Need some input on an insert upgrade

[dafattkidd]

I've posted many times on the difficulties of having an undersized stove. I'm seriously considering upgrading before the end of the year so I can get the tax rebate.

Here's where I'm at:

I have the Napoleon 1101. I love the stove. It puts out a lot of heat. With help from this forum I'm becoming a master at maximizing the heat output on this little beast. However I lose a lot of heat during the overnight. So each morning I turn the heat on for 45 min or so because the 1101 stops putting out significant heat after a few hours. And on days when it doesn't get above 30* my wife usually puts one load in the stove and then may have to turn the heat on for an hour or 45 minutes to bring temps up while I'm at work. When I'm home I can push the stove to heat a bit more, but I'm not home mot days.

Here's my plan: Due to some errors on my installer's part he's giving me $400 back. I listed the 1101 for $600 on craig's list. I've gotten a lot of responses.
I can get a Napoleon 1402 (2.25 cf firebox) for $1550, or an osburn 2000 (2.3 cf firebox) for on www.dynamitebuys.com. This pretty much makes me break even. But the difference is I get a larger firebox, with two fans. I also get a renewed warranty with a much more reputable company. However it's a lot of friggin work. I have to sell my current stove which is a bit time consuming. Then uninstall it. Then install the larger new stove. Break in fire. Pray there's no issues with it. And maybe I'll get some more heat out of it.

Here are my questions:

Will 2.25 firebox size make a significant heating difference? (burn times, heat out put, less reloads)
Is it worth it to upgrade?
Should I just take the $400 and call it a day?
If I should upgrade, what is your recommendation for an insert to heat 1700 sf drafty old house? my budget is $1650 at the most.

One thing worth noting: My house is drafty and I am constantly insulating, and tightening up the house, and will continue to do that regardless of what stove I have.

Thanks so much. This forum has been such a helpful resource to me.

 

[RNLA]

The bigger fire box will give more room to stoke, in-turn longer burns. If you have drafts in your home seal them up. I have the same problems, old house, single pane windows, no insulation.... Needless to say I'm very motivated to get the windows ETC. So to conclude YES go bigger! You can always build a smaller fire in a bigger box.

 

[Dix]

Do you have the room to place a stove somewhere, or use the existing liner in the chimney to hook up a stove to it? (If you can hook up a stove to a flex liner)

 

[dafattkidd]

Do you have the room to place a stove somewhere, or use the existing liner in the chimney to hook up a stove to it? (If you can hook up a stove to a flex liner)

Do you mean a stand alone stove? If that's what you mean than not really. I'm definitely sticking with inserts for that very reason.

 

[Dix]

Yep, that's what I meant.

How big is the FP, and how much space are you talking about heating?

 

[dafattkidd]

The fireplace is big enough for almost any insert I've researched and can afford. I'm trying to heat 1700 sf of a drafty house.

 

[Dix]

What about a PE Summit? Or a Blaze King?

 

[dafattkidd]

My budget is $1650. I don't think those sell for less than $2000. I could be wrong, but that's what I've seen.

 

[begreen]

A .5 cu ft increase will be a noticeable difference over 1.7 cu ft. That's almost a 30% increase in capacity. It will have longer burn times. The 1402 is a nice stove in general and fits in the budget. We hear less about Osburns, but other than a rare stinky paint job, most folks are very happy with these stoves. I've only dealt with dynamitebuys for pipe, but they were good folks, easy to work with and good shipping.

 

[krex1010]

The installer ordered the wrong stove for you right? You originally ordered the 1402 and he gave you the 1101, right? Depending on how long you have had that stove i am surprised the dealer is only giving you $400. He is going to install the new stove if you get it right? I would definitely expect him to swap out the stoves for free. If it has been less than a year I would be pushing that dealer harder, tell him you want him to take back the 1101 and put in the 1402 and you should only have to pay the difference in the cost between the two stoves. His mistake is the reason you don't have the stove you really wanted and ordered. So really he should be the one to make it right, let him worry about selling your used 1101.
And I would say you will see a big difference in heating capability between those stoves, you will get longer burn times, which will help minimize the swings in temperature that you are seeing now and your house will stay at a comfortable temp for longer. For your size home the 1101 is undersized, and frankly I think it is pretty shady on the dealer's part for even installing that stove, unless you did something foolish like being impatient and telling him to just install the stove he had without getting some kind of assurance that he would take care of you if the 1101 doesn't work out.

