Insert Recommendations

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Smoke Signals

Burning Hunk
Dec 19, 2013
189
Central illinois
Hey guys, I'm looking to install an insert in my steel fire box fire place. Basically will heat my living room and kitchen area in the shoulder season, between fires in the Tundra and when it gets really cold and the Tundra won't keep up. It needs to take 18" logs. The fire place is 36w x 32h x 24d. We are using a 20k btu kerosene heater now that is doing the job fine so I'm thinking maybe a cat stove would be my best bet for low heat output and long burn times but not really looking to spend a bundle of cash. pleas let me know your recommendations.

On a side note, should I remove the steel fire box or leave it in place? It has air passages around it with a blower to dissipate the heat.

thanks in advance for you input.
 
Is this a heatform style fireplace or a ZC fireplace?

How large an area do you want to heat with the insert? If not too big then a 2 cu ft insert should work well as a supplemental heat source and perhaps the primary heat source in milder weather. If you are trying to save cash take a look at the True North TN20 insert. Have you included adding a 6" stainless liner to the budget?
 
Its not a cat but has anyone had experience with the Drolet Escape 1400?
The useable firebox area is kind of small and it's an E/W loader. The Escape 1800 insert would be better.
 
Square footage is around 450 sq ft

Is this area closed off from the rest of the house or is there an opportunity to heat more area via a doorway, staircase, etc.?
 
Is this area closed off from the rest of the house or is there an opportunity to heat more area via a doorway, staircase, etc.?

Single story construction. Not really a good way to move heat around. The bed rooms would pick up a little heat but not a lot.
 
Again what type of fireplace is this? A heat for or zero clearance

It is a masonry fire place with a steel fire box inside of it. There is a blower that moves air around the out side of the fire box and out into the room through passages in the brick work of the fireplace.
 
A small stove may suffice then, with some sacrifice in burntime. Or you could run the furnace blower to distribute the heat from a larger stove. Or invest in insulation and tightening up the place.
 
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It is a masonry fire place with a steel fire box inside of it. There is a blower that moves air around the out side of the fire box and out into the room through passages in the brick work of the fireplace.
OK that is referred to as a heat form and they are fine to install an insert in. And no you don't have to remove the whole box. Just enough to get the liner through
 
A small stove may suffice then, with some sacrifice in burntime. Or you could run the furnace blower to distribute the heat from a larger stove. Or invest in insulation and tightening up the place.

Unfortunately I have the furnace block off so the tundra doesn't blow back through it.
 
Is this area closed off from the rest of the house or is there an opportunity to heat more area via a doorway, staircase, etc.?

After giving this some more thought to it I could open the door and let some heat up stairs. It's a finished attic. No body up there most of the time. I guess I'm really looking to get the fireplace more usable. I love the Tunda but would like to be able to sit in the living room and watch a fire with out sucking all the heat out of the house.
 
Yes, I hear you. A nice fire is great to watch and it's probably more cozy sitting on a sofa and setting your feet up to watch the fire than sitting on a lawn chair in front of the Tundra.

There are some tricks to moving the heat that can help. This can be as simple as placing a box fan on the floor of the hallway and running it on low speed while pointed at the living room. Or a more sophisticated approach would be
running an insulated duct under the floor with the intakes in the far bedroom(s) floor, tied to a duct that blows out into the stove room. A quiet inline remote bath fan works well for this. The cool air will be replaced with warm air from the stove room. This will require that the bedroom doors be normally open or at least have a 1" gap under the door or a grille in the door to allow circulation.
 
Here's a couple of pictures of what I'm working with.

241538-cb6cddd14482c706daaabdc6054ba0b7.jpg 241539-6ba3c51a284abaddeaea00ece520979d.jpg
 
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Yes, that is the one I recommended if you can work out a way to distribute the heat to your satisfaction.
 
I installed the the Escape 1800 6 years ago and it has been a great insert. Highly recommend it.

That is a great price too at Costco. I paid more than that for just the stove alone 6 years ago.

Thanks for the positive feedback on the Escape. I'm really considering it. I think I will upgrade the chimney cap and insolate the linner thought. I can do that and still come in for less than $2,000. I'm ok with that. Now just have to get permission from the war department :)