Accentra 52i insert or Freestanding P61

[deercamp]

This spring I am going to be purchasing the 52i or the P61. I have a 2500 sq ft clonial that is pretty well insulated with a very open floor plan that my dad built in 1988. The stove is going to look great where it is going. The downfall in a way is the stove will be at the far end of the house in the family room that is 20'x16' with a 16' cathedral ceilning. We have a beautiful fireplace that is all stone from floor to ceilng that is 6'w x 16'h. The hearth is 21"d x 6'w. The opening into the family room is a cased opening 5'w x 7' h coming from the kitchen wher the stove will be facing. We have no doors on the living room or dining room and a wide open foyer going up to the second floor. I know it would be a lot easier if i had a picture of a floor plan sorry.

Getting to the stove questions. I have been going back and fouth on this question for a while now on which
route to go. The P61 I am guessing will be easier to clean and servise for one. The other thing is that it should be saving me from having to use more oil which is my main goal. The downfall is that it would be sticking out into the room a lot more than the 52i. I would also have to extend the hearth out 16"d x 24w. I also really like the nickel trim and the plate with the picture of the deer on the front. Now the 52i will fit perfectly in the fireplace and should look great on the hearth and i want have to alter a thing. I know that the 52i is 9,000 btu's less than the P61 and will be a little harder to service and clean. The 52i does seem like the most practical way to go.
I just hope if we choose the 52i that it will do a sufficient job heating a good portion of the house and I won't
be second guessing myself saying that I should have went with the P61. I have made one decision and that is
I will be installing an OAK on whatever stove I buy.

I have read where people have went from the Accentra insert to the P61 and were very happy that they did
I am assuming that it was obviously the older model Accentra that had only 42,000 or 44,000 btu's so that really doesn't help me out to much. So in the end what are your opinions on which stove I should go for and why. I wasn't going to mention this because I don't want to sway anyones opinion here but the wife prefers the insert. Thanks for the help

 

[sante fe]

I would not base your decision on harder to clean, The new 52i is easy to clean and Is a great insert. I upgraded in sept from a quad and could not be happier. You want it to look decent also and the 52i cast is sharp great running insert. Best of luck what ever you choose.

 

[P38X2]

One advantage of going with the P61, aside from more output, is the fact that if you ever wanted to move it to another room, you won't need a fireplace to put it in.

Also, if $$$ isn't an issue, the P68 isn't that much more expensive than the P61 and has a slightly larger viewing glass. Might make it fit in better with the big FP.

ETA- 2500sq' is quite a bit of house to heat.

 

[chken]

Very few people run more than 40k btus, for very long. About 10% of the folks here have burned 3 or more bags a day on the coldest days of the year. 3 bags is a 40k btu rate.

I don't think the stove's output is your biggest question. I think your biggest question is getting the heat to where you want it to go. You probably have a ceiling fan, which will help, but no matter which stove you choose, you'll still have to move the heat from one room to the next.

 

[deercamp]

Very few people run more than 40k btus, for very long. About 10% of the folks here have burned 3 or more bags a day on the coldest days of the year. 3 bags is a 40k btu rate.

I don't think the stove's output is your biggest question. I think your biggest question is getting the heat to where you want it to go. You probably have a ceiling fan, which will help, but no matter which stove you choose, you'll still have to move the heat from one room to the next.

So it sounds like you are saying that the 52i should be sufficient for my house. I agree with you on getting the heat out of the family room will be my biggest task.
Yes I do have a real big ceiling fan in that room.

 

[chken]

So it sounds like you are saying that the 52i should be sufficient for my house. I agree with you on getting the heat out of the family room will be my biggest task.
Yes I do have a real big ceiling fan in that room.

Exactly. I'm sure the P61 can product more BTUs, but the 52 should produce plenty enough. You just need to focus on moving that air.

