Hi everyone! After much reading on this forum, I've narrowed my choice of a new wood burning insert down to the Lopi answer or the Osburn 1800. I originally wanted the Osburn 2200, but it won't fit in our fireplace. The 1800 is my next choice. I really like the look of the bay window. But my local stove dealer has the Lopi Answer also which I hear are good stoves. Any advice? I plan to heat a 2,000 sqft tri-level home in N. Maine. Thanks for any guidance!
Going to order a new stove. Osburn 1800 or Lopi Answer?
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I like that bay window look too, that was one of the ones I considered, but I wanted to see one in real life and couldn't, so I ended up with a Lopi.
Have you considered a slightly bigger stove? I guess since you are a tri-level you don't want to cook yourself out of the level with the stove, but with a 2000 sq foot house, I might want to go up a size? Would the Lopi Revere (or Republic 1750i) fit in your fireplace? You said the larger Osburn wouldn't, right?
Have you considered a slightly bigger stove? I guess since you are a tri-level you don't want to cook yourself out of the level with the stove, but with a 2000 sq foot house, I might want to go up a size? Would the Lopi Revere (or Republic 1750i) fit in your fireplace? You said the larger Osburn wouldn't, right?
I owned an 1800 for about 3 months before realizing I needed a bigger stove. I swapped it out for a bigger Napolean 1402 which works well for my home (lost several hundred $$ in restock fees). My home is around 1900 sqft. I wasn't impressed with the heat I got out of the Osburn 1800 stove, but I did love the look. The blower barely put out any air at all compared to the twin blowers I have in the Napoleon. I have a similar sized home as your but I am in NJ, so your heating needs there in ME will be alot greater than mine. I second Tickbittys suggestion of considering a larger stove. Just my opinion. I don't know much about the other stove you are considering.
Good luck.
Good luck.
I was looking at the lopi answer as well, I have a smaller fireplace and a 1500 sq ft cape cod home. I eventually settled on the pacific energy pacific insert. It fits in a smaller fireplace, has a decent sized firebox and it doesn't sit out to far on my hearth. Lopi makes great stoves from what I hear but the answer has a small firebox. Anyway good luck!
In ME I would want all the heating power I could get. Is there an option to put a good-sized, freestanding hearth stove in front of the fireplace?
Yeah, I originally wanted the Osburn 2200 for the larger firebox but it just won't fit in the fireplace (the fireplace tapers too much making the back too narrow). Our home is insulated quite well and I plan on using some doorway fans to circulate the warm air. The stove will also be in the room we will be spending 80% of our time in so we don't want to bake ourselves 
I'll have to check some of the larger stoves that everyone mentioned (thanks) and see if they'll fit. We just purchased this house and are about to move in. My plan is to rely on the original 30+ year old furnace as little as possible!
I'll have to check some of the larger stoves that everyone mentioned (thanks) and see if they'll fit. We just purchased this house and are about to move in. My plan is to rely on the original 30+ year old furnace as little as possible!
I was afraid of a larger stove making my house too warm as well, and every guy that came and gave me an estimate recommended a smaller stove. I went larger than they all recommended and I am really happy I did. This is going to be my first year with my insert and I have only had a half a dozen fires but I have already seen that it is pretty easy to build a small hot fire that takes the chill out nicely without making me sweat and my stove is in a small room where we spend all of our time. So I would say listen to the people here who tell you to get the biggest stove you can fit in your fireplace. I am really glad I took that advice! Remember the heat comes from the wood not the stove, three pieces of wood will give about the same heat in a small or large stove, but it's nice to know you have the option of loading up a bigger stove. And I think most here would agree that the longer you use your woodstove the more you will come to enjoy having a really warm house!
Post the full, actual dimensions of the fireplace, front and back. Maybe someone can suggest a larger model that will fit.
Definitely take your time, do your research, and look at alot of different brands, I am really glad I didn't jump on the first estimate I got. There are alot of good stoves in many different price ranges. It would would be a bad feeling to find out in mid winter that your stove won't heat your home no matter how much wood you jam into it especially when you think about how much money and time you will invest in the stove and wood collection
I have a Lopi Answer installed in my fireplace opening - all the way inside - with a blower connected. It works great to heat 2/3 to 3/4 of a 1250 square foot well-insulated house with storm windows in a Central NY (cold) climate, but I can virtually guarantee it won't heat a bigger house in Maine.
They are great, solid stoves, but an Answer would be undersized, based on the limited information you have already provided.
They are great, solid stoves, but an Answer would be undersized, based on the limited information you have already provided.
Hi Toastywarm,
The Lopi inserts are definitely among the best ones of the market, I completely understand why you’re considering them. As I have mentioned before in this forum, for me, when talking about inserts, I have a huge favoritism for the Enerzone and Osburn products since they both have the blower included (no need to pay extra to add it) and it is located right in front of the unit! Their easy access mechanism allows you to do your regular cleaning of the blower without having to unscrew anything at all! They both have the high density brick, easy customizable door (overlay system), C-Cast baffles (ceramic cast with better heat reflection and durability than vermiculite), adjustable latch systems and some of the best warranties in the market (lifetime warranties in the glass and stainless secondary air tubes for example).
On top of that, the Osburn 1800 wood stove can offer you a great bay window door. Seeing the fire inside this firebox once the secondary air is burning the gases release by the wood is an experience few other units can create, you won’t believe this is actually a wood stove! Of course, the bay window will definitely penalize you in heat output, but the air-wash technology for the glass will work amazingly well. Also, the 1800 is a high efficiency unit too, and qualifies for the 30% federal tax credit. Just let me know if you wish to have some more information on these brands. All the best
The Lopi inserts are definitely among the best ones of the market, I completely understand why you’re considering them. As I have mentioned before in this forum, for me, when talking about inserts, I have a huge favoritism for the Enerzone and Osburn products since they both have the blower included (no need to pay extra to add it) and it is located right in front of the unit! Their easy access mechanism allows you to do your regular cleaning of the blower without having to unscrew anything at all! They both have the high density brick, easy customizable door (overlay system), C-Cast baffles (ceramic cast with better heat reflection and durability than vermiculite), adjustable latch systems and some of the best warranties in the market (lifetime warranties in the glass and stainless secondary air tubes for example).
On top of that, the Osburn 1800 wood stove can offer you a great bay window door. Seeing the fire inside this firebox once the secondary air is burning the gases release by the wood is an experience few other units can create, you won’t believe this is actually a wood stove! Of course, the bay window will definitely penalize you in heat output, but the air-wash technology for the glass will work amazingly well. Also, the 1800 is a high efficiency unit too, and qualifies for the 30% federal tax credit. Just let me know if you wish to have some more information on these brands. All the best
If you are having trouble with fireplace depth maybe you should consider a stove that sits further out on your hearth. Lopi makes an insert a size larger than the answer, I believe it is called the revere, but it sits out further so the depth might not be an issue. This would allow you to get a stove with a larger firebox. Most people here recommended to try and get a stove with at least a 2 cubic foot firebox, and I am really glad I did. If you really are trying to heat more than just the area right around your fireplace then the answer may struggle to do what you want. And from talking to people with that stove and similar sized units, you pretty much only get about 3 or 4 hours of real heat from a stove full of wood. Again there is nothing wrong with the units you are looking at, they are good quality stoves, but they are small stoves and you are trying to heat a large home. The Avalon rainier is almost identical to the answer( same company owns Avalon and lopi) the rainier has a little larger firebox but has very similar outer dimensions as the answer and it has the option of mounting it further out on your hearth.
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