if kept clean. Mounted in the back presents a major problem when trying to clean it out - ie removal of entire unit from the fireplace.
My Napoleon was a great little insert to use. Very easy to burn in and very predictable. Just not enough firebox space to keep up on our cold winter days.
When I got our new insert this winter I, obviously, chose another dealer. I shopped around a lot and ended up with the dealer I chose not because she knew a lot but because when she didn't know something she admitted it and then was more than willing to find the info. I needed.
There are a lot of different makes and styles of stoves and inserts out there and they are changing all the time. It is hard keeping up with all of the info. and understandable that a salesperson doesn't 'know it all'. Many haven't been selling that long either so it was up to me to educate myself this time and rely as best as I could on what I had learned from my past experience.
Know what you want from an insert. Know about maintenance issues. Know about quality. Notice on this site that many people have had any number of stoves over the years.
Have fun with what you are doing and enjoy the process. Welcome to the complex world of wood burning where choosing the insert will soon seem like the easy part. :coolsmile:
Burd
Feeling the Heat
I once had a car dealer tell me that a 89 ford pick up only had 30.000miles and since then Ill never beleive a sales man again.gibson said:
MY$.02
Look I'm a first time burner and my stove is a Napolean1402p.And tha reason I bought it was of quantity.It has a very good weight to it and burns very clean and Ill get long burn time.As for the fan if it happened to fail in one year well so be it. I'd rather buy the fan then a tank of oil any day. If your looking at inserts look at you gross weight of the napolean and con pair it to others.
good luck shopping.
The big oak tree is all split up cant wait
RedRanger
New Member
Wolfe Steel makes and sells a heck of a lot of Napoleon stoves and inserts. If they were in fact "wearing out" in anything like six years we would have heard about it here. We haven't. Mostly what is heard is that people buy smaller Napoleon's than they wish they had.
Thanks to all for the feedback. Sales people will say anything to move their brand - takes one to know one! Deciding on an insert is difficult. I am actually looking forward to quitting the gym and chopping wood all summer.
Does anyone have experience installing Napoleon 1402 wood insert? I'm planning my install and I have a couple of questions.
-When I install the 6" liner into the adapter and connect the adapter to the top of the insert I noticed several small holes in the stove collar. Do I just install some sheet metal screws through the holes to grab the liner adapter?
-Should I put some cement around the adapter where it connects to the insert, if so what exactly should I use?
-I have a piece of sheet metal for a block off plate. I'll shape it to fit where the damper plate is removed. I will install some anchors to hold the plate and also caulk around the perimeter. I will also lay high temp insulation on top of the block off plate. What type anchors and caulk do I use?
-The bottom line is I don't have experience choosing what materials to use with the heat factor put out by these stoves.
Thanks for any input and any tricks that may help
-When I install the 6" liner into the adapter and connect the adapter to the top of the insert I noticed several small holes in the stove collar. Do I just install some sheet metal screws through the holes to grab the liner adapter?
-Should I put some cement around the adapter where it connects to the insert, if so what exactly should I use?
-I have a piece of sheet metal for a block off plate. I'll shape it to fit where the damper plate is removed. I will install some anchors to hold the plate and also caulk around the perimeter. I will also lay high temp insulation on top of the block off plate. What type anchors and caulk do I use?
-The bottom line is I don't have experience choosing what materials to use with the heat factor put out by these stoves.
Thanks for any input and any tricks that may help
woodlee said:
Yes, use a screw slightly larger that the hole so that it can tap (self thread) into the hole.
Rutland stove cement. http://www.rutland.com/productinfo.php?product_id=31
Regular silicone should work for the outer perimeter. Small Rawl plugs can be used for anchors. Or if you bend the outer edge of the damper seal so that it wedges in place, just use silicone cement. Here's a link to the block off plate instructions in case you haven't already discovered them.
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/making_a_block_off_plate/
I recently inquired about a Napoleon 1100c- a wood stove insert with a blower. The dealer I spoke with sells biobricks and biologs for use in these stoves. I am concerned because the "warranty" states that these stoves are not rated for anything other than natural wood. Can anyone tell me if you can burn biobricks or biologs in a Napoleon wood stove insert? If not, is there a certain brand I should look for to use for this purpose?
Welcome masshomeowner. A good compressed fuel, is only natural wood. Basically compressed sawdust held together by the natural lignins in the wood. However, all compressed products are not created equal. Some burn better than others. Some burn hotter than others. Do not use a wax impregnated log in this stove (like Duraflame).
It takes a little practice to get compressed fuel burning right, but can work well. Start out with smaller fires until you are used to them. There is tremendous energy in some of these products and you don't want to overdo it. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully. One burns the log variety differently than one burns the brick variety. I would also suggest reading up on the wiki about these fuels and do a search in the forum for reports on these products.
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Category:Fuels/
It takes a little practice to get compressed fuel burning right, but can work well. Start out with smaller fires until you are used to them. There is tremendous energy in some of these products and you don't want to overdo it. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully. One burns the log variety differently than one burns the brick variety. I would also suggest reading up on the wiki about these fuels and do a search in the forum for reports on these products.
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Category:Fuels/
Thanks BeGreen,
-One more thing I noticed on my insert. On the top section of the insert that will be hidden in the fireplace I notice two slots that measure about 1/4" x2" they are manufactured in the insert. If you can picture how the blower sends the warm air overtop the unit and out to the living space, they are on that portion. So warm air that is wrapping around the firebox can actually escape into the fire place behind the finished front. Hopefully, this makes sense. Anyway whats the point of the two slots?
Thanks
-One more thing I noticed on my insert. On the top section of the insert that will be hidden in the fireplace I notice two slots that measure about 1/4" x2" they are manufactured in the insert. If you can picture how the blower sends the warm air overtop the unit and out to the living space, they are on that portion. So warm air that is wrapping around the firebox can actually escape into the fire place behind the finished front. Hopefully, this makes sense. Anyway whats the point of the two slots?
Thanks
I don't know and would have to see them. It does seem odd if heated air is allowed to escape there.
Have you run the blower with the insert outside of the fireplace to confirm that air does indeed escape out of these holes?
Have you run the blower with the insert outside of the fireplace to confirm that air does indeed escape out of these holes?
Thanks BeGreen. Just bought the stove and fuel this weekend. We purchased a half pallet each of a few different types and brands of fuel. we'll see how it goes. i'm paranoid so will start off with the minimum to see how each burns. thanks for the help. the forum is great and quite informative.
Your welcome and congratulations. Maybe post a picture once it's in its new home.
Stay in touch. It's a lot better to ask a lot of questions if you're not sure.
Stay in touch. It's a lot better to ask a lot of questions if you're not sure.
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