A Not So Grand Room

[kfraszczyk]

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.

 

[stoveliker]

A pic of the fireplace would help, and a sketch of where it is in the room.

If none of the masonry is on an outside wall, then an insert could be a very good option. The installer may be right.
If any masonry that gets warm does face the outside, then you'd be loosing a lot of heat.


How tall is the chimney? Does it have a liner? (Insulated?)

 

[kfraszczyk]

I've attached two images of the fireplace. The fireplace runs through the center of the home, it is about 25 feet tall, and the chimney is not insulated.

 

[EbS-P]

I’ll make an argument for the free standing stove. The hearth protect will likely only need ember protection not R-value for a flush with the floor hearth. Not a big deal.

Installer is correct inserts that you can add insulation are better choices for an exterior chimney. If you don’t really mind burning more wood then a freestanding stove should be off the table. Now availability might make any and all decisions for you if you want it this winter.

Evan

 

[stoveliker]

The free standing stove would have to be a rear venting one. And fairly low at that. I don't see a reason to not put an insert in this, given that it's central to the home.

That is, if this is a fireplace with insert and not a zero clearance fireplace (into which inserts are not allowed).

Free standing stoves.get a bit more BTUs out, but inserts are close. If run with a fan. During power outages, heat will be less.

 

[EbS-P]

I’ll make an argument for the free standing stove. The hearth protect will likely only need ember protection not R-value for a flush with the floor hearth. Not a big deal.

Installer is correct inserts that you can add insulation are better choices for an exterior chimney. If you don’t really mind burning more wood then a freestanding stove should be off the table. Now availability might make any and all decisions for you if you want it this winter.

Evan

Freed standing should not be off the table.