KozyHeat Z42 zc Wood Fireplace

[builderbob]

Continuing my research into woodburning zero clearance units.

Found the KozyHeat Z42. Nice looking fireplace with some good options.

It is the only one I found so far that seems to use individual brick in the firebox. But they are several different sizes. 4-1/2 x 9---ok. But also 4-1/2 x 13, and 4-1/2 x 10-3/4. How hard to find those size bricks anywhere? Or are they pretty common.

The individual brick beats having to buy brick panels from unit manufacturer, but the odd sizes---maybe a problem? It got good EPA emissions ratings, and looks promising.

Anyone have a Kozyheat Z42 (or other Kozyheat model)? You like? Anything bug you about it?

BTB

 

[jtp10181]

The Quadrafire 7100 and Heat & Glo Northstar both use bricks inside instead of refractory panels.

 

[hearthtools]

I have installed over 20 Z42's in the past few years and NEVER had a complaint about them.
Kozy has been making plate steel fireplaces for over 30 years.
www.kozyheat.com


Best price you can get for a heater Rated wood burning fireplace made of real Plate steel.

 

[builderbob]

I have installed over 20 Z42's in the past few years and NEVER had a complaint about them.
Kozy has been making plate steel fireplaces for over 30 years.
www.kozyheat.com


Best price you can get for a heater Rated wood burning fireplace made of real Plate steel.

Thanks. That is good feedback to know. Would be nice if more of those KozyHeat Z42 customers found their way here to Hearth.com and posted their comments in the ratings section. In fact, I wish more of lots of different customers,whatever the brand, would post comments there.

At any rate, 20 customers just in your area and no complaints is pretty good. And you say you installed them all, and you're still selling them, so I take it the installs were pretty straightforward too--no complicated problems that were KozyHeat specific.

I also see they use 6" chimney instead of 7 or 8"-----should be some savings there too! Plus you get to chose the pipe brand, not stuck with just one brand with Kozyheat.

Thanks agin for the feedback.

BTB

 

[elkimmeg]

BTB I have inspected about 3or 4. I agree with Hearth tools they appear to be a quality unit Naturally inspections depts do not here how things preform till there is complaints.

I have heard no complaints and I did not expect to. Wish I could tell you more. Again Quads are quality units and many others stay away from cheaper non rated or listed decoritive units they just don't produce heat. as much as 60 % of heat goes up the chimney and takes living space heat with it I call this a negative heat factor. You want effeciency rated wood burning fireplaces
the ones approved by the EPA

 

[builderbob]

stay away from cheaper non rated or listed decoritive units they just don't produce heat. as much as 60 % of heat goes up the chimney and takes living space heat with it I call this a negative heat factor. You want effeciency rated wood burning fireplaces
the ones approved by the EPA

Yah. Epa II certified are only ones I looking at. For a brand new house, the last thing I want to do is pay to make it insulated and energy efficient to code AND then pay some more for someone to install a big hole (ala decorative only, non-efficient, non-EPA certified fireplace) in my new well-insulated house.

Thanks for the additional input on KozyHeat. Every report of experience helps.

BTB

 

[heatxchanger]

B2B,


Like you, I am in the market for a clean burning (EPA certified) stove that looks like a fireplace. Thanks for bringing the KozyHeat Z42 to my attention. I like the fact that is has a 3 cubic foot firebox and a 6" diameter chimney.

I took a look at the Lennox Brentwood (same as BIS ultima) and the Napoleon NZ26 and liked them EXCEPT for their small (2 cubic foot or less) fireboxes. These both have 6" chimneys and the Napoleon even has an ash drawer.

Looking for an EPA fireplace with a bigger firebox I came across the Lennox Villa Vista (same as the BIS Panorama) but it turned out to be a catalytic unit with a 7" diameter chimney. I don't have a problem with cataytic but was put off by the 7" chimney. The larger chimney makes me uneasy.

The Quadrafire 7100 is simply too big of a beast for my application.

Anyway, I am going to investigate the KozyHeat - I like the firebox size, I like the 6" chimney and I like the favorable comments by Hearthtools.

Does anybody know if the KozyHeat has an ash drawer?

Thanks

 

[jtp10181]

If you search around on here most people have found that ash drawers are more annoying that they are worth. Whats the benifit over just scooping them out of the box with a little shovel...

 

[builderbob]

B2B,


Like you, I am in the market for a clean burning (EPA certified) stove that looks like a fireplace. Thanks for bringing the KozyHeat Z42 to my attention. I like the fact that is has a 3 cubic foot firebox and a 6" diameter chimney.

Anyway, I am going to investigate the KozyHeat - I like the firebox size, I like the 6" chimney and I like the favorable comments by Hearthtools.

