HELP! Wood insert shopping.

[Ode1891]

Howdy, I have a wood burning insert that's probably 45 years old. I think it was from Sears. Replaced fans twice and switch and rheostat at least once in 30 years. The metal is warping but it keeps the home warm, although it EATS wood.

So...we started looking for a replacement and there's more stoves out there than I ever imagined. The sales people we've encountered have been a mix of heating engineers (seriously) to people more suited to fast food sales. So what can anyone share with me about Pacific Energy inserts? What brands have you been happy with ? They have a stainless steel baffle that sounds interesting, and they aren't horribly expensive, but we are really behind the learning curve on all the models out there. I don't think we want or need these Catalytic things . Of course we started with the high end stuff and have been looking at about 8 or 9 different makes so far...confusing.

Thanks!

 

[begreen]

Welcome to hearth.com. There are a lot of choices. PE makes good stoves. Their Super insert is a strong, efficient heater with good burn times. Personally I like the KISS design of most PE stoves. The baffle design and the linked secondary control on the Super series is unique and reliable. I also like the square firebox. It's more flexible for loading than shallow firebox designs. Note, I own a PE stove and had mostly Jotuls beforehand. Member @Seanm has the Super insert.

There are many other good inserts on the market. Most will have a conventional tube design. Regency, Quadrafire, Osburn, Lopi/Avalon make good inserts with a conventional secondary tube design. If you can go a little larger, the Enviro Kodiak or Venice 1700 is also a very good insert.

 

[Ode1891]

Our hearth is only 19" so we're leaning more towards the flush (most flush) front. PE has a new model called the NEO series and we'd be looking at the medium sized NEO 2.5. Any of these require at least 16" from the glass as noncombustible , and we're not tearing up the floor to accommodate code. In our area a hearth rug does not count as noncombustible space--at least not for a home Inspector. The location is actually more suited for flush mount anyhow.

So the PE has this baffle system instead of burner tubes. Does that make cleaning a more difficult task? Like I said in my post, I have replaced just about everything in my old box myself. Are the PE stoves user friendly for DIY repairing and cleaning? The installation quotes, for all the same work including a 14' stainless liner etc..., pre-survey range from $1400 to $2800. These guys would do better with a Crazy 8 Ball or a Ouija Board. This is worse than car or mattress shopping.

 

[Huntindog1]

One important point, these new stove designs require good dry seasoned wood.

 

[begreen]

With a 14' chimney the PE is a good choice. It can handle the shorter chimney. The baffle system is easy to clean and more robust. Just pull the pin, lift the baffle up rear first to clear the secondary tube, then remove. Stuff a rag in the secondary tube to prevent crud going down there.

The other nice thing with this baffle is that if you bump it with a log you are not worried about cracking it.

 

[FIRECONCRETEWOOD]

I just recently started burning with a Pacific Energy. I was turned onto the brand by a friend that has a PE insert. I was very impressed with his insert. The warranty and simplicity are IMHO second to none. He heats from October thru April with it. I'd say you're on the right track with anything Pacific Energy builds.

 

[Kodiak]

Hey there. Thought I'd chime in. I've got a enviro Kodiak 1700 insert. Heats our 1500 sq ft no problem. It's our 3rd winter with it. No issues. Conventional tube design. It's 2.5 cu ft. We get 8 hrs burn with soft wood and 10-12 with hard wood. We have a long chimney tho so not sure about shorter length. Ours is 26 ft straight up no bends. It's a fairly low clearance too so it fits in most fireplaces.

 

[Smoked]

If you are handy and not scared of the roof, DIY on the liner and install is an option too. With 14 ft, no reason not to go heavy flex insulated and you will have something you can really trust. Something to think about for sure! Plus, that gives you another world of choices to make. The differences in the quotes may actually reflect the type and quality of the liner too!

 

[pizzasman]

Just purchased a Pacific Energy Super Insert after using a free standing stove for many years. The EPA stoves are something to get used to, still learning the burning process. I've read many different posts in this forum about the basics on using the PE inserts which were extremely helpful. The weather has warmed a bit here in the North East so haven't really had a chance to fully know how well it heats my 1800+ sq ft house. After a week of burning I've noticed a significant savings in wood, which is pretty impressive. My wife says if she wakes in the AM and the house is still warm on a cold January day, she'll pay 1/2 the costs of the stove. A lot riding on this one...

Question though. I purchased my stove brand new from the dealer. Picked it up myself and installed it, not too much work but enough. The pallet the stove came on had paint over spray on it, looking like it was painted on the skid? After removing the stove, I broke up the pallet for starter wood and started checking out the stove. The documentation was bagged, door boxed and secured, everything pretty much brand new. When I checked the paper work there was a quality control checklist included, with a bunch of items checked off and several signatures, signifying the stove was checked during manufacturing process before release. There was a date on the checklist, which read Oct 31st, 2012!. The manufacture label on the stove is Oct, 2012. I bought the stove 5 days before Thanksgiving, 2015!

