Looking for New Wood Stove Insert

[PantsOnFire]

I have been reading about stoves here a for awhile, now it’s time to see if I have learned anything. I am looking for a wood burning fireplace insert.

The house is 1350 sq ft ranch, good insulation and windows. Existing masonry fireplace in the 280 sq ft living room with a large picture window, eight foot ceilings, connected to kitchen and bedrooms with hallway. Currently have a heat pump, looking at the insert for supplemental heating and enjoyment of the fire. Fifteen foot tall chimney, ten inch diameter tile liner. Fireplace has air vent in bottom, when I open the damper, the spider webs shake and there is a good draft.

Fireplace dimensions-
36” wide, 24” high, 23” deep
21” from top of fireplace to mantel
Hearth width 16”, 14” above carpeted floor
Clearances to combustibles are good



Winter time low temperatures in western Oregon of 40s during the day, 30s (sometimes 20s) at night.

Wood inserts I have considered-

Regency- Their Classic line doesn’t meet EPA efficiency, their Cascade line has negative comments about it.

Lopi Evergreen- Like this insert for it’s features, EPA efficiency, heats 1200-2000 sq ft, but the 2.2 cu ft firebox seems too large. Is it just too large for me?

Lopi Answer- Small 1.5 cu ft firebox, heats up to 1200 sq ft, doesn’t meet EPA efficiency, would be nice if Lopi upgraded it to match the Evergreen features. Too small for me?

Kuma Alpine LE- My best choice. Like it features, heats 1200-1800 sq ft, 1.8 cu ft firebox, high EPA efficiency, fits well in the fireplace. Members here have mixed opinions of cat stoves, I’m not a fan of the neighborhood cats, but I can live with this cat stove.

I expect to operate the stove at medium and low capacity, which leads me to my big question- is the Kuma Alpine the right size for my house? I will be using the heat pump’s fan to move air around the house, but will it get toasty in the living room?

Any thoughts on another insert I should consider?

I welcome your comments and questions. Thanks for reading.

 

[NorthernFireplaceFool]

I would go bigger sized firebox if you can. I am using a 1.3 based on size restrictions of my fireplace. If I could have gotten one with a bigger firebox I absolutely would have. You can always build a smaller fire, can't do the opposite in a small fireplace insert. I max out 4 splits in the 1.3. Food for thought.

 

[bholler]

I have been reading about stoves here a for awhile, now it’s time to see if I have learned anything. I am looking for a wood burning fireplace insert.

The house is 1350 sq ft ranch, good insulation and windows. Existing masonry fireplace in the 280 sq ft living room with a large picture window, eight foot ceilings, connected to kitchen and bedrooms with hallway. Currently have a heat pump, looking at the insert for supplemental heating and enjoyment of the fire. Fifteen foot tall chimney, ten inch diameter tile liner. Fireplace has air vent in bottom, when I open the damper, the spider webs shake and there is a good draft.

Fireplace dimensions-
36” wide, 24” high, 23” deep
21” from top of fireplace to mantel
Hearth width 16”, 14” above carpeted floor
Clearances to combustibles are good

View attachment 311048

Winter time low temperatures in western Oregon of 40s during the day, 30s (sometimes 20s) at night.

Wood inserts I have considered-

Regency- Their Classic line doesn’t meet EPA efficiency, their Cascade line has negative comments about it.

Lopi Evergreen- Like this insert for it’s features, EPA efficiency, heats 1200-2000 sq ft, but the 2.2 cu ft firebox seems too large. Is it just too large for me?

Lopi Answer- Small 1.5 cu ft firebox, heats up to 1200 sq ft, doesn’t meet EPA efficiency, would be nice if Lopi upgraded it to match the Evergreen features. Too small for me?

Kuma Alpine LE- My best choice. Like it features, heats 1200-1800 sq ft, 1.8 cu ft firebox, high EPA efficiency, fits well in the fireplace. Members here have mixed opinions of cat stoves, I’m not a fan of the neighborhood cats, but I can live with this cat stove.

