double-sided fireplace insert

[njshannon799]

Hello,

I am planning on purchasing an insert for one side of a stone, double-sided fireplace. I am considering the Morso 5660 with blower, (I like the sleek, non-bulky look) but I want to make sure it will heat my house well. I have a 1600 square foot ranch, with high ceilings. The main part of the house is rather small, with a very large bedroom. I am going to keep oil heat in my bedroom (closing off vents in the rest of the house), and I want to use the insert to heat the main part of the house. Is the firebox in the Morso large enough to provide enough heat (I also don't want to be chased out of the living/dining room because of excessive heat)? I don't have room to put a wood stove anywhere in the living room. Should I be considering a different insert? I can't seem to find people who have the Morso insert to give me some input.

Thank you so much!

Shannon

 

[begreen]

Welcome Shannon. True we don't have a lot of postings for that insert, but there are some. In general Morso makes first class products. They have a very long history of stove building. If you search you will find some owners reporting here.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/23361/#261032

What size is the room that the insert would be in? It will probably be fine as far as heat output goes. You needn't build any larger fire than the outside temperatures warrant. Do you know that this insert does not have a blower? That will reduce the heat output to some degree. If that is an issue you might want to broaden the search. The Hearthstone Clydesdale has a clean look and might be worth looking at too.

http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/wood-stoves/stove-details?product_id=15

As for blocking off the vents, I wouldn't do that. The forced air system is balanced for a certain volume of air. Closing off vents can imbalance the system. And if the thermostat is not in the bedroom, then the system won't come on because the area where the thermostat is located will probably be warmed up by the stove. A better plan might be to use a simple fan to get the heat circulating to the bedroom.

 

[Chief Ryan]

BG is right about the airflow from your furnace. You can and will damage the unit if you don't let it push enough air across the heat exchanger. And like BG said if the T-Stat is not in the bedroom and near the stove you'll have to jack it way up to get it come on.

 

[njshannon799]

Thanks for your responses. I have a friend who does heating and air for a living and he is going to install dampers and reconfigure the heating system for the bedroom. I was also going to move the thermostat to the bedroom. My bedroom is very large and cold with high ceilings, so that's why I think I need extra heat in there. My living room/dining room is about 26 1/2 ' long by 11 1/2' wide, but it also connects to a hallway to the bedrooms and a doorway to the kitchen.

Thanks again!

 

[njshannon799]

I also forgot to add that one version of the Morso 5660 does have a blower option (according to their website and my paperwork).

 

[begreen]

Can you provide a link for the blower option? I haven't been able to find it.

 

[njshannon799]

Sure:

http://www.morsoe.com/us/Products/Inserts/5660/Model_5660/Morsø+5660+insert.htm

They refer to it as a "fan" in this link on the website and as a "blower kit" in my booklet.

 

[begreen]

If at first you don't find it, try reading again. Thanks. I've looked at this insert at least 4 or 5 times and did not catch that paragraph. You are totally correct. The 5660NA does have this option.

 

[TheMadcap]

Hi everyone,

I have a pass through fireplace between my living room and family room and would like to make it efficient to burn wood to heat the house. I do not want to put an insert on only one side and would like to preserve the ability to see the fire from both sides. I have seen models of wood stoves in Europe that have doors on opposite sides of the stove but haven't been able to locate any here in the US.

Does anybody know of either an insert or stand alone stove in the USA that is double sided?

Thanks

 

[begreen]

I have only seen them online from Europe. Maybe you could have one shipped over?

 

[TheMadcap]

Thanks Begreen, I found those with an internet search in the UK

I did a search of the forum, and previously you mentioned that Tulikivi made either a stove or insert for sale in the US with double sides. you didn't post a link but do you remember where you saw it?

Thanks again!

 

[begreen]

That would be this thread I think:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/13349/

There is a link to the stove later in the thread.
http://www.homeportfolio.com/catalo...atId=10&manId=710&selected;_anId=&prodId=8819

 

[TheMadcap]

Yeah, that's the thread.

Unfortunately it is not what I am looking for as the fireplace is preexisting.

I guess short of getting something custom built there aren't too many options for this type of fireplace.

Thanks for the help.

 

[TheMadcap]

Has anybody ever heard of this company. They make custom sized double sided fireplace inserts.

http://mb-soft.com/juca/jucal.html

I know there aren't too many options out there for my type of fireplace but does anybody see a downside to this versus an open fireplace?

Thanks

 

[njshannon799]

Another question...would I get more heat if I sat a wood stove inside the double-sided fireplace, instead of an insert? Would it be cheaper to do this, as well?

Thanks!

 

[Redox]

Has anybody ever heard of this company. They make custom sized double sided fireplace inserts.

http://mb-soft.com/juca/jucal.html

I know there aren't too many options out there for my type of fireplace but does anybody see a downside to this versus an open fireplace?

Thanks

Never seen that one before. A custom built wood stove and it doesn't even proclaim to be air tight. I don't think it could be very efficient. It looks more like a heatilator type fireplace than a wood stove. I would approach with caution.

Chris

 

[begreen]

Has anybody ever heard of this company. They make custom sized double sided fireplace inserts.

http://mb-soft.com/juca/jucal.html

I know there aren't too many options out there for my type of fireplace but does anybody see a downside to this versus an open fireplace?

Thanks

Madcap, your path and final solution may be different from njshannon. Maybe start a new thread for you installation so that responses are more focussed on your solution? The Juca looks old school from a design standpoint. I'm not seeing any secondary burn with a quick read. Did I miss this? Is this mentioned anywhere in their literature?

 

[begreen]

Another question...would I get more heat if I sat a wood stove inside the double-sided fireplace, instead of an insert? Would it be cheaper to do this, as well?

Thanks!

More heat, not necessarily. You probably would still be depending in large part on the blower to achieve high output from the stove. But it may cost less depending on the choice and the backside of the stove might look cleaner than some insert backsides. It depends on the stove.

 

[dringoen]

Shannon,

Did you end up getting the Morso 5660? If so, how do you like it? And did you get it with the fan?

Dave