Seeking a little advice

[SFisher]

Hi all. New to the forum. I bought a place in the mountains in the Shenandoah Valley that has a fireplace with a raised brick hearth a foot high and 20" deep. The chimney is brick with a steel firebox ~27 1/2 H X 35 1/2"W and 20 1/4" deep. It has an insulated 6" SS flex flue liner that terminates in a clean-out Tee that stuck out through a steel plate that blocked off the fireplace. The chimney is blocked off around the flue at the top, there is no block around the flue where it goes through where the fireplace damper was. The center of the Tee is ~22 1/2" above the hearth. The fireplace is centrally located to the main living area, about 1100 sq ft, and not so well located to the bedrooms, another 900 sq ft.

In my current dwelling I have a VC Resolute that I have been using since I bought it in 1980. So I am used to it. Shopping new stoves has been a real eye opener for me. I feel like my new place might be best served by an insert (the brick chimney also has vents on the front like a heat-o-lator, that vent the area between the steel fire box and the masonary) but am wishing I could find a good stove that would fit on that hearth. It would most likely have to be rear vent (like my Resolute) because I don't think I have the clearance to install a top vent. I am also trying to stay away from a catalytic stove. And I guess top load stoves (like my Resolute) are hard to find these days. In any event, I feel like I have been going around in circles trying to make up my mind what I should do. Meanwhile, that fireplace seems like a huge freezer sitting in my living room when I spend time up there. This forum is the best place I have found in my searching, with a lot of knowledgeable folks willing to give their 2 cents. Any opinions or advise would be appreciated.

 

[DAKSY]

You say ~22-1/2 to the tee. Is that to the top, bottom or centerline?

Here's an idea that MIGHT work with some tweaking.
You'll hafta adjust the tee & increase the hearth PLUS
add additional protection on the floor.

Homestead Soapstone + Cast Iron Wood Stove by HearthStone

HearthStone Homestead 8570 is an EPA certified clean burning and efficient wood stove that uses our non-catalytic secondary combustion system.

www.hearthstonestoves.com

 

[SFisher]

It's 22 1/2 to the center. That stove might fit if I removed the tee and extended the flex line right down into the top of it. The flex flue is only about 5" or 6" from the front of the firebox where it comes into the firebox from the top. Kind of pricey, but I'm starting to get used to the fact that stoves are a lot more expensive these days. It's almost a little too tall to fit back into the firebox at 27 1/2" tall.

 

[begreen]

It's worth looking at a big 3 cu ft stove with a blower for 2000 sq ft. heating, especially if there is a tall ceiling in the main space. An Osburn 2400 or PE Summit insert looks like it would fit.

 

[SFisher]

Those inserts are heavy! The Osburn is 512 lbs and the Summit LE 465 lbs. Those are some large inserts. They would definitely fit and definitely do the job. I feel like I might have to make sure the angle iron underneath is strong enough.
There is a huge skylight right in front of the fireplace, the rest is standard 8' ceilings. I was thinking about installing a duct and inline blower to run warm air back to the bedrooms.

 

[begreen]

LOL, I haven't heard of an insert collapsing a fireplace yet.

 

[SFisher]

No? Good to know LOL . It would take 1 old guy 2 men and a boy to get those inserts into the fireplace. I think an insert is probably my best bet. Seems like with fans they are every bit as good at heating a house as a stove. Especially those big ones that take 20" + wood.

 

[begreen]

Make it easier by strapping it to an appliance dolly to get it close. Then put a metal sheet on the hearth so that it slides easily or at least put some 1/2" pipes down to use as rollers. The Lopi Revere is another nice big insert, but it might be a bit hard to find as we transition to 2020 stoves.

 

[SFisher]

That's how I move my Resolute. Plywood on conduit

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Make it easier by strapping it to an appliance dolly to get it close. Then put a metal sheet on the hearth so that it slides easily or at least put some 1/2" pipes down to use as rollers. The Lopi Revere is another nice big insert, but it might be a bit hard to find as we transition to 2020 stoves.

Did you mean the Revere, Begreen, or a different Lopi? I would have thought that would have been more a medium-sized Insert, but I haven’t looked into nearly so many fireboxes as you have. We liked the north-south loading it had and the cooking surface, but I wouldn’t have thought it large. Our current Enviro rated at 2.5 cubic feet seems much larger, but maybe I’m misremembering after the years.

@SFisher, I grew up near the Shenandoah Valley and have spent lots of time there. Lovely place in so many ways. Congratulations.

 

[begreen]

Did you mean the Revere, Begreen, or a different Lopi? I would have thought that would have been more a medium-sized Insert, but I haven’t looked into nearly so many fireboxes as you have. We liked the north-south loading it had and the cooking surface, but I wouldn’t have thought it large. Our current Enviro rated at 2.5 cubic feet seems much larger, but maybe I’m misremembering after the years.

@SFisher, I grew up near the Shenandoah Valley and have spent lots of time there. Lovely place in so many ways. Congratulations.

No, thanks for catching that brainfart. I meant the Freedom. Hope you and your gardens didn't get hit badly by the storms that went through TX.