I called PE tech support and they stated the stove could have been hanging around in their warehouse, and/or a distributors warehouse and is common? They stated there will be no problem on the warranty, which will start as soon as the stove is registered. There have been no changes or enhancements in the stove since 2012, so nothing to worry about. The dealer stated they had that stove for no longer than 6 months and could have been hanging around in a distributors warehouse, as PE stated.

I needed the stove to be installed ASAP, so I installed it, but this has been bugging me since! I paid full price for the stove, expected something newer?.

I really like this stove so far and feel it was a solid purchase, but I would like to hear comments on it's age.

 

[Smoked]

I called PE tech support and they stated the stove could have been hanging around in their warehouse, and/or a distributors warehouse and is common? They stated there will be no problem on the warranty, which will start as soon as the stove is registered. There have been no changes or enhancements in the stove since 2012, so nothing to worry about. The dealer stated they had that stove for no longer than 6 months and could have been hanging around in a distributors warehouse, as PE stated.

I needed the stove to be installed ASAP, so I installed it, but this has been bugging me since! I paid full price for the stove, expected something newer?.

I really like this stove so far and feel it was a solid purchase, but I would like to hear comments on it's age.

I was looking for an earlier model Heritage because they have shorter legs. I found one and bought it in Mar 2015. It was also new on the pallet with all documentation as was yours and mine was a Jan 2011 build. The place I bought mine had a decent inventory so seem reasonable that they just did not rotate some of it.

I screwed that up somehow???

 

[Dix]

Love my PE, it's the previous version of the Super. Mine is extended in the front.

The baffle is awesome, actually wrestled it by myself into place 2 weeks ago

 

[rwhite]

IMO there aren't many big choices in stoves.
1. Aesthetics, looks is big deal and a determining factor in most people's purchase.
2. Cat or no cat?
3. For inserts, flush or extended?

There aren't to many reputable stove companies out there and most make a pretty good stove these days. I would certainly search reviews, but by and large you can narrow your choices to those three criteria and then do some comparisons. Asking which stove around here is like getting into the Ford/Chevy/Dodge argument. (I drive a Toyota by the way)LOL

 

[pizzasman]

he baffle is awesome, actually wrestled it by myself into place 2 weeks ago

This is my first EPA stove and having a glass door really makes it interesting. When the 2nd stage burner kicks in it makes for some great viewing. Understand about the wrestled part, I had to do some fireplace "edits" to get the stove into position due to the stack hole being so far forward.

 

[pizzasman]

I was looking for an earlier model Heritage because they have shorter legs. I found one and bought it in Mar 2015. It was also new on the pallet with all documentation as was yours and mine was a Jan 2011 build. The place I bought mine had a decent inventory so seem reasonable that they just did not rotate some of it.

Hmm, interesting. I'm kind of hoping this is normal for stove purchases, but if not, need to figure out what to do.

 

[BrotherBart]

Stove is fine. They don't have a "best if used by date". They have been building that stove pretty much the same since the 90's. Kick back and stay warm with it.

 

[rwhite]

Stove is fine. They don't have a "best if used by date". They have been building that stove pretty much the same since the 90's. Kick back and stay warm with it.

+1! A welded box don't go bad. If it fits, you like how it looks and it's a reputable company it's good. The reason it is dated is that the model has not likely changed. A steel box is a steel box and there hasn't been a lot of groundbreaking tech in a while (15 years?) that would cause a stove to be outdated. If I could find a 10 yo model on a pallet for cheap I'd have a "new" box in my fireplace.

 

[Squisher]

Yah I wouldn't sweat it at all. Enjoy.

 

[Ode1891]

Thanks for all the replies! We found a dealer we like talking with who has a VERY knowledgeable sales person--she's been there 14 years, I also know one of their installers. They quoted me $2,800 out the door for a NEO 2.5 insert with nickel and an enlarged back plate surround. The installation (guess) was about $1400 depending on the free site visit.

So I get it. Asking for ratings and opinions here would get crazy, BUT...is there anything about this Pacific Energy brand that I need to be aware of? I look at the big boys: Jotel, Vermont, Travis Ind. etc and do not understand what makes them better. Is it the fans? Thicker steel? Better heat reflection? At my age, this is truly a one time purchase so while I don't want to throw money away, I don't want regrets either. That stove in my profile was installed in the 70s. Thanks

 

[firefighterjake]

Don't worry about the date . . . woodstoves don't mold or turn sour . . . and as mentioned, there have been no real changes to this model for quite some time.

 

[Fastdonzi]

[QUOTE=". When I checked the paper work there was a quality control checklist included, with a bunch of items checked off and several signatures, signifying the stove was checked during manufacturing process before release. There was a date on the checklist, which read Oct 31st, 2012!. The manufacture label on the stove is Oct, 2012. I bought the stove 5 days before Thanksgiving, 2015!

I called PE tech support and they stated the stove could have been hanging around in their warehouse, and/or a distributors warehouse and is common? They stated there will be no problem on the warranty, which will start as soon as the stove is registered. There have been no changes or enhancements in the stove since 2012, so nothing to worry about. The dealer stated they had that stove for no longer than 6 months and could have been hanging around in a distributors warehouse, as PE stated.

