Help for a coal guy from you woodburners.

[Michael6268]

Hello I know this question has been asked previously about a freestanding stove but dont recall anything about inserts. As I have said it the past, I heat my home with coal, but usaully have a fire in the fireplace every weekend throughout the winter, strickly for looks and a little heat in the room it is in. Other than that, as we all know, all it does is suck the heat out of the rest of the house and up the chimney. Finally thinking of installing some sort of insert. Question is- We would like something that we can burn with the doors open with a screen for the time we are in the room, (realize we would still be losing all the heat that we did with the open fireplace) but would like to be able to close it at night, or on really cold days and use as a normal woodstove. I know in a previous post someone said Jotul made freestanding stoves that could be used this way, (although I didnt even see that on their website) but made no mention of a "insert" that could be used this way. Also dont want to break the bank, as this is not going to be used that much for primary heat. Any info would be great.

 

[KP Matt]

Looking at the Jotul brochure booklet, their Kennebec insert does not show a screen option, but their other stoves - with the exception of the F100 - all seem to have a screen option. Don't know how they keep from overfiring though.

 

[wg_bent]

Take a look at the large Vermont castings stoves

 

[webbie]

Hello I know this question has been asked previously about a freestanding stove but dont recall anything about inserts. As I have said it the past, I heat my home with coal, but usaully have a fire in the fireplace every weekend throughout the winter, strickly for looks and a little heat in the room it is in. Other than that, as we all know, all it does is suck the heat out of the rest of the house and up the chimney. Finally thinking of installing some sort of insert. Question is- We would like something that we can burn with the doors open with a screen for the time we are in the room, (realize we would still be losing all the heat that we did with the open fireplace) but would like to be able to close it at night, or on really cold days and use as a normal woodstove. I know in a previous post someone said Jotul made freestanding stoves that could be used this way, (although I didnt even see that on their website) but made no mention of a "insert" that could be used this way. Also dont want to break the bank, as this is not going to be used that much for primary heat. Any info would be great.

For occasional use, maybe a heat exchanger and a glass door setup would do the job....
See this article

 

[Mike Wilson]

I wouldn't use my Kennebec with the doors completely open for long. With any decent wood load in it she starts burning like crazy. Cracking the doors to help start it from cold is fine, but I close them within 10 minutes or so. The big issue is embers and sparks flying out the front. Unless you jury rig a screen or something, and keep the amount of wood inside very low, I don't see it working well. Plus, the firebox isn't exactly huge. Don't know the cubic feet, but you get the idea.

-- Mike

 

[mlouwho]

Regency makes a screen that can be popped onto their wood insert to use the way you want. Goes on & off in seconds, do not need to remove the door, just open all the way & clip the screen on.