 

[Ctcarl]

I have a 1800 sqft split level and was debating between the 52i or the p35i.the p35i is 7 thousand less btu so I was having a hard time. I decided on the p35i because I love the basic look. Didn't want the silver or anything. So far I am on week 2 and this stove has more than deliver what I wanted.the highest I had to do her at was 75 and that was very toasty.the kitchen and back two bedrooms are about 8 degrees cooler but that doesn't matter because the two upstairs and living room is wear we spend are time.For me bigger wasn't better. Also the insert is easy to clean. Haven't done my monthly cleaning yet but compared to the stove I traded in its cake.That's why I choose a harman good luck

 

[jertola]

One advantage of going with the P61, aside from more output, is the fact that if you ever wanted to move it to another room, you won't need a fireplace to put it in.

Also, if $$$ isn't an issue, the P68 isn't that much more expensive than the P61 and has a slightly larger viewing glass. Might make it fit in better with the big FP.

ETA- 2500sq' is quite a bit of house to heat.

I made this mistake. Should have done more homework. Although i love my P61A the P68 is only $200 more. If I could go back and do it again, I'd get the P68. I'm not a pellet burning veteran like some here, but I could picture an insert having a rough time with 2500 square feet up north. You can always turn a bigger stove down but if you buy to small it's gonna struggle and you'll end up having to supplement it with your regular heating system.

 

[Hoot23]

I made this mistake. Should have done more homework. Although i love my P61A the P68 is only $200 more. If I could go back and do it again, I'd get the P68. I'm not a pellet burning veteran like some here, but I could picture an insert having a rough time with 2500 square feet up north. You can always turn a bigger stove down but if you buy to small it's gonna struggle and you'll end up having to supplement it with your regular heating system.

I was a little nervous about some of the temps this winter with 2 weeks of single digits and below zero temps. The 68 is only a few hundred more, but my 61 still hasn't maxed out. It ramps up and down, but never burns high for long periods of time. I'm heating a little over 2000 sq ft and the stove keeps us in t-shirts and shorts all winter. The extra 2 or 300 I saved has bought me a ton of super premium pellets

 

[deercamp]

I have read on here that the P68 is a lot noisier than the P61. I don't know if this is true or not but I agree I wouldn't mind spending the extra money on the P68 for the more btu's
I also remeber reading a post from someone who is on here all the time and seems to know his stuff and said that the P61 is pretty darn close to the P68 and for most occasions
the P61 will get the job done. This is all very helpful but I am still undecided between putting in the insert or going with a freestanding stove. Is it common to put a freestanding
stove on a hearth in from of a fireplace? Like I said before the hearth is only 21" deep so i would have to come out 16" and 24" wide to have the proper clearance.
This would obviously have the stove sticking out a bit into the room

 

[jslinger]

I think the 52i would work great for you application. We heat our 1900 sq ft house with an XXV (50k btu). Our house is 12 years old and has R19 in the walls, so it is pretty well insulated. But we have only burned around 80 bags this season. When it was consistently 10-20 below for a few days, we burned around 1.5 bags per day. At only 2.5 lbs per hour, we certainly weren't using the stove near its potential. For perspective, the house stayed at 60 for most of the day, and 70 for 7 hours. It had no problem getting the house up to temp though. If you feel the home is insulated well enough, I think the 52i will serve you well.

 

[alternativeheat]

I think the 52i would work great for you application. We heat our 1900 sq ft house with an XXV (50k btu). Our house is 12 years old and has R19 in the walls, so it is pretty well insulated. But we have only burned around 80 bags this season. When it was consistently 10-20 below for a few days, we burned around 1.5 bags per day. At only 2.5 lbs per hour, we certainly weren't using the stove near its potential. For perspective, the house stayed at 60 for most of the day, and 70 for 7 hours. It had no problem getting the house up to temp though. If you feel the home is insulated well enough, I think the 52i will serve you well.

