Insert for small home but big fireplace

[sswain]

Hi all,

We have a small 1920's home with 800sf on the main floor and 800sf on the second floor. Windows and doors are original and thus the house is fairly drafty. We are in Puget Sound and winters are (usually) mild. We have fires a few times per month and do not plan to use the fireplace for primary heating. We are looking for a wood burning insert for our fireplace.

The fireplace is huge - 44" wide and 31" high and 22" deep. Based on our BTU needs, it seems we want an insert with lower BTU rating (e.g. the Regency 1150 range). However, these units look very small in the opening and would require a large backing plate to fill our fireplace opening - I think this would look odd. I choose a larger insert, I fear it would be so big that it would be overkill for our heating needs.

Is it appropriate to burn smaller fires in larger inserts? Are there inserts with larger width and larger doors that are not as deep and thus do not have as big a firebox?

I almost opted for a Vermont Castings Montpelier II because it has a smaller BTU range and would just cover my opening (and would match the look of the house with the enamel finish) but it is a fixed burn rate unit and I want the ability to dampen down the fire.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Scott

 

[begreen]

1600 sq ft could take a medium-sized insert to heat. How open is the floorplan? An alternative would be to put in a freestanding stove instead of an insert with no surround. Can you post a picture of the fireplace?

 

[sswain]

Thank you for the reply. House is several rooms - not an open plan. We want an insert, not a free-standing stove. Ideally it would be flush. Here is a photo of the fireplace. The box in front of the screen is for reference would be the size of the Regency 1150 insert - thus the backing plate would have to be big and unsightly :

 

[raiderfan]

I would pick a bigger insert and build smaller fires if needed. I have a similar sized house as you and ended up choosing a medium sized insert (ZC fireplace) for our fireplace remodel. And on our coldest days, I am noticing that we could have went larger. But I am in the Northeast and you have said your winters are not that cold. My first floor is mainly open and not so separated by different rooms.

But I am with you... I wouldn't want a huge surround to block off the excess opening.

 

[brenndatomu]

We want an insert, not a free-standing stove.

Could do like we did, an insert stove without the surround on it.
I didn't want to cover up the arched stone FP so I welded up a stand for the insert stove to sit on to make it look more like standard stove...which is the look I wanted, but with the blower in the front (for service access) like inserts have.
I have a blockoff plate installed to stop heat loss up the chimney cavity too.
This isn't the best picture, but you get the idea.

 

[begreen]

Thank you for the reply. House is several rooms - not an open plan. We want an insert, not a free-standing stove. Ideally it would be flush. Here is a photo of the fireplace. The box in front of the screen is for reference would be the size of the Regency 1150 insert - thus the backing plate would have to be big and unsightly :

View attachment 310449

How large is the fireplace room? Is it open to any other room? If so, what is the combined area?

 

[Bertronium]

We went with the Regency Alterra CI1150 which I believe has a similar firebox size and BTU range as what you’re looking at. Probably a smaller square footage in a similar vintage home, too. So far no complaints with being cooked out of the room, but your mileage may vary with your home layout. I think we could have even gone with a bigger insert.

The standard surround is 40” wide and 29.5” tall I think so you would need something custom to cover your cavity. I think the standard size looks quite nice, but I could be biased because it’s mine.

I posted a pic in this thread when I had similar questions as you:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/need-advice-on-insert-sizing.196387/

 

[TomMcDonald]

With a hole that massive I'd personally be going for a freestander sitting within the cavity.

 

[EbS-P]

You could fit a T5. My Opening is 42W 29H. Top vent stove.

https://www.pacificenergy.net/product/alderlea-t5-le/

 

[begreen]

The main issue will be with the surround not being wide enough. This can be solved by adding a short extension to it or having a custom surround made. A good dealer can handle this. It's a common problem. This will help fit the Regency Ci1150 Alterra, and open up more choices like the Lopi Answer insert, Pacific Energy Neo 1.6 LE, or the Osburn Matrix. Most dealers will do this. If not, Kuma sells a good smaller catalytic insert, the Alpine LE, which qualifies for the tax credit, and they will make a custom surround for you at the factory.