Well, it's on the small side, but should work out. Call an active Regency dealer for pricing on the door and surround panels first. The insert sells for about $1200 new.
Is company A lowballing me, or is company B trying to gouge me?
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etiger2007
Minister of Fire
Learn from others mistakes and it will save you a ton of cash later,,,,,, The Regency CI1200 has a very small fire box of 1.4 cf that translates to you having to mess with the fire every couple hours ( there's a reason the dealer still has it and just wants to get rid of it) because you will not be able to put much wood in there. I am very passonate on this point because I bought a Dutchwest by Vermont Castings insert 1.3cf fire box just to use as an occasional heat source. Well that little insert did heat the entire house and I saw a huge savings in my consumers bill (which I liked) so I started having more fires and because the fire box was so small I had to tend to the thing every two hours and that got old very quick and it will for you too. So I bought the Osburn 2000 this summer it has a 2.3 cf firebox and when temps dipped into the 60's this summer i had my break in fires and I can tell I will get 8 to 10 hours of heat out of this thing no problem. From what I read on this web site Osburn has top notch customer service should you need them.
Okay, okay... I'll take a look at some of the larger models.
Aesthetics is part of what I'm trying to balance here. My wife is fairly picky, and so far doesn't like stoves that stick out into the room. To some degree she's still mourning the old fireplace, which has a set of glass and brass doors that I removed before taking the pictures up above. I prefer the more flush designs too, but they only seem available in smaller units.
I can see how the Osburn's projection makes the clearances of surrounding wood trim less problematic.
Aesthetics is part of what I'm trying to balance here. My wife is fairly picky, and so far doesn't like stoves that stick out into the room. To some degree she's still mourning the old fireplace, which has a set of glass and brass doors that I removed before taking the pictures up above. I prefer the more flush designs too, but they only seem available in smaller units.
I can see how the Osburn's projection makes the clearances of surrounding wood trim less problematic.
etiger2007
Minister of Fire
Wow, Osburn has a new insert called the Matrix, looks like their answer to the flush mount VC Montpielier. I like inserts that stick out on the hearth a little because they radiate more heat during power outages.
etiger2007
Minister of Fire
LOL my wife still today is kinda pissed I took out her traditional fire place,,, HOWEVER she loves sitting by the stove reading a book and feeling the heat the stove provides, and she has the huge glass door to observe the fire. The only reason I have a new insert is because she said it had to be brown,,, check out that new Matrix insert by Osburn sounds like it packs a hell of a punch and one I would have considered if it was an option when I bought this summer.
Hey, that Matrix is pretty shnazzy. The styling is basically a ripoff of Regency's Alterra (or the Hotpoint microwave I left at my last house), but the size is more in line with the recommendations I've been getting in this thread. Question is... can I afford it?
Well, my wife likes the looks of the Osburn Matrix, and I've read the manual and am fairly impressed. The specifications say it can handle logs 20" long, has a firebox volume of 2.1 cubic feet and maximum output of 80K BTU with seasoned hardwood. How does that sound to those of you who were encouraging me to go larger than the Montpelier or Alterra? The house, in case I haven't already said this somewhere, is about 1450 square feet, and the room the fireplace is located is 275 square feet.
I'm wondering how the heat is going to get out of that room. How open is the area to the rest of the house?
It's a center-hall colonial, and the living room is half the first floor, on one side of the stairwell. The archway out of the room is about 5' wide, and is right at the bottom of the stairway. Doors for three bedrooms and a bathroom are all right at the top of the stairs. Back on the first floor, the kitchen and dining room occupy the other side of the house, beyond the staircase.
Since the house's interior is chopped up into boxes with no large, convection-friendly central room, I'm assuming that we'd sometimes need to use the forced-air furnace's blower to distribute heat. Good news is that the living room has 2 cold air return intakes flanking the fireplace at each end of the room.
Since the house's interior is chopped up into boxes with no large, convection-friendly central room, I'm assuming that we'd sometimes need to use the forced-air furnace's blower to distribute heat. Good news is that the living room has 2 cold air return intakes flanking the fireplace at each end of the room.
