Insert suggestion

[spfireman42]

Hello all new here and have a few basic questions. Wife and I just bought a 4000sqft home with an additional 2000sqft finished basement. Basement has a gas burning fireplace but the first lever has a wood burning fireplace in the great room. See photo. We would like to add an insert so that we can heat most of the house. Question is what insert would you recommend if we want to keep to the same style and also how how do you direct the heat around the house?

Thanks for your help


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[jscs.moore]

Hello all new here and have a few basic questions. Wife and I just bought a 4000sqft home with an additional 2000sqft finished basement. Basement has a gas burning fireplace but the first lever has a wood burning fireplace in the great room. See photo. We would like to add an insert so that we can heat most of the house. Question is what insert would you recommend if we want to keep to the same style and also how how do you direct the heat around the house? View attachment 188437

Thanks for your help


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Wow...that looks like a lot of space to heat with an insert. How tall are those ceilings? There are a lot of experts on this site that can guide you and I'm not one of them But for basics you need to measure your fireplace opening and get the biggest insert you can fit in there. Also if you have an exterior masonry fireplace, you'll definitely want an insulated liner and a block off plate for sure! I know pictures can be deceiving, but it looks like you have 20ft ceilings in that room...I think it would be hard to heat all of that space with just an insert, but like I said they are many experience people on this site who can guide you in the purchasing process. Good luck!

 

[begreen]

Yes, that will be a lot of cubic footage to try and heat with anything but a very large heater. Ceiling fans will also be needed or all the heat will be at the upper 5 ft. of the ceiling.

What are the dimensions of the fireplace? The opening height looks low, but maybe that is camera distortion? Is this a full masonry fireplace inside and out?

 

[spfireman42]

Thank you both for your comments. We close on December 1st so I'll be able to get all the dimension when we move in. The ceiling at 20' maybe a little higher. I can get you everything when we move in for sure. I knew someone years ago that put in an insert and he some how had the heat ventilated throughout the house. For the life of me I'm trying to think how he did that. I don't have his information anymore so that why I came on here. Is it possible he had an intake that would take the heat from the firebox and circulate around the house? I remember he had a temperature gauged with a fan on/off right next to the fireplace.


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[prezes13]

He probably had a fan sucking air up which means brining the cold air int the stove room which would push the hot air out and that way he had a convection loop going. I would look for as big of an insert I could fit in there. I think kuuma sequoia is the biggest one available. If that would not fit then a pacific energy has a stove with 3cf fire box that might be an option, or maybe a free standing stove?

 

[jatoxico]

Is it possible he had an intake that would take the heat from the firebox and circulate around the house?

There are purpose built fireplaces that are ducted to carry heat where its needed. Possible but not something you can do with an insert into an existing fireplace. Some have tried to use the central air system but that's usually an exercise in futility. Mostly folks use fans to gently circulate air.

That's a big room (very nice) with a lot of glass. Where are you located?

 

[spfireman42]

Thanks guys for your help. I think he was just circulating through the central air system no that I think about it. I'm in NJ.


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[Pertzbro]

You'd be better off with a wood furnance sitting next to your air handler wherever your forced air unit is at. It would be difficult to do with an existing fireplace... I also dont think you'd get enough heat out of an insert to heat that large amount air space in that room let alone other rooms in the home.

By the looks of your picture it's hard to say the opening size. it does look wide and short. This might be an option. It does have ducting abilities as well.

http://renaissancefireplaces.com/en/linear-50-woodburning-fireplace

 

[jhjove]

For a room that size I think you'll need some mass to produce steady heat. The tulikivi branded stoves may work well in this room.