Can this fireplace accomdate an insert?

[Jim Ignatowski]

Hello Everyone,

I'm hoping to get some opinions on installing an insert into my fireplace. The fireplace has a few characteristics that are making me hesitant. I attached a picture.

- Approximate Fireplace Opening: Height = 27 ¾ “ / Width = 32 ¾ “
- Depth approximate 24” … But there is a slope where the flu vent is located.

There are two problems I see ... One is that I have two heatilators on each side of the fireplace approximately 3 1/2 inches from the opening. The problem is that the stone around the opening of the chimney is rough, it's not flush. Will either of these characteristics prevent me from properly installing an insert?

The room dimensions are about approximately 15’ x 21’. Ceiling height varies from about 8’ to about 12’

I'm considering the Quadra-Fire 4100I or the Jotul C550.

Any help and/or suggestions you can provide would be appreciated. Thank you

 

[DAKSY]

In order for the The Rockland to fit, you MAY need to remove about 1/8" on each side of the opening. That unit requires 33". The rough surface of your facing isn't that much of a factor with this unit, since the surround has small stand-offs & doesn't sit exactly flush against that surface. Some of the heatilator vents will be covered by the surround. It may not look as good as you would like, but it won't hurt anything. If I may, I'd ask one question. What is the height of your chimney? Looks like you have drafting issues, either now or sometime in the past. That is evidenced by the black soot on the surface above the fireplace opening. There may be a chimney issue that you'll need to address BEFORE you decide to install an insert.

 

[Jim Ignatowski]

Hi Bob, Thanks for the reply. The discoloration around the opening of the fireplace is actually the stone. I've looked at it closely and notice the same discoloration on other blocks within the fireplace. I'm not sure of the exact height of the chimney, but the draw seems good when I use the fireplace. I have a picture of the chimney in relation to the roof line. Whichever stove a choose will be professionally installed and I'm going to line the chimney as part of the install too.

Any comments about the size of the room supporting the Jotul or Quad stove?

 

[DAKSY]

Any comments about the size of the room supporting the Jotul or Quad stove?

Whether or not either insert will do what you need depends upon a couple of things. Where are you located at?
How much insulation is in the walls of your home? Is the room on a slab?

 

[Jim Ignatowski]

This is a first floor living room and there is a basement below it. I'm located in NY. I'm not sure how insulated the walls are, but I would think it would be considered poorly insulated by today's standards. I'm actually more concerned about the stove producing too much heat for this room. The floor plan will make it difficult to circulate the heat to the rest of the house. I'm actually planning on installing separate stand-alone stove in the basement which is a much more open space.

 

[DAKSY]

Well, you've got 315 sq ft & with a poorly insulated house, you'll need to have about 50 btu/sq ft., so you're only gonna need 15K to heat THAT room. The Rockland will give you about 3X that, taking approximately 75% of 65K (48.75K)...Gonna be HOT in there, if you burn full loads....You will need ceiling fans or box fans to move the heat around to other rooms in the house. You can always burn small fires in a big insert, tho, & if you need to crank it for the added heat you'll have that option...