"Out With the Old, In With the New" Well sort of...
My DIY Wood Burning Installation odyssey that began last Nov 2008 has come to an end. I sold my not so old 2008 matte black Clydesdale on CL and bought the new improved 2009 model. The 2009 30percent tax credit prompted this action. If not for the credit it would have cost me approx 1200 dollars to upgrade and I would not have done so. I plan on taking the full 30 percent credit of 1500. Including tax and misc supplies I will realize somewhere between 200 and 300 profit on the entire deal. This was to good to pass up.
I looked seriously at the Quadrafire Isle Royal and Jotul F500/600 stoves thinking maybe I wanted to try a hearth stove for more radiant heat output and a different overall experience but finally decided to stick with the Clydesdale. I loved the 2008 model and the way it looked in my masonry fireplace installation. It heated most of my house (2500 sqrft ranch style) without having to push it hard, maybe 70-80 Percent capacity on the coldest winter days. 85deg in the fireplace room and mid to upper 70's in the rest of the house except for the bedrooms at the far opposite end, mid 60's for those 3 bedrooms which is fine for sleeping.
Pretty much everything I didn't like about the 2008 Clydesdale got updated in the 2009 model... It's almost like Hearthstone was reading my mind, plus I always regretted not getting the Blue/black porcelain finish.
Some of the improvements in the 2009 model include:
1 - Replaced the very thin boring steel framed door with a nice looking larger cast frame that is porcelain finish to match the rest of the insert. With the 08 in blue black the steel door frame came matte black!!
2 - Added a complete heat shield around the top/sides/back of the insert. The original model left much of the back and some of the top and side cast fire box exposed and that generated a good deal of heat into the masonry fireplace. This always bothered me. Even with my ridiculously over done heat shields and damper block off plate I felt like I was losing some significant heat to the back of the insert. Problem solved!! After several fires I notice the back and side fireplace walls are now pretty much cool to the touch. Only the top third of the masonry fire box opening gets really hot now (150-175 degree range measure on a Rutland Thermometer stuck to the damper block plate). From midway down to the floor I can now keep my hand on the heat shields that line the back and sides of the masonry firebox. They still get warm but not so hot that I can't keep my hand on them.
3 - Redesigned the door latch assembly adding a nice big knob, cast handle and a roller bearing assembly that locks the door shut much better compared to the original.
4 - Redesigned the blower assembly resulting in significantly reduced fan noise. Totally re-designed including isolated motor mounts and quieter motors. Also added a nice fan control on the ash lip bottom center. This new control is far superior to the original one allowing a much more gradual control of the fans from 0-220CFM.
5 - Added a removable vented grate to the top of the face assembly to allow more heat to escape into the room from all that cast iron hidden beneath it. This increases the radiant heat factor a bit. Beneath the heat grate is a bolt that can be removed to check draft with a meter. (Now I wish I had a draft meter).
6 - Redesigned the cast iron surround kit. I guess this is a subjective improvement re: being better looking versus the original. I actually liked the look of the original surround but like this new one as well. It does have a cleaner more polished look to it.
Some pics of the new insert during install..
My DIY Wood Burning Installation odyssey that began last Nov 2008 has come to an end. I sold my not so old 2008 matte black Clydesdale on CL and bought the new improved 2009 model. The 2009 30percent tax credit prompted this action. If not for the credit it would have cost me approx 1200 dollars to upgrade and I would not have done so. I plan on taking the full 30 percent credit of 1500. Including tax and misc supplies I will realize somewhere between 200 and 300 profit on the entire deal. This was to good to pass up.
I looked seriously at the Quadrafire Isle Royal and Jotul F500/600 stoves thinking maybe I wanted to try a hearth stove for more radiant heat output and a different overall experience but finally decided to stick with the Clydesdale. I loved the 2008 model and the way it looked in my masonry fireplace installation. It heated most of my house (2500 sqrft ranch style) without having to push it hard, maybe 70-80 Percent capacity on the coldest winter days. 85deg in the fireplace room and mid to upper 70's in the rest of the house except for the bedrooms at the far opposite end, mid 60's for those 3 bedrooms which is fine for sleeping.
Pretty much everything I didn't like about the 2008 Clydesdale got updated in the 2009 model... It's almost like Hearthstone was reading my mind, plus I always regretted not getting the Blue/black porcelain finish.
Some of the improvements in the 2009 model include:
1 - Replaced the very thin boring steel framed door with a nice looking larger cast frame that is porcelain finish to match the rest of the insert. With the 08 in blue black the steel door frame came matte black!!
2 - Added a complete heat shield around the top/sides/back of the insert. The original model left much of the back and some of the top and side cast fire box exposed and that generated a good deal of heat into the masonry fireplace. This always bothered me. Even with my ridiculously over done heat shields and damper block off plate I felt like I was losing some significant heat to the back of the insert. Problem solved!! After several fires I notice the back and side fireplace walls are now pretty much cool to the touch. Only the top third of the masonry fire box opening gets really hot now (150-175 degree range measure on a Rutland Thermometer stuck to the damper block plate). From midway down to the floor I can now keep my hand on the heat shields that line the back and sides of the masonry firebox. They still get warm but not so hot that I can't keep my hand on them.
3 - Redesigned the door latch assembly adding a nice big knob, cast handle and a roller bearing assembly that locks the door shut much better compared to the original.
4 - Redesigned the blower assembly resulting in significantly reduced fan noise. Totally re-designed including isolated motor mounts and quieter motors. Also added a nice fan control on the ash lip bottom center. This new control is far superior to the original one allowing a much more gradual control of the fans from 0-220CFM.
5 - Added a removable vented grate to the top of the face assembly to allow more heat to escape into the room from all that cast iron hidden beneath it. This increases the radiant heat factor a bit. Beneath the heat grate is a bolt that can be removed to check draft with a meter. (Now I wish I had a draft meter).
6 - Redesigned the cast iron surround kit. I guess this is a subjective improvement re: being better looking versus the original. I actually liked the look of the original surround but like this new one as well. It does have a cleaner more polished look to it.
Some pics of the new insert during install..