Another question as I price out this hypothetical project:
When I asked the installer what comprised his $6-$7k ballpark estimate, one thing he mentioned was that he uses a heavy-gauge flexible liner that must be cut with a grinder, as opposed to cheap, thin ones that can be cut with a utility knife. He said that his 25' liner costs about $1000 just for the material, not even counting the insulation wrap. As I look at flexible liners for sale online, I haven't found any that are that pricey. Any idea what sort of product he might have been talking about?
When I asked the installer what comprised his $6-$7k ballpark estimate, one thing he mentioned was that he uses a heavy-gauge flexible liner that must be cut with a grinder, as opposed to cheap, thin ones that can be cut with a utility knife. He said that his 25' liner costs about $1000 just for the material, not even counting the insulation wrap. As I look at flexible liners for sale online, I haven't found any that are that pricey. Any idea what sort of product he might have been talking about?
etiger2007
Minister of Fire
Dosent sound too bad,, I think the Montpelier comes in at 1.8 cf. Decisions , Decisions
!! Im still wondering what Osburns price point is on the Matrix, I tried to look it up online last night for you but had no luck.
I actually found a place that listed a price for the Matrix insert -- about $2500, which is the same as the Alterra prices I've seen, and cheaper than the Montpelier.
etiger2007
Minister of Fire
I'm feeling fairly good about it, but I'm trying to make a cohesive plan before I jump in with the purchase. I'm still not clear on what types of chimney liners are acceptable with this unit. The specs on Osburn's website say "Type of chimney: 2,100F," but I'm not seeing specific temperature ratings in the liner documentation I've found so far. Most manufacturers refer to UL standards that I don't know how to look up or interpret just yet, so I'll have to make some tech support calls.
Also, I just realized that the Matrix uses the same firebox as the 2000 that was recommended upthread; it's just the front that's different.
Also, I just realized that the Matrix uses the same firebox as the 2000 that was recommended upthread; it's just the front that's different.
If your smoke shelf is as rusted as it looks I would just take a grinder and cut it out, it is usually not load bearing. With that cut out it makes it super easy to drop an insulated liner down.
2100 deg is a class "A" flue type in the case of stand alone flue piping it is a triple wall assembly, The liner in the masonry chimney needs to be stainless steel ( some of the chimney guys will use Aluminum). They mostly are of the flexible type with a type of insulation poured down around it. Best to get very specific quotes on the materials to be used so that every thing meets the codes. A lot of times they will use vermiculite as a insulator.
Here's my old thread of what I did to my old heatform fireplace. It may give you a few more ideas.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/started-woodstock-keystone-install-pics.51259/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/started-woodstock-keystone-install-pics.51259/
Thanks, Blades. Never having lived with a woodburner before, I didn't immediately realize the significance of the difference between a stand-alone chimney and a chimney liner. Anyhow, I am pricing out both flex and rigid liners with an eye towards DIY'ing the installation. I hope to generate a reasonably accurate forecast of expenses so that we can decide whether we want to go ahead with this.
One place you could check out is www.dynamitebuys.com. Ask for Sean. He's been very helpful to folks here. Their prices and service are good too.
+1 for dynamitebuys.com. Excellent prices and service. It sounds like you are the type to do your homework before jumping in head first (a must when you're dealing with a live fire inside your home) and you can save a bundle doing part or all of the install yourself.
I already stumbled on Dynamite Buys, because they're the company that has the insert. I'm happy to hear that they've got a good reputation.
It looks like the rigid DuraLiner works out to about $435 more than the DuraFlex with insulation. Anyone have thoughts about whether it's worth it?
It looks like the rigid DuraLiner works out to about $435 more than the DuraFlex with insulation. Anyone have thoughts about whether it's worth it?
Considering your expectation is to be just an occasional burner, it seems a bit of overkill, but no harm. Rigid is nice to clean and will last a long time.
fox9988
Minister of Fire
Mike welcome to the forum. I'm fairly new also, and have a new WS awaiting install. Start a new thread and tell us about your install, it's the easiest way to break the ice. Pics make friends
Mike welcome to the forum. I'm fairly new also, and have a new WS awaiting install. Start a new thread and tell us about your install, it's the easiest way to break the ice. Pics make friends
Hmm, 3 pittburgers
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