Calling All Lopi Freedom/Freedom Bay owners

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kiloforty

New Member
Dec 18, 2018
22
Salem, OR
How is the wood consumption for this unit? Going to a year 2000 Freedom Bay from a pre-EPA unit but I've been reading that the Freedom can be a wood eater. Any truth to that?
 
It's a big insert with a big belly. The wood consumed depends on where and how it is installed. If one is heating a large or leaky space in a cold weather they are going to go through a lot of wood. Inserts installed in a cold exterior wall fireplace are also going to lose a fair amount of heat to the surrounding cold masonry and up the chimney. This can be significantly reduced with a damper-area blockoff plate and some insulation behind the insert.
 
It's a big insert with a big belly. The wood consumed depends on where and how it is installed. If one is heating a large or leaky space in a cold weather they are going to go through a lot of wood. Inserts installed in a cold exterior wall fireplace are going to lose a fair amount of heat to the surrounding cold masonry and up the chimney. This can be prevented by a damper area blockoff plate and some insulation behind the insert.

It'll be into an existing fireplace with an interior chimney. It's a well insulated 1000 sq ft home, in the living room. The living room is 28' x 14' with 8' ceilings. The stove will be on a wall that faces a hallway on the opposite wall that leads straight to 2 bedrooms and 1 bath.
 
My guess is that the stove will be loafing almost all of the time with 4-5 split fires. Just enough to get it hot. The wood consumption in your area should be pretty low, like <2 cords per season.
 
My guess is that the stove will be loafing almost all of the time with 4-5 split fires. Just enough to get it hot. The wood consumption in your area should be pretty low, like <2 cords per season.

I don't want to loaf it. If I kept the blower off do you still think it would be too much heat for that space with it running at optimal efficiency?
 
I don't want to loaf it. If I kept the blower off do you still think it would be too much heat for that space with it running at optimal efficiency?
The insert is oversized for the space and your mild climate zone. You may need a fan on the floor at the far end of the hallway, blowing toward the stove, to help distribute the heat, but I'd try the insert blower on low first. It may do the job just fine.