The P61 is the mid point in your choice. The insert is a beauty, I know, we have looked at them as well, fell in love with it at first but that's us.. However in your case, if you question the P61's output, then the 52i is considerably less ( 52,000 BTU vs 61,000). I'm not trying to steer you that way, just if you are thinking the P61 could be a mistake and you might on some days require the P68, then doesn't that pretty well knock out the 52i?

I'm not saying the P52i wouldn't do the job either but everyone else says the P 61 and especially P68 are really heavy heat producers.

 

[newbieinCT]

I think the 52i would work great for you application. We heat our 1900 sq ft house with an XXV (50k btu). Our house is 12 years old and has R19 in the walls, so it is pretty well insulated. But we have only burned around 80 bags this season. When it was consistently 10-20 below for a few days, we burned around 1.5 bags per day. At only 2.5 lbs per hour, we certainly weren't using the stove near its potential. For perspective, the house stayed at 60 for most of the day, and 70 for 7 hours. It had no problem getting the house up to temp though. If you feel the home is insulated well enough, I think the 52i will serve you well.

Jumping in here for a second - jsut wanted to say thanks for posting these numbers. We just installed the p61 and we are definitely burning closer to 1.5 bags per day in our house which is POORLY insulated. We will be getting insulation in a few weeks - walls and attic (some attic space has NO insulation) so it will be interesting to see if we burn less b/c we are holding onto the btus.

As for the OP, I obsessed over which stove to get. Seriously obsessed. I have the posts (and brain drain) to prove it! In the end I went with the p61 and we've only had it for a few days, so I can't give a reliable review other than that we are absolutely as thrilled as you can be with it, considering we have owned it for approx 4 days. I'm sure my love for it will grow, especially considering it will be cold and snowy the next few days Last time we had these temps and snow, we didn't have the stove and I could see my breath...not fun!

@Proudsubvet just installed the 52i in his house, pretty sure it is also a late80's colonial. We both purchased from the same company and were comparing notes...I know for a fact he's extremely happy with the 52i and he even posted some temps during the subzero temps in CT a few weeks ago. I think he said it was in low70s in the room w/ the stove. Not sure if you guys are thinking of installing in the same location as him, but if you can find him on here, send him a PM. I'm sure he will respond - he was very excited about his new 52i

Good luck!

 

[deercamp]

Here is where the new stove will be going.

 

[alternativeheat]

View attachment 124785 Here is where the new stove will be going.

The insert and it's surround are square vs arched. Measure carefully that opening or have a dealer take a look and do the measuring for you. Have the dealer explain the various options to you. It may be kind of either an odd fit or odd looking fit. I could see the fireplace opening blocked and a stove in front, if the insert doesn't work out.

Is there room on that hearth for a stove ? It looks as though an XXV might fit there but the P 61 and P68 are longer from the fireplace face to the edge of the hearth in comparison. They also sit fairly tall. So measure that carefully as well.

You're heating 2500sq ft, is that what I read ? You might find at times that maxes out the P52i or XXV. The P61 would have reserve. Of course so much depends on layout and insulation factors and also some fans out and about to help deliver air.

 

[P38X2]

How about corner placing a stove in that room? Installation will likely be much cheaper, there won't be hearth depth issues, and best of all, you'll retain the use of that beautiful fireplace. You could make a hearth pad out of similar materials, in the same style, and have it look pretty slick, IMO.

 

[deercamp]

The insert and it's surround are square vs arched. Measure carefully that opening or have a dealer take a look and do the measuring for you. Have the dealer explain the various options to you. It may be kind of either an odd fit or odd looking fit. I could see the fireplace opening blocked and a stove in front, if the insert doesn't work out.

Is there room on that hearth for a stove ? It looks as though an XXV might fit there but the P 61 and P68 are longer from the fireplace face to the edge of the hearth in comparison. They also sit fairly tall. So measure that carefully as well.

You're heating 2500sq ft, is that what I read ? You might find at times that maxes out the P52i or XXV. The P61 would have reserve. Of course so much depends on layout and insulation factors and also some fans out and about to help deliver air.