Does anybody know if the KozyHeat has an ash drawer?

Thanks

Check the Kozyheat site for Z42 owner manual online. That should tell about ash drawer. I don't remember anything about an ash drawer with Z42, but I don't remember lots of things. I think there is also a brochure online for Z42 as well---it may tell.

www.kozyheat.com

Another possibility is the Bis Tradition/Lennox Montecito Estate (clones) with 4 cu ft firebox. They use 7" chimney, but that isn't that much bigger/more expensive. Five year parts *and* labor warranty on Lennox.

www.lennoxhearthproducts.com

If you find out things in your search, be sure and share here at hearth.com

BTB

 

[heatxchanger]

jtp10181,


Thanks for the info on the ash pans being not that great of a benefit.

When it comes down to it, there really are not that many EPA high efficiency wood burning zero-clearance fireplaces on the market.

The Lennox Montecito (not to be confused with the larger Lennox Montectito Estate) seems to be the same as the Lennox Brentwood but with a different front trim package. The Lennox Brentwood is the same as the Security Chimneys BIS Ultima because Lennox purchased Security Chimneys a few years ago.

Travis Industries sells the Fireplace Extrordinair FPX 36 Elite and 44 Elite units. These are large catalytic fireplaces with 3.7 and 4.3 cubic foot fireboxes. They are 27" deep and both have whopping 8" diameter flues. I am un-easy about such large flues not so much from a cost standpoint but from a physics standpoint. In the Hearth industry everyone talks about the diameter of the flue but in the world of stove design engineering what counts is the area of the flue. The area of the flue is 3.14 X half the diameter squared. What this means is that a 6" diameter flue has an area of 28 square while an 8" diameter flue has an area of 50 square inches. In other words, an 8" diameter flue is about the same as TWO 6" diameter flues!

It seems all of the big stove manufacturers produce EPA high efficiency wood burning stoves of various firebox sizes (heat output) but they all have 6" diameter flues. All I want is a EPA high efficiency wood burning stove that looks like a fireplace (and is zero clearance). This is why I am un-easy about EPA fireplaces with larger than 6" diameter flues. If I can buy a fantastic wood burning stove from Harmon or Travis or Quadrafire or whoever with a 6" flue then why does a stove that looks like a fireplace need anything bigger than 6" ?

I will look into RSF fireplaces but nobody around me appears to sell them.

 

[begreen]

Agreed, if the ash drawer is not removable, it has limited value. But, FWIW, I really like a well designed, removable ash drawer. When I didn't have one, it meant cleaning the stove by scooping the ashes into a bucket sitting by the stove. This creates a lot of ash dust no matter how careful one is.

With a good sized ash drawer, I can gently push the ash over the ash grate and let the natural draft of the stove keep the ash dust in the stove. I let it settle for a moment, then take it outside to dump in the ash can. This is much neater.

But it's not a showstopper if the stove doesn't have one. Get the stove you like the best. You can have someone hold the ash vac nozzle close to the rim of the ash can as a way to reduce ash dust when cleaning out the fireplace.

 

[jtp10181]

If you are that interested as to why a unit like the Quadrafire 7100 has a 8" flue I could call and and see if I can get a hold of an engineer on Monday.

We put a lot of them in and have had very few problems. So far every time I have gone out for a drafting problem the customer is burning wet or rotten wood.

 

[builderbob]

[quote author="pellethead" date="1185653503"]jtp10181,


Thanks for the info on the ash pans being not that great of a benefit.

When it comes down to it, there really are not that many EPA high efficiency wood burning zero-clearance fireplaces on the market.


Travis Industries sells the Fireplace Extrordinair FPX 36 Elite and 44 Elite units. These are large catalytic fireplaces with 3.7 and 4.3 cubic foot fireboxes. They are 27" deep and both have whopping 8" diameter flues.

####As to zero clearance wood fireplaces, I do not recall having seen "any" brands with the ash pan. I don't think it's that big a deal. One way or the other cleaning the ashes out is a chore, one just deals with it.

The size of the flue doesn't concern me too much. Rather, solidpack vs aircooled concerns me more. The Travis FPX's use only aircooled. I personally want solidpack as more insurance for against draw problems and puffback. See woodheat.org's "6 factors" brochure for successful woodburning units.

The outside air ducts the zc's use however, concern me more because of the potential for cold air infiltration into my warm home, when fireplace is not in use. The Travis FPX's and Napoleon High Country each require TWP 6" cold intake air ducts. Most other zc wood fireplaces require ONE 4" cold air intake duct. HUGE difference. And when fireplace is not in use, there is a lot of space for cold air to come into the home.

Just some random thoughts.

BTB