Airtight insert doors not airtight

[Ozark Woodburner]

So, I have recently purchased a different home and it came equipped with a beast of a wood insert installed in a very nice oversized field rock chimney and hearth. I have been extremely impressed with the insert this winter and burnt very little firewood to keep warm in some crazy low temps for our area.

I found the owners manual and it advertises the doors as air tight universal doors. The problem is that when they are closed I can clearly see a tiny opening where the top of the two doors come together when closed. Same for the bottom of the doors. It drafts just perfect once I close the draft controls after getting up to temp. I'm just wondering if this is normal. It appears that the way the door corners are made, it would be impossible to not have a tiny gap there.

I'm hoping this is normal.

 

[begreen]

That term is used loosely. Is this an old-time, pre-EPA stove?

 

[Ozark Woodburner]

It is a high efficiency insert per the manufacturer but it is an early 2000s insert so I doubt it is. It does have a modern heat chamber but no cats or reburn tubes.

 

[bholler]

It is a high efficiency insert per the manufacturer but it is an early 2000s insert so I doubt it is. It does have a modern heat chamber but no cats or reburn tubes.

What insert is it

 

[Ozark Woodburner]

It is a country flame FP-37. I've seen it referenced as a "smart fireplace" but Im thinking that may have been marketing and not any kind of official name.

I cannot find much on them other than the owners manual and installation booklet that I found in the house.

 

[Ozark Woodburner]

The owners manual calls it a Fireplace Furnace-model 37. Its a ridiculous sized insert, 175,000 BTU and a 13x13 flue. Will take a 30 inch + log.

 

[bholler]

It is a country flame FP-37. I've seen it referenced as a "smart fireplace" but Im thinking that may have been marketing and not any kind of official name.

I cannot find much on them other than the owners manual and installation booklet that I found in the house.

Ok it is not an insert it is a fireplace. And I can't find anything in the manual regarding any air tight doors designed for the system

 

[Ozark Woodburner]

No this is an insert. It was installed in what was originally built to be an open fireplace. This is built just like a wood stove with a damper in the stove, draft controls, dual blowers, a heat exchanger, and two 8 inch ducts to be ducted into the central ductwork if desired.

 

[Caw]

Hmm...from what I can tell that's definitely not a wood insert. Here's the manual:

Country Flame FP37 : - COUNTRY FLAME TECHNOLOGIES Fireplace Installation,Operation and Maintenance Manual FP33, FP37, FP42

Find and download user guides and product manuals

www.manualshelf.com

Can you take a picture if your setup?

 

[bholler]

No this is an insert. It was installed in what was originally built to be an open fireplace. This is built just like a wood stove with a damper in the stove, draft controls, dual blowers, a heat exchanger, and two 8 inch ducts to be ducted into the central ductwork if desired.

Can you post some pics. The manual I saw was definitely not an insert.

 

[Ozark Woodburner]

So, I went back and researched some more. Its definitely not a FP-37. It looks just like what they are calling the Country Flame 400 Fireplace Furnace. Same measurements and design.

https://www.manualshelf.com/manual/country-flame/400/fireplace-furnace-brochure.html

 

[Ozark Woodburner]

After reading the manual, I don't think its an insert nor a fireplace either.

 

[Caw]

I wonder what the actual efficiency of something like that is. How much wood does it suck down? It makes some pretty lofty claims of 175,000 BTU/hr but I don't see any technology to return smoke or a cat etc. It really just looks like a fireplace that ducts hot air around. Does your chimney stay clean?

You say it works well so it's very interesting!

 

[Ozark Woodburner]

I have never had a fire more than 4 splits at a time. It will crank out 220 degree heat when you get it fired up but will typically run in the 120-130 degree temp several hours after, measured with a duct thermometer. It will fully heat our 2600 square foot main level evenly as long as the blowers and thermostat are on. What I like the best is when the thermostat kicks the blowers off, the heat output is drastically reduced and keeps the house at an even comfortable temperature. The heat will still radiate out into the room and the stone itself will do the same but I do suspect it loses substantial heat up the chimney during this time.

I am not getting super long burns but decent. I can top it off at 10 or 10:30pm and it will burn good until about 4 or so in the morning. However, the heat exchanger stays warm and the blower will cycle until about 7 AM. House is still 68 degrees (thermostat set on 70) at this time and this is in 0-12 degree temps we've been having.

I believe that if a person loaded it down, it would be way to much heat for my climate. Chimney is staying clean, no problem.

 

[bholler]

After reading the manual, I don't think its an insert nor a fireplace either.

It looks like it is basically a masonry heater. Russian fireplace etc they go by lots of names but all work about the same. Burn a hot fire and heat up a thermal mass yo be released over time. The 175000 btu claim sounds pretty far fetched though. As far as your food go if they are warped you will need replacements. You will have to see if they are still available

 

[Ozark Woodburner]

It looks like it is basically a masonry heater. Russian fireplace etc they go by lots of names but all work about the same. Burn a hot fire and heat up a thermal mass yo be released over time. The 175000 btu claim sounds pretty far fetched though. As far as your food go if they are warped you will need replacements. You will have to see if they are still available

Been researching and I believe you are right. The house is a custom build open layout and the masonry structure is enormous at over 20 feet tall, 5 feet thick, and 9 feet wide at its widest point. The ash dumps into a giant chamber that is approximately 9 feet tall and inside is solid concrete walls while the outer layer is stone. The ash storage looks like you could go a full season, maybe two without cleaning it out. The "furnace" was built into this structure as one unit. I literally could not remove it with damaging the stone.

I have been burning to small and frequent fires compared to what I have been reading on them suggest.

 

[Ozark Woodburner]

I went back and read that manual again and it says "Country Flame Fireplace Furnace is meant to be a full masonry unit".

So that answers that. I dont believe the door gap is an issue since they are intended to be run full draft until wood has burned up, then the draft controls and damper closed.