High-efficiency wood burning fireplace recommendations

[kjmarkey]

Hi Everyone,
My wife & and I have a 3100 SF new home under construction in western North Carolina and want to install a high-efficiency woodstove (not insert) as a secondary heat source, as well as a centerpiece to the great room. We're working with an architect so we have the luxury of starting with a blank slate and being able to work around the fireplace design. So my question is what's the best fireplace to install? I looked for ones that are eligible for the govt. tax credit, but there's only a few, they're all catalytic, and it seems like the prices of those are hyper inflated. I've given up on the tax-break approach. For me, the priorities are 1) functional reliability, 2) low maintenance, 3) cost. We also want a a stove that looks great, like the Quadrafire Pioneer series for example.
Any suggestions you can offer would be appreciated! Thanks.
Kevin

 

[begreen]

I'm hearing wood stove and then fireplace. Which is it? The Quad Pioneer is a ZC fireplace.

Last I checked, there was only one EPA fireplace that qualifies for the tax credit, the Astria Montecito Estate.

 

[kjmarkey]

Sorry, we're installing a fireplace.
We've given up on the tax credit thing, so that's no longer a consideration. So what's the best high-efficiency fireplace we should be looking at?

 

[begreen]

Will this mostly be used for occaisional fires or for 24/7 heating? If heating, how large of an area will the fireplace be heating? Is remote ducting the heat to an adjacent area important?

There are several good models. It depends on the size desired, features, looks, cat or non-cat, etc. and finally, the budget.

 

[kjmarkey]

The stove will be used intermittently (NC winters don't get that cold) and as a secondary heat source only. It would be nice to redirect some of the heated air to an adjacent room, in which case the total heated space would be about 2,000 square foot.

From what I understand, catalytic models require cartridge replacements every so often, which is not ideal from a maintenance standpoint. It's not a deal breaker for us, but a concern.

There seems to be several viable options out there (Osburn, QuadraFire, Superior, Valcourt, Ventis, etc.) and we're looking for recommendations on which one(s) are best. Thanks for your insights.

 

[begreen]

It doesn't sound like there would be a lot of advantages for catalytic model in this case. For starters, take a look at RSF, Valcourt, and Pacific Energy fireplaces. (Osburn, Valcourt, Ventis are all SBI fireplaces with different trim options)
The Pioneer II by Quadrafire could also work, though there is less user control of the fire with the automatic combustion control. It also uses more expensive 8" chimney pipe if the total cost is of concern.

 

[kjmarkey]

It doesn't sound like there would be a lot of advantages for catalytic model in this case. For starters, take a look at RSF, Valcourt, and Pacific Energy fireplaces. (Osburn, Valcourt, Ventis are all SBI fireplaces with different trim options)
The Pioneer II by Quadrafire could also work, though there is less user control of the fire with the automatic combustion control. It also uses more expensive 8" chimney pipe if the total cost is of concern.

QuadraFire sell their Auto Combustion Control as a "light it and leave it" advantage that minimizes the need for user adjustment/control. Does it not work well enough?

Final question. If it was your home which brand would you be looking at?
Many thanks for the guidance!
Kevin

 

[begreen]

There are many variables in wood, from moisture content, to density, to species. Automatic controls tend to strike a happy medium, but with caveats. The fireplace may burn hot if the draft is strong, wood very dry and not very dense. At that point the user has little control but to ride it out. This is not so much of an issue for the occasional burner that is just burning 4-5 splits at a time, but can be an issue for a full time burner looking for a long burn time between refills. Quadrafire has been in business a long time. They make a good product.

Final question. If it was your home which brand would you be looking at?

That's a loaded question. My choice and criteria would probably be different because I generally burn 24/7 for heat when the fire is going. Otherwise we use the heat pump. Personally, I like simple and low maintenance. The Pacific Energy FP30 has essentially the same firebox that our stove has. It's durable, easy to maintain and burn in. The Valcourt Lafayette 15 (or other SBI siblings) is a good heater. It's has a wider, yet shallower firebox, similar to the Quad. One objection is that is uses proprietary refractory panels instead of firebrick like in the PE FP30. These may be harder and more expensive to replace than the pumice firebrick 10 or 15 yrs down the road. The other thing I like is that the FP30 has a squarish firebox that allows it to be loaded N/S or E/W. N/S loading means the firebox can be loaded full to capacity without worry of a log rolling up against the glass. This again is more important to 24/7 burning. The downside for some it that it restricts the firewood length to 18" or less. Some people prefer to burn longer firewood which a shallow but wide firebox permits. These fireplaces may also have a larger window that appeals to some. The PE FP25 is a little wider and shallower.

I also like RSF quality too and they offer a broad range of designs to fit the individual home's needs, both cat and non-cat. They too use proprietary refractory panels on the interior of the fireplace.

 

[begreen]

Note that Quadrafire is no longer selling fireplaces under their brand name. They are still sold, but under the Heatilator brand which is another company under the parent company HHT. One to consider there is the Heatilator Constitution, which also used to be the Quad 7100. This is a veteran and a good unit that has been around for a while. It has the ACC but also offers an override for more user control.

 

[kjmarkey]

Note that Quadrafire is no longer selling fireplaces under their brand name. They are still sold, but under the Heatilator brand which is another company under the parent company HHT. One to consider there is the Heatilator Constitution, which also used to be the Quad 7100. This is a veteran and a good unit that has been around for a while. It has the ACC but also offers an override for more user control.

The HHT Constitution and Pioneer 2 look like the same unit except the Constitution has two doors with a center opening. Is this an advantage? It seems to me a single door would offer better visibility and a more reliable seal.

I'm leaning toward the either the Pioneer 2 or the Ventis HE350 which is a bit bigger and would throw more heat.

 

[begreen]

Similar, but not quite the same. The Constitution has been in production for years, the Pioneer series is new with less user control over the air supply. Yes it has double doors. So does the much larger Ventis HE350 which is a variation of the Valcourt Lafayette FP15.

 

[Todd]

Take a look at Tulikivi. They are expensive but beautiful and also qualify for the tax credit.

 

[kjmarkey]

Take a look at Tulikivi. They are expensive but beautiful and also qualify for the tax credit.

Thanks for the tip Todd, and you're right, these are beautiful fireplaces that really make a statement.
Go Pack Go.

 

[begreen]

Tulikivis are masonry heaters. They're beautiful, but they are not what one typically lights up for an occasional fire in for ambiance. they are meant to be used as a 24/7 heater with a strong fire once or twice a day.

Another brand to consider would be Fireplace Xtrordinaire. These are made by Travis (Lopi stoves) and are high-quality.

 

[kjmarkey]

Tulikivis are masonry heaters. They're beautiful, but they are not what one typically lights up for an occasional fire in for ambiance. they are meant to be used as a 24/7 heater with a strong fire once or twice a day.

Another brand to consider would be Fireplace Xtrordinaire. These are made by Travis (Lopi stoves) and are high-quality.

Wow, lots of options. Fireplace Extraordinaire is a new one to me, and from what I can see on their website they also make a beautiful product. I can't find any pricing but there's a dealer not too far from me who also sells several of the SBI lines, so maybe I'll check them out.

Any thoughts on blowing the fireplace heat into a central heating system?