Zero Clearance Fireplace?

[Village Idiot]

Took a picture our our FPX 44 install for you to see....

Wow, your fireplace is beautiful and I love the mantle. What kind of wood is it? Did you make it yourself?

The FPX 44 was on my short list of fireplaces. I am curious. Do the handles stay cool when you have a good burn going?

 

[Got Wood]

Thank you! I posted a picture around xmas time in the Perfect Picture forum here - shows the mantel a little better
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/66964/

The mantle is walnut. about 5" thick. I had it cut to size, then my wife and I hand sanded it, removed the bark but kept the edge under the bark in its natural form. Gives a real nice rustic look. We braced it on top and bottom (over kill) with angle iron(not sure if thats the official word for it) - I could hang from it and it wont move.

You can use the handles with bare hands but need to be careful not to touch anything else nearby. I usually put on welder gloves when loading (having learned the hard way.... sooner or later if you work it with bare hands/arms your gonna touch the door and get a burn mark).

 

[Village Idiot]

(having learned the hard way.... sooner or later if you work it with bare hands/arms your gonna touch the door and get a burn mark).

I hear you. I am fully expecting to be sporting a few stove brands by springtime. Last summer I managed to press my shin to my smoker and that mark is finally just about faded.

 

[Mastoo]

There was a hinge issue with some models. Mine was fixed under warranty. Gasket needs to pass the dollar bill test -- close it over a bill and there should be some tension at every point. Would talk to your dealer. Once the kinks are worked out for you, it should be a great unit.

After the glass replacement the gasket also seals nicely and the installer filed a hinge slightly so it works smoothly. Nicely handled under warranty. So after a few fires now I'll say, wow this thing puts out some heat. I have a question about the air wash, but I'll put that on another thread...

 

[Mt Ski Bum]

When I looked at the FPX it seemed that the "positive pressure" concept involved pulling outside air into your house to create slight pressurization, which I can see working better in a Georgia winter than in, say, Minnesota. That's a separate issue from air-cooled chimney, but lots of things I've read recommend Class A, not air-cooled, in cold Northern climates (probably because Class A drafts better b/c it's insulated). Quad 7100 looks interesting. Lennox also makes a big model, the Montecito Estate, which is what I should have bought, given my big open floor plan.

I'm in Dutchess County,NY (not Minn but we certainly get winter weather) and have the FPX. I have found the POS concept to work great. I have some drafty spots in the house and when the FPX fan is running it pressurizes the house effectively stopping the drafts. Moves the hot air real well throughout the house.

I've seen multiple posi-pressure/air-cooled chimney FPX installations around here, & they all work great in our unforgiving winters.

For a while this spring, FPX was talking about coming out with a non-posipressure version of the Model 36... it was supposed to come out sometime around July... don't know what ever happened to it...

 

[Blue2ndaries]

Hi velvetfoot and welcome. I am on my 3rd year of heating w/our Quadrafire 7100fp (ZC fireplace). I posted an intro and pics of our setup here:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/81729/

We are able to heat our 2900sqft, 1 level home it it wuite comfortably. There is really nothing like heating w/wood. Good luck!

 

[Blue2ndaries]

Hi velvetfoot and welcome. I am on my 3rd year of heating w/our Quadrafire 7100fp (ZC fireplace). I posted an intro and pics of our setup here:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/81729/

We are able to heat our 2900sqft, 1 level home w/it quite comfortably. There is really nothing like heating w/wood. Good luck!

The Quad 7100 uses the same chimney system (I believe SL300) that the old Heatilator zero clearance fireplace used. The Heatilator was never fired up, we've a liner to the insert for 5 years or so.

Edit: Our unit was installed w/SL300 pipe. Also, the refractory bricks are replaceable in the 7100FP. I had to replace one, under warranty, that had cracked.

Edit 2: I said "welcome" to you velvetfoot then realized you had 3100+ posts, hah! Sorry 'bout that, it's obvious who the newb is here... :red:

 

[velvetfoot]

Wow, that is one beautiful hearth!