New here, been reading a long time and appreciate all the good information. I recently sold my Harman 53i and am shopping for a wood insert. I have an old farmhouse two story 2500 sq ft, but has been insulated. I really like the Blaze King products and am looking at the Princess 29, I am just afraid that it would be undersized. Chimney is a straight shot at 26.5 ft.
Insert question
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I'm not finding the Harman 53i, but there is the Harman 52i, which is rated at 50,000 BTUs/hr. How well did it heat the area? The Princess 29 may suffice, especially if there are issues with the house that can be addressed to make it tighter and better insulated.
Is the fireplace on an exterior wall? If so, and if there is room behind the insert, installing an insulated block-off plate that seals off the damper area will help boost heat output, as will putting some kaowool or rock wool insulation behind the insert.
Is the fireplace on an exterior wall? If so, and if there is room behind the insert, installing an insulated block-off plate that seals off the damper area will help boost heat output, as will putting some kaowool or rock wool insulation behind the insert.
Gearhead660
Minister of Fire
I also have a big old farmhouse. You planning for just zone heating or primary heat source? I found out that an insert was not enough to heat on its own.
You say its been insulated, but how well air sealed is it?
You say its been insulated, but how well air sealed is it?
Yes, I miss typed, it was a 52i and did a good job at keeping the propane at bay on all but the coldest days. I am looking for primary heat source.
The chimney is on the exterior wall and is clay lined, I will be adding insulated flex liner inside as well.
I was also considering the Ironstrike 300 and Osburn 3500, but liked the adjustability of the BK, especially for heating in shoulder months and couldnt find anything good mentioned about the Ironstrike.
The chimney is on the exterior wall and is clay lined, I will be adding insulated flex liner inside as well.
I was also considering the Ironstrike 300 and Osburn 3500, but liked the adjustability of the BK, especially for heating in shoulder months and couldnt find anything good mentioned about the Ironstrike.
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EbS-P
Minister of Fire
spudman99
Feeling the Heat
I am entering my 5th year with the PI29 Princess Insert. I have an approximate 30' brick lined exterior chimney and installed my own 6" insulated liner. My house is a 1982 Toll Brothers colonial, not that efficient and still with original windows. So compare as you wish, they are the basics.
My insert will not heat my house. That is probably due to the interior wall layout, and the poor insulation from original construction. One thing to be aware of with the Princess insert is that the fan is located on the left side and the thermostat is on the right. So the intake air is localized, and the intake fan is rather undersized in my opinion. Air movement (or volume) out of the stove is not significant, and I run it with the fans on, never off. They also can be noisy but that is the tradeoff.
What I love about this insert is that it suits my lifestyle perfectly. Load wood at 8am, set thermostat and fan, walk away. Come back after work, reload on hot coals at 8pm, set thermostat and fan and walk away. No need to push coals around all the time, no need to fiddle with the air openings as the wood burns down. It is fully capable of heating my downstairs, I just need to run a space heater in my bedroom when it gets below 63deg. I burn about 2.5 cords per year and the back-up propane heat never turns on.
My draft on this long chimney runs in the 0.18wc level, way above the recommended 0.08wc by BK. Installed a key damper above the stove and that lowers the manometer level by 0.02 at best. So this stove "pulls" air like crazy. Yet I have not had an overfire, the wood consumption seems fine and I am completely comfortable with a BK stove even though it breathes like crazy.
My insert will not heat my house. That is probably due to the interior wall layout, and the poor insulation from original construction. One thing to be aware of with the Princess insert is that the fan is located on the left side and the thermostat is on the right. So the intake air is localized, and the intake fan is rather undersized in my opinion. Air movement (or volume) out of the stove is not significant, and I run it with the fans on, never off. They also can be noisy but that is the tradeoff.
What I love about this insert is that it suits my lifestyle perfectly. Load wood at 8am, set thermostat and fan, walk away. Come back after work, reload on hot coals at 8pm, set thermostat and fan and walk away. No need to push coals around all the time, no need to fiddle with the air openings as the wood burns down. It is fully capable of heating my downstairs, I just need to run a space heater in my bedroom when it gets below 63deg. I burn about 2.5 cords per year and the back-up propane heat never turns on.
My draft on this long chimney runs in the 0.18wc level, way above the recommended 0.08wc by BK. Installed a key damper above the stove and that lowers the manometer level by 0.02 at best. So this stove "pulls" air like crazy. Yet I have not had an overfire, the wood consumption seems fine and I am completely comfortable with a BK stove even though it breathes like crazy.
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