Fireplace Insert Replacement?

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bernie1 said:
This is pic of what I've got.
Click to expand...

Looks like you have enough hearth depth to put a stove there. Also, no trim to be concerned with and the mantel does not protrude out much. How far the top of the fireplace opening is from the hearth will determine which model(s) you could install.
bernie1 said:
Flue
Click to expand...

Maybe it is just the picture but that insulation looks awfully close to the pipe especially when you don't know which type/brand it is. I would have a certified sweep take a look at the whole setup to determine if it is still safe to burn even when you decide to just run the fireplace. http://www.csia.org/search and http://www.nficertified.org/pages_consumers/consumers-1.cfm
 
bholler said:
from what i see outside i would not mess with putting anything in that chimney it is beat unless you can find out what chimney it is and get new sections for above the roof
Click to expand...

I may be wrong but that brown is paint I believe and not rust. The previous owner was a little bit of an odd ball in that regard.

I put the new metal roof on the house.
 
Grisu said:
Looks like you have enough hearth depth to put a stove there. Also, no trim to be concerned with and the mantel does not protrude out much. How far the top of the fireplace opening is from the hearth will determine which model(s) you could install.


Maybe it is just the picture but that insulation looks awfully close to the pipe especially when you don't know which type/brand it is. I would have a certified sweep take a look at the whole setup to determine if it is still safe to burn even when you decide to just run the fireplace. http://www.csia.org/search and http://www.nficertified.org/pages_consumers/consumers-1.cfm
Click to expand...


My wife nixed the idea of a stove, and I agree our living room is not that big and it would take up to much room. I need to lean toward some type of insert.


There is a foot gap between the insulation and the pipe. Also I have checked when I have had that fire blazing hot and the flue is barley even warm to the touch.
 
bernie1 said:
My wife nixed the idea of a stove, and I agree our living room is not that big and it would take up to much room. I need to lean toward some type of insert.
Click to expand...

Before the usual discussions start again, some words about that option. Almost all manufacturers of prefab fireplaces state that they do not allow the installation of an insert. However, some inserts are approved to be put into a prefab ZC fireplace according to their manufacturers. Hence, it is a totally grey zone whether you can do that and we have heated arguments about it regularly. It may be up to your local building inspector and home insurance whether they are ok with the idea. Another consideration is to make sure that the fireplace has enough support underneath to bear the additional weight of an insert. That said, your firebox looks pretty small anyway. I am not sure how much an insert will help in your case given the size of your home. I would also keep in mind that your unit is about 30 years old and have it checked out carefully before relying on it to keep you and your family safe.
There is a foot gap between the insulation and the pipe. Also I have checked when I have had that fire blazing hot and the flue is barley even warm to the touch.
Click to expand...

I guess I got fooled by the angle then. Pics can really be deceiving.
 
bernie1 said:
I may be wrong but that brown is paint I believe and not rust. The previous owner was a little bit of an odd ball in that regard.
Click to expand...
Ok then if it is not rust never mind that is what i thought it looked like but now i can see that it could be paint to.
 
Take a mirror up in the attic and see if there is a label anywhere on the backside of the pipe. It may be embossed in the metal. Look for something like SL3 or a UL certification.
 
Is there any general consensus the best insets for the money? With the blend of well built, no frills, just a good long term heat producer?
 
I've been thinking hard about Pacific Energy as a good option?

What about the models you can buy online like Napoleon, Timberwolf, Catalytic, Osburn?
 
PE and Osburn get good marks here, Englander seems to be winner as far as performance/price ratio goes too. The Buck 91 is a big heater IIRC. Cat, no Cat?
 
Two types of achieving secondary burn. Burn tubes or catalytic converters. Cats can burn "low and slow" whereas tubes stoves are, as BeGreen has put it "pulse and glide". They both have their advantages but if overnight burning is essential, it's probably easier with a cat stove.

There are a ton of opinions but to distill it down, cats really insist on dry wood and there are some maintenance and expenses associated with cat stove that you don't have with tube stoves. But they excel at putting out even heat and can achieve some really extended burn times. Fire view is compromised though when running low and slow. If you need to run the stove fairly hard to heat then some of the advantages of a cat will drop off.
 
First thing you need to do is measure your actual fireplace to see which insert would fit in there. This diagram may come in handy: http://www.woodheat.com/how-to-measure/
The size of your fireplace will determine which size insert you can fit in. If you plan on heating your entire home you will need the biggest one that still fits and is approved for installation in a prefab/zero clearance fireplace.
 
bernie1 said:
Is there any general consensus the best insets for the money? With the blend of well built, no frills, just a good long term heat producer?
Click to expand...
ok you dont want an insert like i said i cant find a manual for your fp but to my knowledge there are no superior fireplaces that allow for inserts and by looking at the pic i doubt one would fit in there. You have a few options you could set a stove in front and vent through the fireplace with a full liner. You could tear out the fireplace and build an alcove for a stove or you could replace the fire place with a high efficiency unit. But no insert.
 
Oh I didn't realize this was not a masonry fireplace.
 
Ul listing on the flue.
 

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bholler said:
ok you dont want an insert like i said i cant find a manual for your fp but to my knowledge there are no superior fireplaces that allow for inserts and by looking at the pic i doubt one would fit in there. You have a few options you could set a stove in front and vent through the fireplace with a full liner. You could tear out the fireplace and build an alcove for a stove or you could replace the fire place with a high efficiency unit. But no insert.
Click to expand...

I was kind of blending the meanings there, I meant high efficiency unit.
 
bernie1 said:
Ul listing on the flue.
Click to expand...
That is Superior's TF10 Thru-Flow Chimney System. I believe the outer jacket is air cooled.

If you are considering an insert installation you will need to have documentation of its permissibility. I would contact Superior with the specifics on your fireplace model and the insert you are considering to install and see if they approve. If they do, get this approval in writing.
 
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begreen said:
That is Superior's TF10 Thru-Flow Chimney System. I believe the outer jacket is air cooled.

If you are considering an insert installation you will need to have documentation of its permissibility. I would contact Superior with the specifics on your fireplace model and the insert you are considering to install and see if they approve. If they do, get this approval in writing.
Click to expand...


Its Lennox now right?


Would they ever know what I’m asking about?


Is this the same company? http://superiorfireplaces.us.com/
 
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