Buying a new insert

[joescho]

Hello everyone:
I'm new to the forum, but have been lurking around for some time. I currently have two fireplaces - one is just open, and the other has a 30-35 year old insert which was in the house when I bought it 12 years ago. I couldn't even tell you what kind it is. There's no markings on it whatsoever. It would be a good candidate for "Can you identify this stove". About 2 years ago, the fan on it went and I had to buy a motor online that was heat insulated and make it fit to keep it going. Also the insert is just shoved in the fireplace. No pipe, no nothing. The inside is just an open hole with a piece of cast iron that acts as some type of grate. basically its a shove the wood in and have a nice day insert.

Well, I've had a developing problem with the one chimney where the faces of the brick are popping off. My other chimney has developed a crack in it too. My chimney guy said the one needs to be rebuilt from the roof up, and he will use the bricks from that one to fix the other. He's been after me to get the insert hooked up to code for a while now too. He's a really good guy and is a stickler so I know he's not going to do anything that I will be sorry for later.

So I figure if I need to fix the chimneys, now's the time to get a new insert.

Anyway, I went to a whole bunch of stove/insert dealers here in NE Pennsylvania. I encountered everything from pressuring me to buy a insert to couldn't care less if I was in the building. The last dealer I went to was really great. He explained a lot to me, and seems to take care of his customers. I will most likely buy from him.

After looking at everything, I will be buying the Joutl C550 Rockland. Nice big insert which should work out nicely. If things work out well, I may add a pellet insert in the other fireplace next year.

I've read many posts by all of you talking about running your stoves, and it would seem that the newer stoves are a bit pickier about how you run them. I've read about ash pans causing infernos, overfiring, secondary burning, opening up the damper when you add wood, worrying about the moisture content of the wood you're adding, and somewhere I read someone had a problem with a tar-like substance on top of the stove after burning?

All I've ever had to worry about was is the fire gone out and can fit this huge piece in the insert to have the stove go all night?

Can someone talk a little about all of these topics?

Thanks,

Joe

 

[DAKSY]

I've read many posts by all of you talking about running your stoves, and it would seem that the newer stoves are a bit pickier about how you run them.

Can someone talk a little about all of these topics?

I'll try to address some of your issues, & I'm sure others will chime in to clarify my half-assed explanations, but here goes...

I've read about ash pans causing infernos,

Well, the Rockland doesn't have an ash pan - most inserts don't - so that eliminates THAT issue!

overfiring,

This is caused by introducing TOO much combustion air. The fire will burn hotter if you add too much air.
How do blacksmiths get their fires hot enough to melt Iron? They add more air by using a bellows...

secondary burning,

This can also be called Clean Burning (CB)..
This is how newer stove/inser manufacturers get away from needing catalytic combusters...
The Clean Burn technology keeps the gases in the firebox longer & introduces "secondary"
combustion air to burn the particulates matter in the exhaust stream BEFORE it gets out your chimney...
Most wood burning units don't have that "Locomotive Breath" chimney, except at start-up...

opening up the damper when you add wood,

Well, you probably won't have a damper in the vent of your insert, but you will have a primary air adjustment.
This adjustment should be opened BEFORE you open the door, in order to keep the draft from reversing &
belching smoke back into your home...

worrying about the moisture content of the wood you're adding,

Firewood shoulkd be less than about 20% moisture content, or you use most of the energy (that you want to convert to heat)
to boil the water out of your firewood

and somewhere I read someone had a problem with a tar-like substance on top of the stove after burning?

Creosote is that substance. Too much water, too little air, long chimney runs, in-vent heat exchanger gizmos & other factors can cause it & it's not a good thing to have in your chimney, connector pipe or stove...

Go to: www.woodheat.org & do some homework BEFORE you invest $1000s into a wood burning heat source.
You'll be glad you did...
HTH