Help with Sizing Insert

[batsoff]

Hello Hearth.com...

Appreciate you taking time to review my post!

I'm looking to install a new fireplace insert in my Kitchen / Sitting Room area. This insert will be located in the center of my main floor, and I'm trying to determine where I'll get usable heat as my house does have a more traditional "colonial" floor plan, although it feels rather open, the 1st floor is ~2000 sq ft total.

I'm trying to decide between the Osburn 2000 and 3500 (2ft vs 3ft fire box).

My goal is to heat the entire lower floor with the insert, possibly even using my HVAC fan to move warm air as the HVAC Register is right next to the fireplace insert.

Looking at my floor plan... I feel like the Kitchen and Den would definitely benefit from the insert. The Dining and Living rooms should also benefit.

How about the bedrooms... not sure air will flow down the hall and reach the bedrooms?
Will I lose a lot of heat to the upstairs (the stairs are also right next to fireplace)?

This will be my first "stove"... and I'd like to be able to heat with wood as much as possible as my primary heating source is oil.

I'm located in Northern VA. Is the larger stove overkill for this application?

Best...
-batsoff

 

[EbS-P]

I have 2000 sq ft first floor 1960s ranch. 1000 open concept with fireplace dead center. My 1.7 cu ft stove can heat all 2000 sq ft down to the upper 20s. But the open concept is easily 10 degrees warmer than the bedrooms. I would like a stove with longer burn time but not really greater heat output. So I think question stands do you want to plan for burning during the extreme temps or average. I chose average. It working well. I think by choosing the smaller size I can burn more days of the year. For example. I loaded the stove full last night at 10:30 and again at 1:45 am. House was still at temp at 7:00 am when I reloaded. Low was 28 degrees. High yesterday was 46.

Your layout makes me think the smaller size would be best but just know that when it gets cold and you want to really push the insert you may have a 2:00 AM reload. I won’t do that most of the time. But if I’m up and I will.

 

[Dix]

You can always burn a smaller fire in a bigger box, but not a bigger fire in a small box.

Good luck, which ever way you choose !

 

[bholler]

Hello Hearth.com...

Appreciate you taking time to review my post!

I'm looking to install a new fireplace insert in my Kitchen / Sitting Room area. This insert will be located in the center of my main floor, and I'm trying to determine where I'll get usable heat as my house does have a more traditional "colonial" floor plan, although it feels rather open, the 1st floor is ~2000 sq ft total.

I'm trying to decide between the Osburn 2000 and 3500 (2ft vs 3ft fire box).

My goal is to heat the entire lower floor with the insert, possibly even using my HVAC fan to move warm air as the HVAC Register is right next to the fireplace insert.

Looking at my floor plan... I feel like the Kitchen and Den would definitely benefit from the insert. The Dining and Living rooms should also benefit.

How about the bedrooms... not sure air will flow down the hall and reach the bedrooms?
Will I lose a lot of heat to the upstairs (the stairs are also right next to fireplace)?

This will be my first "stove"... and I'd like to be able to heat with wood as much as possible as my primary heating source is oil.

I'm located in Northern VA. Is the larger stove overkill for this application?

Best...
-batsoff

If there is a HVAC return vent right by the fireplace that's a problem. It needs to be 10' from the stove

 

[begreen]

Something is off with the dimensions in the plan. The Den is shown as the full width of the house but the kitchen and DR are shown as 34'. It looks more like maybe 12' x 14'? This is important to get right. I suspect the smaller 2 cu ft insert will be better.

Can you post a picture that includes the fireplace and the register?

 

[batsoff]

Something is off with the dimensions in the plan. The Den is shown as the full width of the house but the kitchen and DR are shown as 34'. It looks more like maybe 12' x 14'? This is important to get right. I suspect the smaller 2 cu ft insert will be better.

Can you post a picture that includes the fireplace and the register?

Hi begreen... yeah, definitely not the best drawing. The Den is a smaller room, the measurements are accurate, I didn't draw it well, but it doesn't run the entire width of the house.

Regarding the Register... it's on the wall facing the foyer where the stairs lead up to the 2nd floor. it's 5-6ft away, around the corner from the fireplace.

EbS-P, Dix... appreciate you guys chiming in!

 

[begreen]

Regarding the Register... it's on the wall facing the foyer where the stairs lead up to the 2nd floor. it's 5-6ft away, around the corner from the fireplace.

That's likely ok. With an insert in the fireplace the kitchen and sitting area will be toasty. Some heat will migrate upstairs. The den will get a bit and the other rooms less due to the doorways.

 

[batsoff]

That's likely ok.

Thanks begreen... I'll ask the local installers about it.

Appreciate the follow up.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

 

[SeattleBill]

The discussion about size above is very helpful for me. I am going to put a fireplace insert into a basement room fireplace. The room itself is 19" long and 15" wide with the door on the opposite side of the long end from the fireplace. The room is below grade. My main goal is to provide heat for this room, which is a casual den for reading, watching television. I do not intend for the fireplace to heat the whole house although would be happy enough to have some of the heat circulating to an additional 600 sq feet of downstairs space.

My initial thought is that I should get a smaller size insert and was considering the Regency Alterra, Lopi Answer or PE Neo 1.6 out of concern to not make the primary room too hot to really use. I have read a number of posts in this forum that a larger insert is often preferred and that smaller fires can be built in them. My fireplace is large enough to take a PE Neo 2.5 or a Regency i2450 but with my relatively small space and most of the room below ground, I am pretty concerned about excess heat in that space. Welcome any additional thoughts/insights.

 

[begreen]

Is there a stairwell near the insert location by which the heat can make it to upstairs?
How well does the fireplace work? Does it draft well without any smoke rolling out into the room?

 

[SeattleBill]

Is there a stairwell near the insert location by which the heat can make it to upstairs?
How well does the fireplace work? Does it draft well without any smoke rolling out into the room?

Thanks, for your response! As for the first question, there is a stairway off a hall right outside the room with the fireplace. I will attached a sketch that is pretty close to scale. In terms of the second question, I am embarrassed to say that I don't know. I don't think that I have ever started a fire in it. However, I will say that it draws well in reverse. Specifically, if I start a fire in the upstairs fireplace, which is right above the downstairs fireplace and has a flue in the same chimney adjacent to the basement fireplace flue, I will get some smoke pulled down the downstairs flue and into the basement room.

 

[SeattleBill]

Is there a stairwell near the insert location by which the heat can make it to upstairs?
How well does the fireplace work? Does it draft well without any smoke rolling out into the room?

Wondering if you have had a chance to look at the layout and comment. I have pretty much convinced myself that I need a small stove in this room - leaning to either a Lopi Answer NextGen Fyre, a PE Neo 1.6 or a Regency Alterra. Also thinking about getting a larger insert for my upstairs fireplace, maybe a Blaze King Sirocco (my wife will want a more flush mount appearance in our upstairs living room). Appreciate any thoughts.

 

[SeattleBill]

Thanks, for your response! As for the first question, there is a stairway off a hall right outside the room with the fireplace. I will attached a sketch that is pretty close to scale. In terms of the second question, I am embarrassed to say that I don't know. I don't think that I have ever started a fire in it. However, I will say that it draws well in reverse. Specifically, if I start a fire in the upstairs fireplace, which is right above the downstairs fireplace and has a flue in the same chimney adjacent to the basement fireplace flue, I will get some smoke pulled down the downstairs flue and into the basement room.

Just built a fire. Basement fireplace drafts well.