Drolet Insert -good deal? osa?

[dgold]

I'm a newbie here, so any and all advice would be great.

My wife and I have taken advantage of the current state of the housing market and bought a house from a very motivated seller which would under normal circumstances been well beyond our means. I'm an avid DIY'er, so we're fixing up this gem of a home and plan to spend many years there. In the meantime however, I just paid a $460 electric bill to run my heat pumps through a rather cold January -- which in my opinion is just a tad high. So I'm looking into more economical ways to heat our castle.

I have over 2 acres of woods, with an abundance of fallen trees -- including a white oak we had to have cut down last summer which was hanging over our home threatening to split the house in half. It's over 75' long and about 5' diameter at the trunk. Needless to say, I pay my electric bill and look out the window at that monster oak tree laying there on the ground and think of how nice it would be to light her on fire a little bit at a time.

Our above grade sq footage is about 2500 sq-ft, so this would only serve as a supplemental heating source. This Drolet 1400-I wood insert seems like a good deal. The price tag seems fantastic. The only thing I can't tell from the site or even by reading the owners manual I downloaded from the manufacturer is whether or not an external fresh air source can be piped into it somehow. Based on everything I've read, getting an external air source is essential if I want to use this as a heater and not just for ambiance.

Does anyone know if fresh air can be routed to this unit or have any personal experience with it?

Thanks in advance,
David

 

[Burn-1]

(broken link removed to http://www.chimneylinerdepot.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=350) has the 1400-I and a liner for $1,699 with free shipping. It was $1,499 up until a couple months ago. What price have you found?

Why do you think you need an outdoor air kit?

 

[dgold]

That price seems high considering Northern tool is selling it for $599. Maybe not, how much does a liner usually cost?

I want the exterior air feed because I don't want to suck cold outside air into the house. Here's an interesting article about burning outside air versus burning inside air: (broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/hooa.htm)

 

[pinewoodburner]

Northern is selling it for $599 as already stated.
Another $100.00 for the surround plate
Add shipping ($100)if the store near you does not have it in stock

Total for Northern $800

Order a liner from the web $350 - $700

 

[RedRanger]

David: if you spent $460 to heat your home in January, it can`t be all that airtight.

Our pe insert is located in a 26x15 ft room with only 7.6ft ceiling. No outside air kit. Co detector has never read above 0-not once. But the thermometer on the opposite wall to the insert reads a constant 78-80 degrees. I have added a humidifier to keep the room at a fairly constant 45% humidity. I personally don`t feel comfortable with a 30% humidity reading. Too dry.

Drolet makes an excellent product,we owned one of their stoves years ago, and they are built like a tank! Maybe email the company and inquire about the outside air kit, if you really think you need it?

 

[dgold]

I didn't realize how much the liners cost. So maybe that is a pretty good deal.

The biggest reason for the outside air kit -- as I understand it -- is to keep the stove from creating negative pressure inside the house thus pulling lots of cold air in. By adding an outside air feed, you basically create positive pressure via warming / expanding the inside air and essentially pushing warm air out the leaks instead of sucking cold combustion air in through the leaks.

I'm not sure I understand the humidity part of your post -- could you explain?

Also, what's PE?

 

[RedRanger]

David: wood heat seems to lower humidity in the part of the home where the insert is located. I simply bought a $80 humidifier cause I don`t like 30% humidity, I prerfer 40-50%. Just personal comfort, thats all.

My personal opinion on the outside air kit is that I think it is bogus, except for those newer almost air-tight homes,you know the ones where you may as well live in a bubble? Once again, $460 for heat for Jan., well, your new insert will pay for itself in no time. But please, make sure you buy at least 1 co detector ,test it, make sure it works, and that should alleviate most of your concerns. You obviously read my last post regarding your concerns, you know our setup, so do you still really think you need an oak.?? Sometimes just common sense should dictate our requirements.

 

[North of 60]

David: wood heat seems to lower humidity in the part of the home where the insert is located. I simply bought a $80 humidifier cause I don`t like 30% humidity, I prerfer 40-50%. Just personal comfort, thats all.

My personal opinion on the outside air kit is that I think it is bogus, except for those newer almost air-tight homes,you know the ones where you may as well live in a bubble? Once again, $460 for heat for Jan., well, your new insert will pay for itself in no time. But please, make sure you buy at least 1 co detector ,test it, make sure it works, and that should alleviate most of your concerns. You obviously read my last post regarding your concerns, you know our setup, so do you still really think you need an oak.?? Sometimes just common sense should dictate our requirements.

Sorry sonny I think ya got it wrong a little bit. I dont know what Davids climate is like but If you are to be using a humidifier here and spending the time and money to run it,why would you be wanting to have your stove suck out that air you just spent humidifying for you controlled environment and sacrifice it to your stoves combustion's chamber. It makes it harder for your
humidifier to keep up. On our cold days our humidity is less outside than inside. Its like driving your car with the windows down
and the A/C on. Also Id prefer to control where my cold air is coming in from than having all that extra frost in those leaky area's. RE; condensing your nice humidified air. Does this help make any sense for Davids angle and questions? N OF 60 %-P

 

[crazy_dan]

PE stands for Pacific Energy it is company that makes wood stoves and inserts.
Their products are high on the quality scale several people have PE stoves and inserts on here I being one of them.