Some questions about ZC inserts and their installation

[lfunk11]

I started here with very little knowledge and I still don't have much, but I have learned a great deal. Thanks for that!

I currently have a heat n' glow ZC fireplace and it is VERY drafty. I have a feeling they did not enclose the area behind it, nor add any insulation. The tile in front of it is almost ice cold and I had to put a bunch of blankets infront of the bottom crate (when not in use) to block a rush of cold air coming in. I was going to get a blower for it to just survive this winter and hopefully cut down on the propane bill a bit, but I am the point where I think its better to just rip it out and seal up the enclosure and then get a ZC Stove this spring/summer in preparation for next winter.

So I have read a bunch about the ZC stoves and they all seem to be pretty expensive - $3500+ just for the stove - is that pretty accurate? I have looked at the Quadrafire 7100 and Northstar so far. I also looked at the inserts that will fit directly into the fireplace I have, but I wasn't sure about the cost for those. I specifically looked at the Lopi inserts.

So is it going to be much cheaper to install an insert into the fireplace I have or to just rip it out and put in a ZC stove insert? I assume installing into the fireplace I have now will be cheaper, but not sure on that yet. I plan on doing all the work myself at this point, but I need to do MUCH more research before I attempt to do that. I know I need to rip out some of the cultured stone that I have on the fireplace, but I have extra stone that I could use so I don't need to spend any $ on that. I figure all I need to spend money on is the stove and flue. I am 99% sure I will have to replace it without even looking at it from everything I have read hear. Should I assume a max of $1K for the flue if I install it myself?

Here is what the chimney looks like. I assume I can just replace the pipe?

Once I take out the old fireplace can I enclose the space with drywall if I maintain whatever clearences will be on the ZC stove that I pick or should I use something like hardieboard?

One last question - if I get a model that has the option to add ductwork to blow the heat to other parts of the house, can I just connect that up to our current ductwork? Or do I need to run new ductwork and new registers? I will likely just need to run two lines back to my kids bedrooms since our bedroom us up in the loft and its always warm up there.

I have seen a few install threads on here with pics, but would there be the ultimate install thread out there that I have not seen really detailing every step of the process?

 

[DAKSY]

I spoze it's your call, but the least amount of $$$ & labor would be
to see if you can get a wood burning insert to fit your existing ZC firebox.
You'll STILL have a cold install, but as long as you have the insert burning,
you'll eliminate the cold drafts and/or convection currents.
If you wanna go for the Northstar & you have a Heat n Glo or a Heatilator
ZC wood burner, you may have venting that is compatible with the Northstar,
& that can save you maybe $800 - $1000 in material costs.
The problem I see with the Northstar may be the interior dimensions of your existing chase.
It may not be wide enough to install the Northstar & the outside air attachment.
Generally speaking, the Northstar needs about a 6 foot interior chase dimension
between the sheetrocked & insulated interior walls, in order to get the standard outside
air kit on it & to keep the unit centered in the chimney chase.

 

[lfunk11]

I spoze it's your call, but the least amount of $$$ & labor would be
to see if you can get a wood burning insert to fit your existing ZC firebox.
You'll STILL have a cold install, but as long as you have the insert burning,
you'll eliminate the cold drafts and/or convection currents.
If you wanna go for the Northstar & you have a Heat n Glo or a Heatilator
ZC wood burner, you may have venting that is compatible with the Northstar,
& that can save you maybe $800 - $1000 in material costs.
The problem I see with the Northstar may be the interior dimensions of your existing chase.
It may not be wide enough to install the Northstar & the outside air attachment.
Generally speaking, the Northstar needs about a 6 foot interior chase dimension
between the sheetrocked & insulated interior walls, in order to get the standard outside
air kit on it & to keep the unit centered in the chimney chase.

thanks for the response. I am going to pull out the fireplace and properly finish and insulate the space regardless. If I have to put it back in and put an insert into it I will. If I can save money on the venting that would be fantastic. I will just have to take out the fireplace and take some pics for people to look at. The Northstar would go in place of the current fireplace - right? I might be able to enlarge the interior of the chase, but I won't know until I get in there. I am not going to touch the outside of it though since I like the stacked stone look.

 

[DAKSY]

Your chase may already be insulated. The problem with your install
may be that the entire chase is OUTSIDE of the heated area of your
home, so, even WITH insulation there is no appreciable heat source
in there UNLESS there's a fire in the unit.
Because of this, the metal firebox will get as cold as the inside of the chase,
& when it does, you may sense what feels like a cold draft, when in reality,
it's a convection current from warm air entering the cold metal thru the upper
louvers & dropping around the fire box & out the bottom louver.
It's the nature of the beast.
We used to cut 4" holes behind the ZC boxes in the plywood decking,
so that cold air would drop into the basement thru the cantilever
& warm air could rise into the chase, but building codes in NY now dictate
that any holes in the framing between floors have to be plugged so they act as firestops...