Insert vs free- standing stove.............

[WoodMann]

I've just warmed up to the idea on how the free standing stove begins to radiate the heat by itself at 450*+. THing is, when looking at houses, one had a kiva fireplace in the corner that was enclosed with glass doors with air vents/ ducts below and above. The way I understand it, the free standing stove would be more effective at heating the area/ house than the inset peice, as a fan to circulate the air, hence the need for electricity and all...........

 

[burntime]

Others will disagree but I think you NEED a fan with an insert. I really feel the same way with a free standing. The fans take like 60 watts...why not distribute it better?

 

[Todd]

If I were looking at houses and want to heat 100% with wood, I would look into a house that has a good open floor plan and an area centrally located for the stove. Then I would pick out a good long burning radiant soapstone heater and a fan wouldn't be needed.

 

[Highbeam]

One of the best things about switching from an insert to a stove is to be rid of that irritating fan. I hate the noise with a passion and much prefer the only noise in the house to be the crackle of the burning wood and the occasional cycle of the fridge. I hated the hum and it was a normal sounding squirrel blower on a Lopi stove. Now I hear the frogs outside.

You need a blower on an insert. I tried without during a power outage and it stunk.

Oh and a freestanding stove begins to make heat much before 450. From 300 on up my house is getting warmer. Soapstone only really needs to max out at 450 for a good clean burn with an average of 400 or so. If you want a steel stove like a summit or something then yes, 450 is the low range. Not sure why the steel stoves need to be so hot to make heat.

 

[paulie]

I had a isert, just wouldn't get it done. I went with a hearthstone homestead and love it no fan is needed and it puts out a lot of heat, besides that it is attractive to look at all summer too ! you WILL need a fan with a insert go with a free standing, "and I preferr a soapstone" the heat is so much more even

 

[fossil]

I prefer freestanding stoves to inserts, as the heat radiates in all directions without the need for a fan. That said, we have a fan on our Lopi Liberty, and we use it routinely. The speed (thus the attendant noise) is infinitely variable over a wide range. If we're in the room and don't want to hear it, we can just turn it off. (It's actually not all that terribly loud, even at its highest speed...it's quieter than our central A/C we had back in Virginia). The rest of the time, when the noise isn't an issue, the fan goes a long way toward getting the heat out into the house and mixing with the ambient air. We can use it (the fan) or not use it, the stove produces heat in all directions either way. Rick

 

[WoodMann]

That's what I've come to conclude. Though I have invested in a blower, when I was naive and didn't burn hot enough. Now I'm hotter and coincidentally warmer, glad I'm building that new wood rack, I'll post pics when I'm done, prolly makin' a bigger deal out of it than it has to be, but hey..................

Edit; why not...............

 

[fossil]

Where are you in the Land of Enchantment? I'm a Lobo...graduated UNM back in 1977. (Jeez, has it really been that long?) My daughter is currently in grad school there. Rick

 

[WoodMann]

Hey Fossil, I'm in Santa Fe. I went to UNM too, back in the day for a spell, 1986- 88. I ask myself too if it's really been that long...................

 

[Jerry_NJ]

I've read a small fan will help get more heat our of a free standing stove. I have on in the basement, with coal grate and have used anthracite hard coal in past years as well as hard wood. I always run a small fan on the floor behind the stove and believe it gets more "extra" heat out of the stove, far more than the 60 watts, if that's what it uses, electric cost. As for the noise, I never run a fan on high speed. Some may find it soothing...background "white noise".

 

[jotul8e2]

Not long ago I had a chance to "hear" the fan on a new Jotul Oslo. It was amazingly quiet - and what little sound it made was, to my ears, very unobtrusive. If they have anything like that for their inserts it might make me think differently about them.

 

[WoodMann]

BTW- I've seen some inserts that look like they're sticking out halfway. How are those, radiant wise for belching out the heat..................

 

[Jerry_NJ]

It appears even a given manufacturer has different views, for example the Quadrafire 3100-I Insert has a blower as an option, i.e., it isn't needed/necessary, while the 4100-I has a blower as standard. The 4100 has more glass, both stick out onto the hearth about 8" or so. I'd think, to my "eye", the 3100 needs the blower more than the 4100 does...go figure.

Personally, I'd purchase the optional blower if one doesn't come standard. In fact I have a 3100-I proposal on hand, with the blower option. My wife has taken a liking to the looks of the 4100, so that may be the way we go. The 4100 is about $600 more than the 3100 with the optional blower, guess which one I like: >).