Thinking of replacing my Osburn Matrix Insert....

[jeffesonm]

Last year I bought a house and installed my first wood stove, an Osburn Matrix flush insert (old thread). I really wanted the contemporary look and flush mount and am very happy with how it looks and the overall quality of the product. I knew I'd be sacrificing some heat output with the insert vs a freestanding stove but hoped it would still do the trick. Based on the previous owner's oil usage I did save 600-800 gallons of oil so I just about paid for the stove in the first year, which is great. Still I found it to be a bit lacking in performance over the winter.

I burned it 24/7, typically loading three times per day, filled to the brim with reasonably dry hardwoods. It did a pretty good job heating my 1800 sq ft ranch but when it dropped into the 20s it just couldn't keep up. I did make a blockoff plate and stuffed it with Roxul and also ran the blower on the insert pretty much all the time. The house was built in the 1960s and still has the original single pane aluminum frame windows which I'm sure aren't helping, but at least there are storm windows. I also added rolls of R30 fiberglass insulation in the attic... no idea what's behind the plaster walls but not digging into them anytime soon.

I also grew tired of hearing the blower run all the time. It isn't all that loud (guests hardly notice it) but I live in a very, very quiet area and the you really notice how loud it is when you turn it off and there's just silence. I think this, combined with the heat output, has me looking at other options. I'd like to find a stove with a 6" rear vent so I can just add an elbow/horizontal section to the bottom of my existing liner. I'm willing to sacrifice some contemporary aesthetics for function but would still like a simple, clean looking stove.

I've been eyeing up the Jotul F55... do y'all think the combination of a bigger stove plus freestanding vs insert would provide enough improvement over the Matrix insert?

 

[jeffesonm]

...and apparently today is the last day of a $300 off promotion, so stove would be $2000 instead of $2300!

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Yes go big and you will be happier

 

[begreen]

What is the lintel height?

Here are some recommendations I just made.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/need-a-6-flu-rear-venting-wood-stove.113806/

 

[jeffesonm]

Thanks... I have been watching that other thread too. Lintel height is just over 32 inches.

 

[begreen]

That's great. You can put in just about anything then. You might even consider a big Buck without legs or surround set on the hearth. What's your preference?

 

[jeffesonm]

I would like the stove to sit entirely outside of the fireplace for maximum heat but the hearth is only 16 inches deep... I'm thinking something like the Jotul which requires embers only protection might be a good bet and keep construction to a minimum.

I looked at some of the buck does but it was not clear to me which allowed for rear exit. also many of the bigger models had an 8 inch flue.

 

[begreen]

I was thinking of a top exit Buck. Only the Buck 261 has a rear exit.

 

[jeffesonm]

Just measured again... lintel is actually 33 1/2" above hearth.

I guess for a top exit I would do a 90 right out of the stove, a short horizontal, then another 90 up the chimney? It's a ranch so I've only got about 16' of chimney liner.

 

[begreen]

Nope, I wouldn't do that, especially with a 16 ft chimney. I would set the stove in the fireplace like an insert only without the surround and vent straight up. Otherwise go for the F600.

 

[jeffesonm]

Okay gotcha. I was hoping a freestanding stove outside of the fireplace would help get more heat into the room vs up the chimney with the insert.

 

[begreen]

No problem, I was just presenting some options. Freestanding outside of the fireplace should be better if the goal is to not use a blower.

 

[jeffesonm]

Thanks for the quick input... pulled the trigger on the Jotul F55... looking forward to a new, quieter, hopefully warmer stove!

 

[begreen]

Congratulations! Take pics and keep us posted on your progress.

 

[Nick Mystic]

I wish I had seen your post before you made your purchase so that I could have given you some first hand information on the Jotul F600 as it relates to your installation. It sounds like your set up is very similar to mine. I bought the F600 last February and placed it on my hearth extension in the manner you described you wanted to do.





On the F600 the legs are 16" apart from front to back. This let me put the rear legs inside the fireplace opening and keep the front legs two inches back from the front lip of the 17" extension. The F600 has a side loading door, so by keeping the front doors locked during burning I don't have a safety issue out in front of the stove.



As you can see I can load from the side and have six feet of hearth in front of the open door. I keep a hearth rug out front for ember protection. With the front loading F 55 you are going to have to extend your hearth 18" out front with some sort of non-combustible material since an ember rug won't fit the bill. Good luck working out an installation and hearth extension for your new set up.

 

[weatherguy]

I think you made a good move, if I was starting over (and I still may) I would have extended my hearth a bit and went with a freestander.

 

[jeffesonm]

Thanks for the input on the F600... the unit isn't going to ship to my dealer until next week sometime so it might not be too late to change my mind

I prefer the looks of the F55 but that side load feature sure looks nice. On my Matrix insert I loaded N/S which worked great. With the side load, can you jam it as full? Do hot logs ever touch the glass, and if so, does that matter?

 

[Nick Mystic]

You've got about 18" between the glass doors up front and the rear of the stove. and about 16" between the back of the dog house and the rear of the stove, so you can do some N/S loading if you desire. I haven't had any problems with logs on the glass. Since the stove is so deep I make a point of setting up my logs so they are a bit back from the glass. As for "jamming it full" through the side door, my guess is you can't jam it quite as much as through the front doors, but if you choose your wood sizes carefully (the stove is narrower in the back than the front) you should be able to load it plenty full. I never had any super cold spells during the few months I could burn at the end of the season, so I never had a chance to fully load the stove. If logs do touch the glass I've read that it usually doesn't pose a problem. There might be some residue left on the glass, but I haven't had any problems keeping my glass clean,. Most things burn off and the stuff that doesn't I just used some vinegar and water spray about once a week and my glass stayed looking new.

 

[jeffesonm]

I really like N/S loading and I have 4+ years wood already cut to 15-16" to fit my Matrix insert. Like your setup Nick, my wood is on the right side of the hearth, and unfortunately the F55 door opens on the wrong side so I'd have to reach around the open door to load the stove. Hard to judge how cumbersome this would be.......

 

[Craig S.]

Thanks for the quick input... pulled the trigger on the Jotul F55... looking forward to a new, quieter, hopefully warmer stove!

If its still in good shape, and you want to make a few bucks back and sell the Matrix insert, I may be interested.

 

[jeffesonm]

I went to my local dealer and today looked at the F50, F600 and one of the cast iron Hearthstone stoves. I was considering the Manchester too as I like the look and the side load door would be nice given my hearth setup.

Ultimately I decided to stick with the F55. I was worried about loading wood from the right with a right-hinge door on the F55, but playing with the door on the F50 I was able to open it all the way horizontal and even back a bit, so there should be no problem. I've also grown accustomed to loading N/S and can really pack the wood in there, plus I have 4+ years of wood cut to 16" so it will fit perfectly. The F600 would have given the side load option too but aesthetically it just doesn't work for me.

So the F55 should be in next week. My plan is to add a T and adjustable sleeve to the bottom of the existing DuraVent and connect it up to the rear vent of the F55.

One question... on the existing install much of weight of the liner seems to be supported by the insert. I know there's the bracket up top by the chimney connector... is that what's actually supposed to support the whole thing? Or do you guys put additional straps or hangers somewhere?