Looking for an insert - glass - advice on what to get or offers

[Looking_for_an_insert]

Fireplace in the place I'm renting doesn't warm the house up much. Old house with a brick fireplace with a large diameter steel chimney out of a single story house. The fireplace almost looks like an insert as the walls are lined with steel and the match up with the 3.5 inches on the sides and 5.5 inches on the top/bottom. There is a flu built into the current fireplace on an arm, and the plate is a little rusted through.

Overall hole in wall is 45 1/2 " wide by 31 3/4" tall, with the base 5" off the ground. Until I take it apart (if that's what I should do), I won't know the exact insert size, but now the size of the hole is 34" wide tapering down to about 22" in the back. Its also about 18" deep now.

I want a glass insert to heat the house, but can't spend much money. No problem it sticks out and I have 19" in front of the fireplace in stone before the rug.

Will just about any insert fit, and am I insane to want to find one reasonably. I have wood but not a lot of money to spend. Anyone out there need one carefully removed for a good home or have one for sale? What is the best way to get one in that heats the house.

Advice on what to look for or how to install right appreciated.

 

[begreen]

Either an insert or a freestanding stove on the hearth will need a liner put in first. Cleaning the chimney + installing a liner will cost somewhere around $500 to $800. An inexpensive insert starts at around $1000. Do you have the budget for this?

 

[Looking_for_an_insert]

I was really looking to just spend a few hundred on an insert that can burn wood more efficiently. I can do the work well myself, but could use good advice. Can't spend much more as I'm weighing it vs just using wood in the existing fireplace. Of course if someone has an insert they need removed, that would be ideal, even for a few bucks.

 

[Sons924]

do you have a masonry chimney? If you are renting you may not want to go through all of the expense and work. Especially if you have to do modifications to the damper to get the chimney liner in. You could look into other options like heat producing fireplace grates, like gratewalloffire.com I had one and it really cranks out heat, but eats through wood. At least you would be able to take it with you if you leave the house you are renting.

 

[Looking_for_an_insert]

It appears to be brick behind the steel frame that frames the fire place. There are even holes or grates? on the left and right behind the front. I can only imagine these are to direct heat forward. There is also a heavy plate in the back which I image is meant to reflect the heat forward. One of those gratewalloffire grates looks productive.

I might consider a slightly external wood stove that pipes into the existing fireplace, and one that has a blower to heat the house.

Trying to do it reasonably but to not use the house heating system in loo of burning wood efficiently. No matter how much wood I run in the fireplace it doesn't seem to have a great affect, and the outside temp is only in the 40's.

 

[mellow]

I understand times are tight, but you have several things against you, one being this isn't your house, and two your budget is to small to do this safely.

Get the landlord to sign off on any changes. See if he will pitch in towards the upgrade or if he will take upgrades done towards your rent payment.