I expect to operate the stove at medium and low capacity, which leads me to my big question- is the Kuma Alpine the right size for my house? I will be using the heat pump’s fan to move air around the house, but will it get toasty in the living room?

Any thoughts on another insert I should consider?

I welcome your comments and questions. Thanks for reading.

Look at the regency 2700 pro line and the blaze king inserts. If they will fit they will give you allot of heat output flexibility with longer burn times.

Btw every insert on the market now has met EPA regulations. Just some aren't efficient enough to qualify for the tax credit. Functionally you will never notice the efficency difference. But the tax credit is nice

 

[PantsOnFire]

Thank you NorthernFireplaceFool and bholler for your comments on firebox size.

Bholler- I have read a lot of your comments here and found them to very valuable in my learning process.

I will go back and look at the two makes that you mentioned.

I have been to the Regency dealer, originally looking at pellet stoves and the price really scared me off. And you past comments about the Classic line did the same.

I will look again at the Blaze King inserts, but the product summaries catch my eye-
Ashford and Sirocco 25- Medium sized insert at 2.3 cu ft, up to a 22” log, 25 hour burn time. That’s medium sized?

The tax credit got me interested in buying an insert in the first place and it’s too nice to past up.

 

[buc74]

We have currently have a cat stove (Kuma Alpine) at our main home and a non cat (Buck 74) at our vacation home up north. My wife doesn't care for the cat stove and leaves me to keep the stove running. Now our place up north she keeps the stove going during the day and loves it. It seems a non cat stove fits well when multiple people with little stove experience are using it. The cat stove has like two extra steps to remember when operating. But no big deal once you do it a few times. We chose the Alpine cuz it was the largest we could fit in our opening and the folks at Kuma are a pleasure to deal with. The Alpine does use far less wood and has longer burn times than the Buck even at being a smaller stove. Cat or non cat you'll be happy either way, the new stoves are very efficient these days.

 

[broadhead]

Thank you NorthernFireplaceFool and bholler for your comments on firebox size.

Bholler- I have read a lot of your comments here and found them to very valuable in my learning process.

I will go back and look at the two makes that you mentioned.

I have been to the Regency dealer, originally looking at pellet stoves and the price really scared me off. And you past comments about the Classic line did the same.

I will look again at the Blaze King inserts, but the product summaries catch my eye-
Ashford and Sirocco 25- Medium sized insert at 2.3 cu ft, up to a 22” log, 25 hour burn time. That’s medium sized?

The tax credit got me interested in buying an insert in the first place and it’s too nice to past up.

I have a BK AF25 and a Kuma Alpine LE. Big fan of both but if I was heating with just one, I would go Kuma. Much longer burns on the BK but I do think the Kuma puts out more heat in shorter times. If I could fit the cascade, I would have went with it. I am not sure if the BK would perform better with the flue that my Kuma is hooked up to and vice versa. The Kuma sufficiently heats 1500 sqft upstairs. The BK heats 900 but this is with 2-3 loads a day running low. Kuma has a 16' stack, BK has 25 with some odd bends in the flue. Just took a kink out of the liner from installation yesterday, hoping for some better performance here on out. FYI if your hearth is 16" deep you may not be able to run either of these without hearth extension to reach minimum clearances. I would say it would be worth it to lay a row of tile or two to get the Kuma out on the hearth for extra heat radiation.

 

[broadhead]

 

[PantsOnFire]

We have currently have a cat stove (Kuma Alpine) at our main home and a non cat (Buck 74) at our vacation home up north. My wife doesn't care for the cat stove and leaves me to keep the stove running. Now our place up north she keeps the stove going during the day and loves it. It seems a non cat stove fits well when multiple people with little stove experience are using it. The cat stove has like two extra steps to remember when operating. But no big deal once you do it a few times. We chose the Alpine cuz it was the largest we could fit in our opening and the folks at Kuma are a pleasure to deal with. The Alpine does use far less wood and has longer burn times than the Buck even at being a smaller stove. Cat or non cat you'll be happy either way, the new stoves are very efficient these days.

