Help Finding a Fireplace Insert That Fits 160 YO House

[oldfarmhouse]

We've been looking for a wood fireplace insert for a few months now to replace our basic fireplace faceplate and given the unusual size of our fireplace, I'm not having any luck finding any that fit. For example, the rear corners of the fireplace are rounded as opposed to having 90 degree angles and the walls from the front of the fireplace bevel in mid-way. I'll post some dimensions to give an idea of what we're dealing with.

Any brands and models would be greatly appreciated. I also tried convincing my SO that a stove insert would look nice but she didn't want to hear it until we've exhausted all fireplace insert options.

Dimensions:

• Front Opening - 31" W x 31" H
• Depth from center of front opening - 17"
• Rear wall width - 18"
• Random dimensions I took to try to find
  • At depth of 6", width is 28 3/4"
  • At depth of 9 3/4", width is 25 1/2"
    
  • At depth of 12 3/4", width is 22 1/2"
    
  • At depth of 14 1/4", width is 21 1/2"
    
  • At depth of 15 1/16", width is 21 1/4"
    
  • At depth of 17", width is 18"

 

[kennyp2339]

Seems like you may have a custom semi rumford fire place design, you may want to consider either placing a free standing unit in front of it (partly into the fireplace)

 

[oldfarmhouse]

Oh. That's interesting. It looks very similar to a rumford design except there are no angles where pavers might meet and the curves are formed using concrete. There are no brick pavers from what I can tell. When you say free standing, do you mean a stove fireplace?

If an insert is not an option, another idea is just putting a blower. I've never looked at those. Any recommendations?

 

[kennyp2339]

This is what I was thinking, of course there are different styles of stoves, and depending on whether you need to lengthen your hearth the required 18" in front of the stove door

 

[jetsam]

A freestanding stove is going to be by far the best heater, and require the least shoehorning and/or construction.

If you want heat, don't bother looking for a weird tiny insert that fits in there. Even if you find it, you aren't likely to be happy with it as a long term heat source due to the firebox size.

 

[RobbieB]

This looks like it would work.

 

[kennyp2339]

This looks like it would work.

1.2 cu ft fire box makes me think that the user will be loading it every couple of hours, on cold days that will be ran hard making it a charcoal factory. Climate in PA is far cooler than Cali, we get pretty cold, constant wind and higher humidity which makes it feel colder than what it really is.