Could the Jotel C550 insert heat our home?

[nanama72]

I really appreciate the help I'm getting on this forum. Basically I'm trying to avoid a construction project of trying to deal with my 18-19 inch stone hearth and find an insert that can heat my home. I was leaning heavily towards the PE Summit until I realized because it sticks out from the fireplace (which enables it to throw out so much radiant heat), and we don't have the required 18 inches since we only have 18-19 inches in front of the fireplace. So that means I'd need a flush insert.

The goal is to have the ability to have the house warm, and to use the insert 24/7 to heat my home and not have to use the oil. We have a 2200 ft very open plan, with the masonry chimney (external) on one end of the house in the living room and the kitchen at the other end. I'm not too worried about the upstairs since if the downstairs is warm, the air can easily flow up to the open loft-like hallway. We have cathedral ceilings and do have ceiling fans. The house has tons of windows, all high quality Anderson. It was built in the 80's and has been frequently remodeled by the previous owner, who was a contractor. It's pretty well insulated.

I have done some calculations based on the previous owners oil use from last year, assuming he kept his house warm. This year we have used previously less oil trying to cut down the cost but because of increasing oil prices are paying nearly as much as he did despite using considerably less oil. Doing some BTU calculations based on furnace efficiency, total oil use divided by days and hours I slightly overestimated that the average BTU would be about 20,000/hr and I read something her that said you could double that to get the maxiumum BTU needed, so that would be 40-50,000. The Jotul Rockland insert has 65,000 max.

However, I have heard so many people on this forum say they wish they had a larger stove, and if we could put in a stove without ripping out the hearth and installing a new one, that's what I would do. But if I could get away with keeping the existing hearth and still provide heat to my home and avoid oil, then I would do that.

I would appreciate anyone's advice, especially those with experience with this insert.

Thanks so much.

 

[soxfan13]

First, I am not an expert by any means. I have had the 550 for a couple of weeks now and live pretty much in the same climate as you. I have a 2700sf colonial. I don't use the stove as a 24/7 heater however with the storm Saturday we had it going all day. I have a cathedral ceiling in the stove room with a ceiling fan. It is at one end of the house. The kitchen which is the next room, was up to 74 degrees. The rest of the first floor was comfortable, I would say high 60's. Up stairs the hallway was 69 degrees. I don't have any way to move the heat around upstairs so the bedrooms were cold. I think with a fan up there it would be mid 60's.


Another option is to get a temporary hearth pad. They are about $50. You could put it infront of the hearth when you are using a stove so it should take care of your clearance problems.

 

[begreen]

convertingtowood, often the hearth can be extended at floor level with a nice tile, stone or brick border. I would consider the stove that is the best fit for your needs first. Extending the hearth may not be that big a deal. Are there other issues like mantle clearance that are a concern?

 

[brooktrout]

I have been eyeing the 550 as well, and have done some research on it. I think it would be plenty for you. It sure is a handsome one, too.

 

[brooktrout]

Hey soxfan- does the 550 have a manual overide to put the blower on high? I love that feature about my classic Buck.

 

[soxfan13]

Brooktrout,

The 550 does have a manual override for the fan. I usually turn it on manually and switch it to auto before I go to bed. The fan is variable speed from whisper quiet to turn up the volume on the tv.

 

[brooktrout]

Thanks- that's good to hear. By the way, Okajima is pitching against the Mets right now, bottom of the fifth, 0-0. Go Sox!

 

[jadm]

Convertingtowood- I had a 550 installed about a month ago. My house is a 1850sq.ft. ranch. I do not have a lot of experience with this insert yet because our days have gotten warmer so need for heat has diminished.

On the days I have burned all day we have stayed very cozy in the area the insert is located in. The back of our house stays cold due to how our house is constructed which is okay because it is just bedrooms. We spend most of our day up front in the family/kitchen area.

As others have mentioned hearths can be modified quite easily.

We liked the flush design of the 550. My old insert did extend out a ways onto our hearth and we got extra heat from that. The Jotul has a substantial cast iron surround that, once heated, radiates a lot of heat out into our room making up for the fact that it is flush. It does seem to hold the heat for quite awhile after the fire goes out.

Sorry I don't have more to tell you. Give me another year!

Good Luck with your choice.

If you do decide on a Jotul, order it a ASAP and hopefully you will get it before next January! (Lots of delays on this model as it is new and many people had long waits before they got theirs delivered.)