Thanks buc74 for your positive comments on the Kuma Alpine, just what I’m looking for. So far the Alpine is the best fit for my fireplace. I have read the Alpine user manual, there are a few steps to operating it, and it’s nice that they explain it. My previous experience with wood stoves was years ago, when the stoves were metal boxes; put the wood in, fire it up, don’t look out the window at all the smoke.

 

[PantsOnFire]

I have a BK AF25 and a Kuma Alpine LE. Big fan of both but if I was heating with just one, I would go Kuma. Much longer burns on the BK but I do think the Kuma puts out more heat in shorter times. If I could fit the cascade, I would have went with it. I am not sure if the BK would perform better with the flue that my Kuma is hooked up to and vice versa. The Kuma sufficiently heats 1500 sqft upstairs. The BK heats 900 but this is with 2-3 loads a day running low. Kuma has a 16' stack, BK has 25 with some odd bends in the flue. Just took a kink out of the liner from installation yesterday, hoping for some better performance here on out. FYI if your hearth is 16" deep you may not be able to run either of these without hearth extension to reach minimum clearances. I would say it would be worth it to lay a row of tile or two to get the Kuma out on the hearth for extra heat radiation.

Broadhead, thanks for your positive comments on the Kuma Alpine. It was suggested that I look at the BK inserts, but I think they are too large for me.
I know I am going to need a hearth extension. I guess the Kuma can be out on the hearth a little ways, something to discuss with the installer and how it lines up with the chimney liner. Looks like you have yours out far enough to hold the kettle. I’m thinking about taking the panel on and off, assuming that is something I can do, to see how that affects the heat flow. Nice picture of the Kuma in action.

 

[bholler]

Broadhead, thanks for your positive comments on the Kuma Alpine. It was suggested that I look at the BK inserts, but I think they are too large for me.
I know I am going to need a hearth extension. I guess the Kuma can be out on the hearth a little ways, something to discuss with the installer and how it lines up with the chimney liner. Looks like you have yours out far enough to hold the kettle. I’m thinking about taking the panel on and off, assuming that is something I can do, to see how that affects the heat flow. Nice picture of the Kuma in action.

Too large because they won't fit in your fireplace?

 

[begreen]

Give Kuma a call and speak with Jason. It's a small company with good customer service.

 

[broadhead]

Broadhead, thanks for your positive comments on the Kuma Alpine. It was suggested that I look at the BK inserts, but I think they are too large for me.
I know I am going to need a hearth extension. I guess the Kuma can be out on the hearth a little ways, something to discuss with the installer and how it lines up with the chimney liner. Looks like you have yours out far enough to hold the kettle. I’m thinking about taking the panel on and off, assuming that is something I can do, to see how that affects the heat flow. Nice picture of the Kuma in action.

The surround comes on and off relatively easy. You can adjust how much of the Kuma you want on the hearth a lot more than many other brands. I think they look good without the surround but they look awesome with them too.

 

[PantsOnFire]

Too large because they won't fit in your fireplace?

The medium size BK Ashford and SIrocco will fit in the fireplace, but I can’t help thinking they are too big for my house. With a 2.3 cu ft firebox that can hold up to 35 pounds of Doug fir, that seems like a lot for a 280 sq ft living room. I would always be running partial loads and trying to move the heat into the rest of the house. My dealer has both Kuma and Blaze King, I will look and compare them.

And now seeing broadhead’s Alpine out far enough to hold a kettle, I one of these fools who thinks he can put a dutch oven on it and cook away.

 

[PantsOnFire]

Give Kuma a call and speak with Jason. It's a small company with good customer service.