I needed the stove to be installed ASAP, so I installed it, but this has been bugging me since! I paid full price for the stove, expected something newer?.

I really like this stove so far and feel it was a solid purchase, but I would like to hear comments on it's age.[/QUOTE]

I bought my Buck 91 in March 14, It has a Build date of 1/07 it has been sitting for 7yrs, the grease in the Blower fan dried up, it's squealing... Buck sent me a new one. the old one is held in with a bracket, the new one doesn't have the holes for the bracket and the rep didn't know they ever used a bracket... I too am a tad disappointed (Paid top dollar though) I do love it, its a beast...

 

[Squisher]

Thanks for all the replies! We found a dealer we like talking with who has a VERY knowledgeable sales person--she's been there 14 years, I also know one of their installers. They quoted me $2,800 out the door for a NEO 2.5 insert with nickel and an enlarged back plate surround. The installation (guess) was about $1400 depending on the free site visit.

So I get it. Asking for ratings and opinions here would get crazy, BUT...is there anything about this Pacific Energy brand that I need to be aware of? I look at the big boys: Jotel, Vermont, Travis Ind. etc and do not understand what makes them better. Is it the fans? Thicker steel? Better heat reflection? At my age, this is truly a one time purchase so while I don't want to throw money away, I don't want regrets either. That stove in my profile was installed in the 70s. Thanks

I don't think you can go wrong with PE but I may be a little biased. I purchased my new stove this fall after burning my whole life with a handful of non-epa stoves. I've been very impressed so far and in my research I found that PE has a very solid reputation imo. I've never been given the impression that any of the other brands have any quality edge on PE, but I'd be interested to hear others opinions on that too. I had to get my self-install certified by a WETT cert'd installer in order to keep my home insurance valid and when the guy came out to do it he remarked that obviously I hadn't bought the stove from them(shop I bought from doesn't install/certify) but that he hardly blamed me as he felt my PE model at least was a very high quality unit. He had over twenty years in the industry selling, installing and sweeping so I took that to be a confidence inspiring nod of the cap towards PE.

 

[pizzasman]

I bought my Buck 91 in March 14, It has a Build date of 1/07 it has been sitting for 7yrs, the grease in the Blower fan dried up, it's squealing... Buck sent me a new one. the old one is held in with a bracket, the new one doesn't have the holes for the bracket and the rep didn't know they ever used a bracket... I too am a tad disappointed (Paid top dollar though) I do love it, its a beast...

That was my concern. PE tech support stated 2012 was the last change made, but for example, the Summit model has modified their Extended Burn Time (EBT) to version 2, which is only included in newer models. If a minor improvement was made to the Super that was not structural, like to the fan switch for example, I would not benefit. But in general, like the posts stated, overall its functional and working great, guess I will sit back and enjoy the holidays!

 

[pizzasman]

So I get it. Asking for ratings and opinions here would get crazy, BUT...is there anything about this Pacific Energy brand that I need to be aware of? I look at the big boys: Jotel, Vermont, Travis Ind. etc and do not understand what makes them better. Is it the fans? Thicker steel? Better heat reflection? At my age, this is truly a one time purchase so while I don't want to throw money away, I don't want regrets either. That stove in my profile was installed in the 70s. Thanks

I just purchased my PE Super Insert and had done a lot of looking around on this forum (which has a LOT of good info, a testament to all the members) as well as visiting dealers. The items that sold me:

Positives for me:
* This model would fit in my fireplace!
* Steel instead of cast stove
* For the inserts, the stove floats inside an outer shell to help with expansion
* There are two fans, each left/right of the stove, instead of on the bottom
* The air is pulled into the stove from the bottom, where the fans normally go, permitting natural air flow if the fans go out.
* The baffle system is a solid heavy piece of steal instead of individual rods
* The stove is really easy to clean and maintain (the baffle system helps a lot in this process)
* The door and front top shield are cast which helps hold the heat longer
* Their tech support and willingness to replace parts seemed to be solid
* Loading wood goes into the stove north to south, not east to west
* The internal front air wash helps keep the glass on the door clean

Maybe not-positive:
* Was hoping for a bigger box (mine is 2.3 cu in, 3.0 would have been my pick but my fireplace could not support the height)
* Fans on high are a bit noisy (because there are two but haven't compared them to others)
* If / when the baffle goes, you need to replace the entire piece (although I've read PE will replace the first one under warranty)
* There is only one control for the air compared to other stoves which have two. * * My neighbor has two controls and I get the impression you may have more control over the air flow, but overall, extremely impressed with how tight the EPA stoves are when you do apply the air!

I can't recall the vendor but there was another stove I was looking at with a 2.5 cu in box, which I "may" have swayed to if I knew about it sooner.

Overall, it's up to you and your likes / dislikes. I hope this helps and I can say I really like my PE / EPA stove

 

[begreen]

The baffle is heavier than it looks. It is made of stainless steel. They very rarely fail.