 

[nanama72]

Thanks to everyone for your good advice. I still am researching different options, but since we can't afford any option, and we have windows everywhere leaving no place for a freestanding pellet stove, and extending the elevated stone hearth and covering the fireplace opening with stone would simply add to the cost, we're back to considering that right now, having something that does not completely heat our home may be a better option than trying to find something that could satisfy all our heating needs. If we wanted to satisfy all our heating needs, it seems like a once a day gassification wood boiler would be a good option if we wanted to go with wood. We do have 9 acres of wooded area but I don't want to cut those trees down as they are largely pine and also they are the habitat for wildlife.

So if we decide to go with wood, I think it would be this Jotul insert. and we're still looking into larger pellet inserts as well.

Thanks so much.

 

[woodheat]

WE have a 550 installed a few weeks ago. Our home is a raised ranch and the stove is on the lower level. The first day we used it the temp in the lower room got up to 92 degrees and the upstairs was hardly going up at all, the heat just wasn't going upstairs. I cut a hole in the wall adjoining the lower room and stairway landing upstairs and put a fan in it with a grate on both sides. The room domnstairs still gets up to 85 or so,but the upstairs now gets up to 69. I may do some sort of return fan at the other end of the second floor to help air go to the other end for next year.

Once I did the wall modifications the Jotul 550 has kept the downstairs 80-85, upstairs main area 68-70, and far bedroom end 65-67 in our 1800 sq. ft. raised ranch with the outside temps below freezing. If you have an open floor plan I think it would do great. We are still trying to overcome the obstacles of moving the heat around the house, but it certainly has the capability to provide it.

I am still trying to get longer burn times out of the stove. If I load the stove up and have it over 400 at the hottest spot on the unit before we go to bed and the turn it all the way down the stove uses all the wood and is down to 200 in 4-5 hours. I would really like to get it to go for longer than this so you don't have to get up in the night to feed it. I think the burn rates they advertise are from lighting the match. All of the wood I currently have is split on the smaller side because we used to use it in the fireplace before the insert and I think if I had larger pieces of wood it would get longer burn times. The stove can also take a very long log, up to 24 inches in the front of the unit. I have 18 inch logs so you loose space to get wood in of you have shorter wood.

If you do get this stove, purchase an ir thermometer because the is no place on the stove to put the magnetic ones that will give you an accurate reading.


Jotul 550 Connecticut

 

[jadm]

If you do get this stove, purchase an ir thermometer because the is no place on the stove to put the magnetic ones that will give you an accurate reading.

Woodheat- I have a 550 too. A few questions. Where, on your insert, are you measuring temps. with your IR?

My burn times are similar to yours. To keep temp. up I have to feed this puppy often! Do you check out color of your bricks during your burns? I can't find the balance between shutting the air down and maintaining clean bricks. Seems like I can only shut it down 75% (closed) after it has been running hot for at least an hour. Stack will be clear - no visible smoke- and temp. at 500* but still darkened bricks...

My door gasket is snug everywhere except in the top corner by the handle. Have you checked yours? I'm curious how tight yours is. The other people I have asked with the 550 all have snug gaskets. I called the dealer and they gave my number to the Jotul rep. a week and a half ago...I haven't heard from him so I'm checking with people here with the 550's.

My wood is all about 16" long too. It is the standard length of the suppliers in my area. If I got ambitious I suppose I could cut some of my long pieces into shorter pieces and then I'd be able to fill the firebox length up a bit better....BUT, and I do hate to say this on this forum, I am terrified of chain saws :ahhh: so I stagger my 16"ers.

 

[woodheat]

Once I get the stove up to temp the bricks clean up pretty quick. If I close the air all the way down after that it stays around 400 degrees with clean bricks. The wood I have is completely dry perhaps even over seasoned if that is possible. I think if the wood is not fully seasoned or if it is wet at all it may make the bricks stay dark unless you get it really cranking. I think the key to longer burns might be longer and bigger around pieces of wood, I just don't have any of that seasoned until next winters use.

All the readings I have mentioned in the posts are on the metal strip to the right or left of the door with an ir thermometer. The reading around the stove vary greatly, but this is the hottest spot. I defiantly think that a magnetic thermometer is useless for this stove because the only place you can put it is above the door and that is right where the cool air comes into the unit keeping that area 100-200 degrees colder depending on how much air you are letting in.

I did do the dollar bill test as mentioned here on the forum. It is tight all the way around except on the bottom edge below the handle. Most of the way around there is a slight imprint of the groove on the stove into the gasket except in that location. I was not overly concerned about it because the stove doesn't seam to get to hot when the air is closed. If it was it might indicate that too much air was getting in where it shouldn't. There is some resistance on the bill in that location, but I can pull it out. Let me know what you find out from Jotul.

Jotul 550 1st season use Ct.