first time insert buyer

[soxfan13]

Hi everyone, I am looking for some advise.

I am going to buy a yotul 450 kennebec or 550 rockland insert. I live in Mass. and my house is about 2600 sf. I am not going to use the insert for my primary heat but when I am using it I want to be able to heat my first floor of my 2 floor colonial. I have an unlimited supply of pallets and other wood that I can cut or split and if I have to I will buy a cord of wood. Does anyone know anything about either model. I guess the 550 is new.

I have been to 4 different shops. One which does the installation said the instillation would cost $1700. It sounds like a lot of money. They said they would need to line the entire chimney and put a rain cap on it. I am getting an estimate from another installer.
One installer suggested that to plug in the blower I could drop the cord with an extension cord down the ash pan and in to my basement. First, is this safe? Any other suggestions? I don't really want a cord coming from the stove to somewhere in my living room.

Any info will be appreciated. I am hoping to buy in the next couple of weeks with install happening some time before Christmas I hope.

 

[webbie]

Initial suggestions.......

The cord thing sounds a little nuts. It gets hot under there and might melt the cord. We have heard from Jotul insert users here that it can get VERY HOT under there.

Chances are that you need the liner to the top. Codes changed in 2006, and unless your flue size is 8x12 and interior, you will need this. So the folks who suggest another type of install are probably not quite up to date. However, I'm not saying they are bad - you can ask them for a price on a full reline. They may be trying to save you money, and they may not have 100% inspected your chimney (know flue size) or read up on the newest NFPA code.

A comment about your intended use with Pallets. Jotul makes great stoves. However, if I was going to burn pallet wood I might consider some more bulletproof models - something that is all bent steel as opposed to part cast and part steel. The reason is that you will be abusing the stove....as compared to what they are designed for. Pallet wood is dryer and smaller than most wood, and therefore burns hotter. You want something that will hold up to this.....

Maybe other members can chip in and agree or disagree with me.

 

[hearthtools]

I am gong to post the same thing I just emailed a customer complaining about a cord coming out a insert.
That we installed but Have not finished putting the panel on and we did not have an extention cord.


Please don’t take this wrong but I think you guys are over thinking the cord.

Once you see the finished install I don’t think you will be too concerned with the cord.

If you look at it like a lamp, TV computer or any other appliance that takes Electricity they all have cords and you just get used to it.

I have been installing Inserts for years and some people have concerns with the cord at first then don’t even notice it after the first day.

The problem with running power into the fireplace hidden is code requires a way to unplug or switch to any appliance that is accessible.
With the Plug in behind the panel makes it hard for you the Homeowner to get to it to unplug/Shut off power to the unit if you need to.

 

[karl]

I had to tile around my insert so I concealed the cord behind the tile and I'm going to run it behind the paneling. This is a safe way to do it because the cord is running the same way it normally would except it's concealed. It's sandwhiched between two pieces of marble so I doubt it's getting very hot. I can feel the exposed marble and it's cool. I do like the concealed cord idea alot just make sure you do it in a safe way. Maybe you put a cord on it with high temperature insualtion.

 

[moterhead3]

In PA it's totally illegal to put that cord in the wall. You can run an outlet to it in the wall with romex, but not conceal the cord.

 

[boostnut]

I've had the 450 for a couple of years. I burned some pallet wood in it last year without any problems. Get yourself a temp gauge and monitor it if you're burning pallet wood. My advise on the cord issue is this, get over it. You're going to see the cord running across the hearth or replace it on a VERY regular basis. These inserts make a tremendous amount of heat (thats kind of what they're designed to do) and a cord isn't going to last very long if exposed to these temps for extended amounts of time. Just my .02. Aaron

 

[moterhead3]

Normal insulation is good to 600 deg.

 

[Gooserider]

I had to tile around my insert so I concealed the cord behind the tile and I'm going to run it behind the paneling. This is a safe way to do it because the cord is running the same way it normally would except it's concealed. It's sandwhiched between two pieces of marble so I doubt it's getting very hot. I can feel the exposed marble and it's cool. I do like the concealed cord idea alot just make sure you do it in a safe way. Maybe you put a cord on it with high temperature insualtion.

DEFINITE CODE VIOLATION!! Electrical codes prohibit concealing appliance cords, and frown on even fastening them down other than temporarily. The only sort of electrical cable that can be concealed is permanently installed fixed house wiring - i.e. Romex cable.

It probably would have been OK if you had left a space between the tiles to form a groove that the cable could have fit into, but hiding it completely behind the tile and or paneling is absolutely NOT LEGAL... You must be able to pull the plug and follow the cable all the way back to the device.

Gooserider

 

[wg_bent]

I wouldn't do that with the cord. And I agree with Craig on the pallets. I'm not sure what pallets are made of, and I'm not sure you can know for sure either. A very dry pallet like that will go up like you poured oil in the stove and overheat the stove within minutes. You won't have a lot of lead time to adjust the temp of the stove.

An all steel stove might handle this a little better, but I'll defer to experience and the people show design stoves on the board.