New guy with a few questions

[phatdonkey]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to burning and have been lurking the site for about a month.

Ill start with my location for a possible price reference. I live in West Norriton, PA, about an hour west of Philadelphia.

I bought a house in May with an open masonry fireplace. incredibly inefficient and looking to install an insert. The fireplace is a good size and i know i can fit a Lopi Freedom into it, and possibly a Regency i3100. Im getting no repsonses from any of the Regency dealers in my area, I guess they dont want any business. I finally went to a store yesterday and spoke with a guy about the Freedom. I was surprised how much these inserts cost. I was quoted, for the insert, blower and surround, $2926. Then of course the new liner and insulation for the liner. The sales person also advised me to get a class 2 inspection done if i install it myself for insurance purposes. He recommended 2 guys, one is 250 bucks and the other 265. So it seems if i do it all myself im still looking at right around 4k.

Does this price seem reasonable, and would it be worth it for me to have them do the install? The install seems pretty straight forward, and the existing 58 year old fireplace and chimney were never used until october when the wife and i had a few fires in it. I had an inspector come out to check and sweep the chimney. i was told the crown is cracked and there is a hole about the size of a dime in the top flue tile (13 x 13). He gave me a quote of 700 bucks to redo the crown and patch the flue tile, but i will do that myself.

So i guess im asking if the price seems right for this area, if anyone knows, and possibly for some other insert possibilities that may be less expensive, but with a large firebox. i even considered a cheapo home depot insert to get thru this year. wiped out most of our savings on the closing cost for the house and still have a condo were trying to sell.

Any info would be greatly helpful. looking forward to years of knowledge and help, so that i can help others in the future.

Jeremy

 

[prezes13]

I think it's reasonable. I paid $3000 for lopi cape cod insert, $350-$400 for 15' of ss none insulated liner and a rain cap. Dealer wanted a $500 for a basic install. Did that myself with a help of three buddies. Insert are more expensive than free standing stoves. Some people put free standing stoves in their fireplaces if they are big enough. I would look into a rear vented stove like a jotul Oslo to see if that is an option. Give us some dimensions of your fire place pictures would help to. People here are great and somone will point you in the right direction.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Probably, yep, but, if you can swing it, you will be very very happy........

 

[Schmev]

I'm not too far from you and I was in the same boat. My wife and I loved the open fireplace but it was drafty as hell and made the family room the coldest room in the house (and the house smelled like a campfire when it rained). In November i bought an Osburn 2400 with insulated liner and all together came to 3k. I'm pretty handy so I did the install myself last weekend. A place down in Newtown wanted 4,500 for the same insert, liner, and installation... no thanks. I think I ended up paying a little over $200 to do it myself (tube of silicone for chimney cap, Roxul, Shoulder Dolly, sheet metal for block off plate, hearth extender, and a crimping tool for the liner adapter).

 

[phatdonkey]

thanks for the info so far. i am going to post pictures but i joined the forum while at work and dont have any pictures of the fireplace on my phone. i also wanted to add the house is a split level with 2 of the floors above the living room where the fireplace is. the house is 1828 sq feet. im sure anything to supplement or be the main heating source is better no matter what, but does anyone know if a split level is a good setup for fire heat?

i can wait for it Ram and im sure we will be very very happy.

Schmev, can you PM me where you bought your insert? Doylestown is not too far for me at all and my wife works up there at the court house. i also have 18 acres of wood up in Ottsville at my disposal at her uncles house i looked at the osburn 2400 but cant remember if it will fit in my firebox.

thanks again for the info so far and keep it coming.

also, im actually a very grammatical person but dont type as though i am, unless its for a resume or something. haha.

Jeremy

 

[begreen]

Welcome to hearth.com. It's still peak season. Stove shops are busy and prices are high. I would wait until Feb or March before getting a stove. Look around for shops that have what you want as a floor model. Another insert to consider would be the PE Summit C insert. It sells for about $2600 out here. Not sure what it would be for your area, but it's a good heater.

 

[Minnesota Marty]

Phat.
If your house is a split level and your fireplace is in the lower level you are not going to have much trouble heating the entire house. Warm air rises.Go for it you'll be glad you did.

 

[northwinds]

Having a woodlot available is a nice thing. It's not too early to start converting part of it to a woodpile. Dry, seasoned wood makes everything so much easier.