 

[dafattkidd]

Krex,

I had to break a lot balls just to get the $400 back. I completely agree with what you're saying, and that was my point when arguing with him. My problem was my installer supplied the stove for me. So I'm not doing any more ball breaking. I can upgrade and break even. At this point it is what it is. The question is should I bother with the upgrade or make do with what I have?

BeGreen, Thanks for the feedback. Especially about Dynamite.

30% increase in firebox size doesn't = 30% increase in heat output though, right? It just means longer burns? Not necessarily an exact math, I assume.

Thanks again, everyone.

 

[krex1010]

Sorry you got hosed like that, that guy sounds like a scab to me. As for heating a 30% larger firebox means 30% more fuel capacity which will likely increase the amount of time that the stove will throw real heat by around 30% I would guess. If you burn 24/7 and are trying to heat your whole house then the larger stove will definitely make that task significantly easier.

 

[begreen]

Krex,

I had to break a lot balls just to get the $400 back. I completely agree with what you're saying, and that was my point when arguing with him. My problem was my installer supplied the stove for me. So I'm not doing any more ball breaking. I can upgrade and break even. At this point it is what it is. The question is should I bother with the upgrade or make do with what I have?

BeGreen, Thanks for the feedback. Especially about Dynamite.

30% increase in firebox size doesn't = 30% increase in heat output though, right? It just means longer burns? Not necessarily an exact math, I assume.

Thanks again, everyone.

A larger firebox is going to mean more fuel capacity. If you give it more air you will get more heat, albeit with a shorter burn time. In the dead col of winter this may be the choice. The rest of the time you can enjoy the longer burntimes.

 

[gibson]

Being a fellow insert owner my recommendation is to get the biggest one that you can. Between the tax rebate and savings on your central heat you can't go wrong. For example with Jotul, going medium to large (450-550) is maybe $200-300 extra. You won't want to have to do this switch out again anytime soon

 

[dafattkidd]

For $200 bucks more I can get the osburn 2400. That's a 3.2 cf firebox. Is that insane for my house? We do not like it hot.

 

[BrowningBAR]

For $200 bucks more I can get the osburn 2400. That's a 3.2 cf firebox. Is that insane for my house? We do not like it hot.

I would go with the largest possible. It is a large insert. If it gets too warm, shut off the blower. And you even mention you have a drafty house. Go with the 2400.

 

[begreen]

If the 2400 will comfortably fit, and the area where the insert is located is open to the rest of the house, I would go for it. As long as the heat is easy to distribute to the rest of the house, you should be fine. LI can get long, cold spells where the reserve capacity will be helpful for maintaining long burns. In milder weather to avoid overheating, don't put a lot of wood in the insert. Instead put a load roughly equivalent to what you are putting in the 1100C now. A few splits work fine for milder weather. You won't get overnight burns on this smaller load, but it won't drive you out of the house either. For comparison, we have a 3 cu ft stove in a 2000 sq ft, open floorplan house located in a milder climate and it is a good fit.

I would call dynamitebuys to get up to date pricing. You might mention that it is currently on sale at ventingpipe.com and ask for a competitive quote:
http://www.ventingpipe.com/osburn-ob02411-2400-30-high-efficiency-epa-wood-stove/p1431147

 

[dafattkidd]

Hey guys,

I bought the osburn 2400 insert just before the tax rebate ended. I'm really excited to practically double the size of my firebox. Thanks so much fora ll of your input. Dynamite buys had the best price around. I'm real happy with their customer service so far so good. I should get the new stove 1/12/11.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Hey guys,

I bought the osburn 2400 insert just before the tax rebate ended. I'm really excited to practically double the size of my firebox. Thanks so much fora ll of your input. Dynamite buys had the best price around. I'm real happy with their customer service so far so good. I should get the new stove 1/12/11.

You might want to think about telling the IRS it was installed on 12/31/10.

 

[dafattkidd]

ok. good advice.