Need sage advice in selecting the right wood insert

[HillbillyMomma]

Hello, I am new to this forum and new to woodstoves. I actually grew up in homes heated by wood stoves but never had to choose which one was installed. I've lived in an apartment heated solely by a Morso-style wood stove so I do have basics of how to make a fire keep going in an efficient stove. Fast forward 20 years and I am now in the process of figuring out which wood insert to put in an existing chimney in my 100 year old home.

I've been reading these forums, searching through posts related to what I'm in the market for and trying to learn as much as I can. It seems impossible to know enough so I'm going to just throw this out here and see what the sages have to say.

I have an idea of what I want, but nothing is set in stone. The only wants/needs I'm 99% sure of are these:

• wood burning insert
• contemporary design
• flush mount
• able to heat a large area
• able to run & heat when power goes out (non-electric blowers)
• catalytic/non-catalytic: I have been looking at catalytics, because I love the efficiency and clean burn, but my husband wants to avoid catalytic because of the bad rap with the catalytics having to be changed often

Something to keep in mind is that it's a really big house. about 1500 ft2 downstairs and 1500 upstairs. The insert will go in the downstairs living room. Long term plan is to also have a very efficient wood stove in the kitchen area, which is the opposite side of the downstairs. Bedrooms upstairs would benefit from the 2 downstairs sources.We are in Mooresville NC so it doesn't get cold for very long, but when it does get cold it gets cold enough (can go down to 10 F). I have a mason lined up to do my chimney repairs and a local trustworthy company to do the insert install. They are both awaiting my choice of stove.

The existing firebox is about 32w x 32h x 25d.

I have been looking at these models:
Supreme Volcano Plus
Hybrid Fyre
Regency CI2600
Pacific Energy Neo 2.5
Napoleon Oakdale EPI3C
Osburn Matrix

I like the Hybrid Fire, but again, the catalytic is a problem in my husband's view. My point of view is, even if the catalytic doesn't work anymore, it will still be an efficient stove.

I appreciate any advice you can offer!
Thanks

 

[prezes13]

First if you want a flush insert you will rely on the blower to move the air around its jacket in order to get any heat out. Second 3000 sf is a lot of space to heat with a stove. None of the stoves you mantioned is a true catalytic stove. Hybrid Fyre uses cat to clean the exhaust more than anything. I would look into as big of a fire box insert as much as I would be able to fit in. On the other hand blaze King is coming out with a new catalytic insert which on its own would be too small for you but with another stove would probably be great. If I was you and I could afford I would install two catalytic stoves. A stove equipped with a cat needs it to be run efficiently. Blaze king gives 20 years warranty on their cats. Also check pacific energy line of stoves especially summit. Enviro makes nice stoves. Hearthstone Clydesdale is nice..

 

[begreen]

Agreed, in listing the requirements, flush is one I would be flexible about unless there are difficult hearth extension issues. There are some disadvantages to flush inserts. They often have shallow fireboxes and E/W only loading; they need a fan to convect the heat which will not work in a power outage; and ash can drop directly from the open door down into the blower intake, spreading it throughout the room.

PS: I think BK's catalyst warranty is 10 yrs, pro-rated.

 

[HillbillyMomma]

First if you want a flush insert you will rely on the blower to move the air around its jacket in order to get any heat out. Second 3000 sf is a lot of space to heat with a stove. None of the stoves you mantioned is a true catalytic stove. Hybrid Fyre uses cat to clean the exhaust more than anything. I would look into as big of a fire box insert as much as I would be able to fit in. On the other hand blaze King is coming out with a new catalytic insert which on its own would be too small for you but with another stove would probably be great. If I was you and I could afford I would install two catalytic stoves. A stove equipped with a cat needs it to be run efficiently. Blaze king gives 20 years warranty on their cats. Also check pacific energy line of stoves especially summit. Enviro makes nice stoves. Hearthstone Clydesdale is nice..

Let me clarify about the expectation level for the heat. I don't expect this insert to heat the whole house but I'd like to be able to heat some of it. My idea was that we will eventually have 2 wood burning units. We can close off some rooms and stay in the warm ones. I don't need the bedrooms much warm anyways. My father-in-law has an all-glass custom insert, no blower, and it warms his house really well so I was thinking that I could get one that would do the same, but it sounds like that might not be the case. I guess I'm ok with using electricity for the blowers, but if the power goes out for a few days I need the unit to at least warm a couple of rooms well. All of this is good information, and making me wonder if the clean look of the flush is worth it. I do want it to be functional, not just pretty.

@prezes13 I had not looked at the Blaze King before your post. I noticed in your profile picture that you have a low hearth, it looks like an older home from the hearth height and pine floors. Right now the hearth I have is flush with the floors and about 14" deep. I don't know if this affects my choices.

 

[prezes13]

My house was built in 1994, pic might be a bit crappy those are oak floors. I believe that in general flush inserts will have a lower clearances. My insert is a lopi cape cod. 2.2 cf fire box. It heats my raised ranch(living floor 1200sf with cathedral ceiling) quite well. I have a very open floor plan kitchen living room and dining room is pretty much one big room and I keep it in the high 70s. Flush inserted are nice but everything what begreen said about them is true. Like said here many many times if I could do everything all over I would go with blaze king insert. Now there is new shirocco 25 insert which looks very nice. If or when my furnace craps out I will install blaze King freestanding stove downstairs. You might want to install a free standing stove first then with time install an insert. Freestanding stove generally won't need any help from a blower plus bonus some you might be able to cook on.

 

[BKVP]

Agreed, in listing the requirements, flush is one I would be flexible about unless there are difficult hearth extension issues. There are some disadvantages to flush inserts. They often have shallow fireboxes and E/W only loading; they need a fan to convect the heat which will not work in a power outage; and ash can drop directly from the open door down into the blower intake, spreading it throughout the room.

PS: I think BK's catalyst warranty is 10 yrs, pro-rated.

It's 10 years, 100% unconditional.