Hello! New guy with questions...

[FireAnt]

Hello Everyone,

I love this site and have been looking at it for awhile and finally decided to join. I was about to call it quits on my stove/insert journey for this year but decided to give it one more try.

I have been trying to figure out what would be my best option right now on a limited budget. I have a few cords of wood (found out wood hoarding is not a personal problem and can't stand using the fireplace for fake heating...I will probably wrap up the wood and not burn if I don't put something in. I have a 1400 sq ft open floor plan ranch. I would be using the existing masonry fireplace (20ft straight up).

I priced out an Osburn 1600 insert through a local shop and can't buy that right now ($2321 installed).

I don't know whether to get an insert or free standing stove. A Summers Heat 13 would fit right in the fireplace (wife does not want anything sticking to far out). I am just wondering how it would heat in there (with a block off plate in the damper). I was looking at the Vogelzang "The Colonial" as an insert until it said in the manual I need 24" on the floor for protection. As you can see I am in the $800 stove range with probably $400 in piping. I know anything is better than the fireplace.

The damper is the other issue. It is 4.5". I have heard different opinions on ovalizing the flex pipe through the damper or cutting the damper. I am still not sure what to do with this.

I am still wrestling with the self install. I have friends that have done it (pellet) and would help. I am pretty handy and it doesn't seem that difficult to install. It is just the family safety factor.

Sorry for all the newbie questions. Everyone seems to have good views on what to do so I thought I would ask. Just weighing my options before I go with something or call it quits for the year and give the wife some peace from my constant yammering about this. I hope this all makes sense. If I left anything out please let me know. It's hard to type with a 2 year old on your lap.

Thanks,

Anthony

 

[mellow]

In that price range your going to be looking at a used Insert, especially this time of year. I cant tell from your picture but what are your dims for your fireplace and mantel?

 

[FireAnt]

The fireplace opening is 18.5" deep/31" H/35" W. The top of the mantel is 25" away and the wood starts 7"around the FP opening. I know the mantel and trim was well within the tolerances for the Osburn 1600i.

 

[brink]

From my limited experience I would find inserts and hearth stoves that are within your budget and check the manufacture specs via the Internet for sizes that will fit your fireplace opening. Regardless of what you choose it will most likely require a 6 inch flue outlet so the damper or liner will need to be modified. There are oval liner pieces to fit narrow dampers.
Last year I installed my own liner and Osburn 1800 insert. This site was a big help as was searching the Internet.
Even though I have had success with my insert, if I were to do it over I would install a hearth stove. reason being is that at the time of my install, I was not even aware of a hearth stove. I was a newbie too and only thought there were inserts and stand alone stoves that need the flue going into the wall. Since your wife does not want anything protruding from the firebox, a hearth stove may be out of the question. What I learned after seeing a hearth stove in action were nice features like side loading doors for longer logs, and easier connection to the flue pipe than an insert for cleaning the chimney. Also heat radiates better from a hearth stove than my insert. The Osburn insert does not have an ash pan, so the ash needs to be carefuly shoveled out. Some inserts do have ash pans. Then there is cast iron vs. steel boxes. Some applications require an insulated liner and some don't. Keep asking lots of questions. Hope this helps.

 

[michaelryba]

Like was said above, the physical constraints of your situation are probably more important than budget constraints. Scoring a "5 out of 6" on clearances= iminent fire. Like you, I think it's pointless to have a fireplace that doesn't heat. I did a self-install after many hours of Internet searches, reading, & videos. I think your flue will have to be modified. See if you can find something around the house that you can make into a fake section of liner; and then squish it into your existing opening. Local authorities probably have some installation procedures that can follow or disregard at your own risk.

 

[FireAnt]

Thanks for all the replies. That's funny...If I could install a hearth stove that would be my first choice. My wife would like it to if our area was bigger. She likes the look of the wood stove more than an insert. She doesn't like the metal trim. Everyone keeps telling me insert, insert, insert, because it is an existing fireplace but I just don't know.

I goofed on the measurement of my damper. It's like 5 7/8 inches.

I have been thinking about the Summers Heat NC-13 a lot. How would that stove work inside the fireplace? I would love to get the 30 but the hearth issue comes up again. Could the 13 heat from inside the fireplace? I of course would make a block off plate.

Any thoughts?