Hello,
I'd appreciate any and all help.
Last year we purchased an old home, 2100 sqft built in 1921 in Putnam County, NY. The home features a large "Grand" Room with 28 foot vaulted ceilings, and a massive open hearth fireplace in the center of the room. After one winter season, we've realized that the fireplace is essentially a giant vacuum sucking up all the warm air we pump into the room. We replaced the ceiling fan, and have worked on insulating the room but we'd like to move away from baseboard electric heating, and use a wood stove or insert as a primary heating source for the room, along with the first floor of the home.
Initially I intended on installing a freestanding unit into the hearth but a local installer is strongly pushing us into getting a wood burning insert instead, claiming that the surrounding masonry will absorb a majority of the heat resulting in heat loss and rendering a freestanding unit a bit useless for our intention.
Open Hearth Details: 60" W x 27" D x 33" H , 25' chimney.
Is the installer correct, would an insert be better for our application?
Does anyone have any recommendations based on our measurements?
Should we be looking at firebox dimensions, or overall dimensions to determine whether a unit will fit?
We are interested in the largest size possible either insert or freestanding to retain as much integrity of the size of the hearth while remaining within the EPA tax incentive. We'd prefer to not have an extremely large faceplate with a small stove in the center, and instead something more balanced.
Any help, at all, is massively appreciated as I am beginning to get lost in the sea of conflicting recommendations between installers and sales reps in the local stove stores.
Thank you.
I'd appreciate any and all help.
Last year we purchased an old home, 2100 sqft built in 1921 in Putnam County, NY. The home features a large "Grand" Room with 28 foot vaulted ceilings, and a massive open hearth fireplace in the center of the room. After one winter season, we've realized that the fireplace is essentially a giant vacuum sucking up all the warm air we pump into the room. We replaced the ceiling fan, and have worked on insulating the room but we'd like to move away from baseboard electric heating, and use a wood stove or insert as a primary heating source for the room, along with the first floor of the home.
Initially I intended on installing a freestanding unit into the hearth but a local installer is strongly pushing us into getting a wood burning insert instead, claiming that the surrounding masonry will absorb a majority of the heat resulting in heat loss and rendering a freestanding unit a bit useless for our intention.
Open Hearth Details: 60" W x 27" D x 33" H , 25' chimney.
Is the installer correct, would an insert be better for our application?
Does anyone have any recommendations based on our measurements?
Should we be looking at firebox dimensions, or overall dimensions to determine whether a unit will fit?
We are interested in the largest size possible either insert or freestanding to retain as much integrity of the size of the hearth while remaining within the EPA tax incentive. We'd prefer to not have an extremely large faceplate with a small stove in the center, and instead something more balanced.
Any help, at all, is massively appreciated as I am beginning to get lost in the sea of conflicting recommendations between installers and sales reps in the local stove stores.
Thank you.