I am thinking of going to the local dealer soon to ask more questions about the stove and installation, so if the need arises, we can call the dealer. I do like it that Kuma is a small company. I have looked at satellite maps of Rathdrum ID and what looks like the Kuma factory, maybe a couple of their large stoves could heat the whole place.

 

[PantsOnFire]

The surround comes on and off relatively easy. You can adjust how much of the Kuma you want on the hearth a lot more than many other brands. I think they look good without the surround but they look awesome with them too.

My thinking at this point, is surround installed during the summer and off during the winter. But I expect to do some experimenting, to see how the heat moves around, what sort of temperatures I get.

 

[bholler]

The medium size BK Ashford and SIrocco will fit in the fireplace, but I can’t help thinking they are too big for my house. With a 2.3 cu ft firebox that can hold up to 35 pounds of Doug fir, that seems like a lot for a 280 sq ft living room. I would always be running partial loads and trying to move the heat into the rest of the house. My dealer has both Kuma and Blaze King, I will look and compare them.

And now seeing broadhead’s Alpine out far enough to hold a kettle, I one of these fools who thinks he can put a dutch oven on it and cook away.

Look at the BTU output ratings on low for the blaze kings. Yes it holds allot of wood but it burns that wood over 25 hours or so. Blazekings aren't great if you need high output. But are fantastic at low and slow

 

[PantsOnFire]

Look at the BTU output ratings on low for the blaze kings. Yes it holds allot of wood but it burns that wood over 25 hours or so. Blazekings aren't great if you need high output. But are fantastic at low and slow

Ok, I will research BK some more. It's great to search this forum and read comments about stoves from people who are using them.

 

[bholler]

Ok, I will research BK some more. It's great to search this forum and read comments about stoves from people who are using them.

Nothing against kuma or any of the other stoves listed. I am sure they would all work. I just think bk would fit well in your situation

 

[broadhead]

Ok, I will research BK some more. It's great to search this forum and read comments about stoves from people who are using them.

I think the Kuma would heat you out of the room before the BK would. Love the turn down on the Bk love the heat output in the Kuma when the BK can’t handle the below 30 temps for my house layout.

 

[PantsOnFire]

I think the Kuma would heat you out of the room before the BK would. Love the turn down on the Bk love the heat output in the Kuma when the BK can’t handle the below 30 temps for my house layout.

As I am comparing the Kuma and BK Ashford (and Sirocco) it dawned on me that you have those two stoves. So thanks for your opinion.

And thanks to bholler, I am getting what I wanted out of this forum, different opinions that make me think about other makes of stoves. I started with liking Lopi, then Kuma, and now Blaze King. Glad I started doing this far enough ahead of next winter.

 

[buc74]

The surround comes on and off relatively easy. You can adjust how much of the Kuma you want on the hearth a lot more than many other brands. I think they look good without the surround but they look awesome with them too.

Our Kuma without the surround. Just to give you an idea what it could look like.

 

[PantsOnFire]

View attachment 311078
Our Kuma without the surround. Just to give you an idea what it could look like.

Thanks for that picture, it looks nice. I have only seen the regular Kuma stoves in person, not an insert, but they do look good, no need to hide them behind a surround. If I get a Kuma, I will be trying it with and without the surround to see what difference it makes in heat flow.

 

[TomMcDonald]

I found my Pacific Energy insert would seem to blow much less volume of air with the surround removed. Obviously individual stoves will vary.

 

[PantsOnFire]

I found my Pacific Energy insert would seem to blow much less volume of air with the surround removed. Obviously individual stoves will vary.

With the surround off, did you notice any additional heat coming from the stove itself or from the inside of the fireplace? Did you have a fan trying to pull that heat out into the room?

 

[begreen]

If you are heating with a decent heatpump in our climate then the advantage of a low and slow cat stove is diminished. It makes more sense to run the heatpump in mild weather than to burn low and slow, especially if the firewood is purchased. You could save a lot of money and heat well when it gets cold with a Drolet Escape 1800 there if it fits the fireplace. At that price point the tax credit savings becomes moot.