high efficiency zero-clearance fireplace?

[fishboat]

I'm new to this level of woodburning so please bear with me...I need all the help I can get. I recently moved to a house that has a cheap-open factory fireplace & would like to replace it with a high-efficiency zero-clearance woodburner. I'm researching the options available & ran across the Lennox Montecito.

It looks like Lennox has been buying market share in the 'hearth' industry for the last few years. From what little info I have run across on Lennox woodburners, people's opinions have ranged from "look elsewhere" to middle of the road to pretty good. Naturally this view must largely be a function of the companies they purchased as it doesn't appear Lennox has had much time to make their mark(good or bad). (Again bear with me, as I've only been able to locate bits & pieces of info).

The Montecito(small one, not the "Estate") looks to be a re-branding of the Bis Ultima(Lennox owns Security Fireplace). All the specs match up as well as the wording in the specs themselves. With the Montecito being part of launching the new(?) "Dave Lennox Signature Collection" I would guess the Bis Ultima unit had a new face put on it & got the name "Montecito". Taking existing products, particularly from a company that was purchased, and re-branding them into a "new" product is standard practice & inexpensive to do as compared to designing a new product from scratch. From what I've been able to gather, the Bis Ultima is a pretty well thought-of unit.

Is anyone running a Montecito or know anything about them? Any key items(construction, options, warranty...) that I need to investigate? ....For that matter, what makes a good stove or HE fireplace good and what corners are cut that makes a unit something to avoid? I've been researching on how to buy a good unit, but I'm finding little in terms of stove-construction specifics...other than "buy a good stove".

I'm pretty partial to the Jotul Kennebec...but this isn't zero-clearance..any other options worth checking out?

thanks..

http://www.lennoxhearthproducts.com/products/overview.asp?pid=386

http://www.securitychimneys.com/pages/fireplace/high_BisUltima.asp?country=ca

 

[scfa99]

Bis is a great brand from what i've heard.

Check and see if the Quadrafire 7100 will fit in your opening. If that interests you, do a search on here for the 7100 and if you have any specific questions let me know.

 

[Shane]

The Sequioa from VC is a decent unit. The FPX is also good.

 

[hearthtools]

KozyHeat
Z42 EPA zero clearance.
www.kozyheat.com

 

[fishboat]

Thanks for the suggestions.

This brings up s common question between most all of them. I know all reported numbers are fuzzy due to all the variables involved.

>The Q-7100 literature says it'll heat a 3500 sq ft house.
>The FPX36 says it'll due up to a 2500 sq ft house.
>The VC Sequoia...same thing.."2400 sq ft capacity"
>The Kozy heat doesn't mention sq ft, but the 60,000 max btu puts it in the same range as a BIS.

What I REALLY want to avoid is getting a burner that is too big for my house. I have 1700 sq ft in an open concept-vaulted ceiling-kitchen-dining-great room 1.5 story cape cod. The house is only 10 years old is is very tight. I don't expect it'll take a very big/high output burner to heat this place up. If I get a stove that's too big in terms of output I'll have spent lots of money on something I can't use as it should be. I would guess that burning a high output unit cold to keep the heat down isn't a good plan.

The smaller output of a unit like the BIS Tradition CE (heats up to a 1000-1500 sq ft) would allow me to burn it hot & not over-heat the house.

Am I out to lunch in my thinking? Again, bear with me as I'm just starting to figure all these things out.

 

[scfa99]

I'd take the Quad off the list, much too big for that size sqft.

 

[hearthtools]

I never go by what a manufacure puts down for heating cap.
I just figure my own heating area by BTU, Radiant or convection of the stove and Climate around the home.


I forgot to put
the RSF
http://www.icc-rsf.com/en/fireplaces/accueil_foyer.asp

they make Several SMALL EPA fireplaces.

 

[Shane]

Look at the small Sequoia. That one might be a better fit, and yes, the RSF is a good unit as well.