Reccommendations for replacing prefab hunk-o-junk

[gadgetgeek]

I have a townhouse in a ski area that was built in the mid '80s and it is rented out most of the winter. The prefab fireplace is not only a piece of junk but I'm now afraid of using it since it's sorely in need of major repairs. I don't know the manufacturer but I heard they're no longer in business and getting replacement parts is close to impossible. I also have a great deal of trouble with strong down drafts before the fire is established which results in a great deal of smoke entering the house. No, burning newspaper near the flue is useless since the wind will actually blow it out! The chimney is on an outside wall. The house is in a homeowners association so I can't get approval for propane and I can't modify the exterior apperance without a great deal of hassle.

My goal when replacing the unit is to get an air tight unit that's idiot proof and actually helps to heat the house. It sits in an open living/dining/kitchen area with a cathedral ceiling and the whole house is about 1100sf. I don't need to heat the house with it but anything that cuts down on the electric bill from electric baseboard heat is a real bonus. Stand-alone stoves are not a good option since they'd be too instrusive in the fairly small space.

The current insert is only 40" wide X 30" tall and it's surrounded by a stone mantel. Even the smallest fireplaces are quite a bit taller than this so I'm afraid I'll have to rip apart the mantel and not being a stone mason this looks like a big job to me. A pellet stove would fit but I haven't found any that work in ZC type conditions.

I'd also prefer a non-cat solution with very few adjustements - back to the idiot proof aspect. I'm currently considering these fireplaces:

Majestic Monarch BFC36 (can be converted to gas if the HOA ever approves this)
Napoleon NZ26
Lennox Brentwood

Too bad Quadrafire only makes a monsterous unit or it would be on the list.

Any suggestions?

 

[jtp10181]

You could do a wood insert that goes INSIDE the existing fireplace. It can be less expensive and less work, the trade-off is a smaller firebox.

You also could do a pellet insert and an insert into the existing unit or you could tear it out and do a pellet insert as a BUILT-IN. All the Quad pellet inserts can be installed as a "built in" unit which what most people call a "ZC".

 

[gadgetgeek]

Thanks for the info. The junky prefab is too small for any insert so that's not a possibility. I also considered pellet again but I can't imagine how this would work with renters and no good place to store the pellets, so I'm back to the ZC fireplaces.

It looks like the AC chimney is a poor choice and I haven't found a fireplace that will fit in a 40"w X 30"h rough opening so I'm back to tearing out some of the rock.

The BIS Traditione is so close that it might only require 1 row of rock to be removed. Any opinion on this company and unit? It has everything I'm looking for except individual fire bricks but I need to be confident that I can get replacement parts for the next 20+ years.

 

[gadgetgeek]

I stand corrected. I'll have to verify these dimensions later since the house is about 90 miles from here but it looks like my Jotul wood stove insert might actually work with inside the prefab fireplace! The Jotul insert is only 32w x 19.5h x 15d. According to the installation manual the insert CAN be installed in factory-built fireplaces. Does this include cheapo, builder grade steel prefabs? They list a requirement of UL 127 or ULC S610 but I don't know the make/model of my insert so I don't know if or how I can verify this.

Of course I'd also plan on installing the required chimney liner. I'm still a bit concerned about sticking a very high performance and high temperture cast iron stove into a prefab fireplace. I'm not even sure it will support it's 272 pounds (without wood).

This could save me really big bucks but is it safe?