You have a very good eye. I have already measured the opening a million times and I would have to take one brick out on each side of the arch for the insert. There is plenty of room for the width and depth and the height of the stove would completely cover the arch. The XXV is 26 1/2" deep so that wouldn't work either on the hearth because it is only 21". If I was to extend the hearth and go with the P61 or P68 they are
both 23 1/2" wide and my openeing on the fireplace is 34" wide so that would leave 5 1/4" on both sides which isn't all that much. What do you suggest blocking the fireplace openening with or would it look all that bad with the 5 1/4" on both sides.

 

[alternativeheat]

You have a very good eye. I have already measured the opening a million times and I would have to take one brick out on each side of the arch for the insert. There is plenty of room for the width and depth and the height of the stove would completely cover the arch. The XXV is 26 1/2" deep so that wouldn't work either on the hearth because it is only 21". If I was to extend the hearth and go with the P61 or P68 they are
both 23 1/2" wide and my openeing on the fireplace is 34" wide so that would leave 5 1/4" on both sides which isn't all that much. What do you suggest blocking the fireplace openening with or would it look all that bad with the 5 1/4" on both sides.

No that's all about your own preference if to block or not or what clearances you will like.. Most people do not close it off due to cleanout access.. I have to say that the arch is lovely, I wouldn't want to take any bricks out of it if it were mine. Not sure I'd want an insert in there covering the arch either. Our fireplace is crude, I've had a plate in front of it for more than 30 years with my coal stove on the hearth. But we may be opening it up when the P61 goes in just for the sake of ready access to the vent piping . With coal we have rarely had to clean beyond the damper flapper in the vent collar, Most ash that escapes the stove collects right there. Just dump a pan heaping full of ashes every single day, sometimes twice... About 4- 5 bags of coal once burned, equals nearly a full bag of ash. Compared with 1 to 1-1/2 ton of pellets to collect a pan full but there is no burner blower running other ash through the stoves system or venting.

What do you think of that corner install idea another poster suggested ? I considered this in my house, it was a no go with the wife ( she lives here too) and for me actually that also would give the best blower direction to heat the down stairs of the house, which is something you might want to analyze in your layout.

 

[deercamp]

The corner install or for that matter no other place on the first floor would really work. I have looked into that already but there are windows everywhere or something else. Where the fireplace is
that's my best and really only option. The good news is that it's pointing directly into the 5' wide cased opening going into the kitchen where you enter the family room from.

I was actually thinking about a coal stove originally but when I was looking they don't really have any nice looking inserts. My dad has a new coal stove that is self feeding with a hopper and he swears by it.
The stove heats his entire house and doesn't need to turn on his heat at all. Now if I extend the hearth the coal stove could be an option again. Nooooooooooooooooo My head is going to explode..

 

[alternativeheat]

The corner install or for that matter no other place on the first floor would really work. I have looked into that already but there are windows everywhere or something else. Where the fireplace is
that's my best and really only option. The good news is that it's pointing directly into the 5' wide cased opening going into the kitchen where you enter the family room from.

I was actually thinking about a coal stove originally but when I was looking they don't really have any nice looking inserts. My dad has a new coal stove that is self feeding with a hopper and he swears by it.
The stove heats his entire house and doesn't need to turn on his heat at all. Now if I extend the hearth the coal stove could be an option again. Nooooooooooooooooo My head is going to explode..

Reading has a self feed coal stoker that will fit where a P68 would fit and it puts out 85,000 BTU. My problem is a ready supply of rice coal or I would consider that. Pellets are everywhere around here but not rice coal. Nut coal is ok in supply here so far but I'm not counting on that continuing. If you are in coal country, then ya absolutely that would be an option.

I think they have a 70,000 BTU one as well. That's Reading Stoves.

No need to let your head explode but I think it's good to be aware of the options.

 

[newbieinCT]

View attachment 124785 Here is where the new stove will be going.

beautiful!! both will look great there...not an easy decision