Looking to replace my existing fireplace insert with new. Need help narrowing down the many options.

[cloper91]

Like the title says I am looking at buying a insert and need help narrowing the options. There seems to be dozens of different manufactures out there.

Here is some basic info. I currently have a "Little Buck" brand insert manufactured by the old buck stove corp. I got it for free not long after my wife and I bought our house. We installed it into the fireplace and were pretty happy with it for the first year or so but it has been giveing us a lot of problems lately and we are thinking about replacing it. So I guess I am familiar with burning wood.
My parents burned wood when I was a kid and my wife and I have burned now for at least 3 years.

My fireplace opening is approx 36" wide by about 26" tall. Maybe just a little larger. I will have to pull our existing insert to get an exact measurement but those are very close. I am concerned with heating around 1800-2000 sq. ft. I don't really care about asthetics. It doesn't need to be a flush mount unit. Wife doesn't care either. I don't need the largest glass viewing area in its class or anything. I am not all about watching the fire burn. It is all about heat and reliablility. This is going to be the main heat source with the backup being electric baseboard. One absolute must is that it must have a front mounted blower motor. That is part of the problem with our existing insert as it has a rear mounted blower that has gave us problems. Ease of maintence and access to repairs is a must. I would like a max log size at least 20". I figure the larger the firebox and larger the log size the longer the burn time. Also burn time is a key aspect. I expect to be able to burn overnight. I don't mind getting up once in the night to load the stove but would prefer not to. I have gotten burn times of up to 4 hrs on our existing small insert so I figure overnight should not be a problem on these newer more efficient longer burn time stoves. I don't really care if it is a catalyst stove or not. So I guess that pretty much wraps up what I am looking for. As far as price it would seem that wood stoves have gotten pretty expensive based on what prices I have seen online. I am looking to stay around $2500 or less if possible. I can install it myself as I did with my current unit so the installation is not a problem.

I have been looking at a few units that look pretty good. I guess give me your opinions on them and let me know of any that I maybe should consider that I have not yet. I looked at the Lopi Declaration/Avalon Perfect fit/Fireplace Extrodinair FP X33 you know the Travis Industries unit. It seems to have good burn time and log size and heat output. Also am thinking about the Appalachian 36BW, Jotul C550 Rockland, Osburn 2400, and the Pacific Energy Super insert.

Are there any others that I have not mentioned that should be looked at? There seems to be so many out there it is hard to even figure it all out. Thanks for any input that you may provide.

 

[Truckinmedic88]

Just a suggestion here for your consideration. Now before I state it, let me mention that I have a home in the woods and have plenty of firewood. When it came time to do something with the fireplace, I decided to investigate using coal. Main reason, So I don't need to get up during the night to add wood. I have a fairly large inside area to heat and the coal stove does a fine job. Also we can go away for a day or so and it is still burning when we get home. The ashes are not as much of a problem as I thought they would be. I only found 2 companies that manufacture coal inserts and although they both looked good, I chose to go with the Hitzer 983. It should also please you to know it is built in Indiana. However the weight-around 600 lbs and the cost may be more than you budgeted. I found it to be well worth it.
Richard

 

[cloper91]

Well I have a couple issues with burning coal. I guess first and foremost is that I would have to buy coal and I have free wood. To me a large reason that I currently burn wood is that it is free heat. Sure I run some gas and oil through the chainsaw and logsplitter and I have to spend a little electricity to run the blower motor on the stove but it is very cheap heat we will say. I would have to buy coal (I have no idea how much that would cost) and to me that kind of offsets that whole idea. Second there is no way the wife is going to be cool with burning coal. She is comfortable with wood and I don't really want to spring the whole coal idea on her. Anyway I do like that it is made in Indiana actually in Berne, IN which is just a few hours north of me. I also like that it also burns wood though I do get the impression that it is pretty much a coal stove that can burn wood and wood is not really its intended fuel. I may be wrong though.

I guess that I am not that concerned about the stove running 100% of the time. I don't mind getting up once in the night to load wood in the stove but if I can avoid it thats great. With our current insert before it started acting up on us I would get around a 4hr burn time which ment I was up once in the night. Sometimes twice I guess. And that is a small stove so I am sure it would not be an issue with a larger stove. Also if we leave the house for several hours and then come back if there is a fire going that is great if not it is not a huge deal as the house will still be warm and if I want a fire I will just start it again. I guess I am saying that it is not critical that it be going all the time as long as the house stays warm. I do have the electric baseboard as a backup I just don't want to be heating the whole house with them as electricity is expensive and turning electricity into heat (which is what a electric baseboard heater does of course) is not a very efficient process.

Thanks for the suggestion. That is the kind of stuff I am looking for. Anything I have not thought about before or other stoves to consider.

 

[gzecc]

What is wrong with the little buck. If your only getting 4 hrs from it something is wrong. Is there a liner in the chimney?
How long is your wood seasoned, and what species is it?

 

[Fsappo]

You really cant go wrong with a Travis product..I'd look at the Quad 5100I and the Regency 3100I also. Big boxes, long burn times, good warranty.

 

[woodmeister]

I have an Avalon Rainier that has been great although I no longer use it because I went the next step and got a gassifier.

 

[Lanningjw]

I have had a couple of inserts and put a Blaze king princess insert (PI1010A) in this fall. All night burns with a large fire box at 2.8. I would strongly advise you to consider this unit. It has amazed me with it burn times. So far, I always have heat and coals Evan after a 12 hour shift at the hospital. That means I load at 5A, and then again at 630P. I reload with the remaining coals, with a quick take off, the house was at 70 plus degrees for most of the day with below freezing weather. The fan is quit and blows the heat into the living room where it is blown around with the ceiling fan.

 

[cloper91]

What is wrong with the little buck. If your only getting 4 hrs from it something is wrong. Is there a liner in the chimney?
How long is your wood seasoned, and what species is it?

I guess we will start with the wood. I burn basiclly whatever I can get but the pile that I have been pulling from is a mixture of Poplar, Pine, Cedar, Locust, Ash, Maple. Mainly Locust and Poplar right now with the occational pine and cedar mainly to start the fires. Anyway the wood has been seasoned about a year. Maybe not quite that long at least 8 months I would say. Loosely covered most of the year. Maybe not the best but it is generally good.

Chimney is not lined with triple wall stainless or anything like that. Just sending the smoke from the stove straight up the existing fireplace chimney. I am pretty sure it has a clay type liner.

The problems all started on night when I screwed up and overheated the stove. I put in way to much locust which burns very hot and caused the thermal overload protection on the blower motor to kick the blower off. I opened the doors to the stove pushed in the damper and let things cool off and burn down. I know the stove got hot but I do not have a thermometer on it so I am not sure of the temps that it got to but it smelled hot and you could just tell it definatly got overheated. Not long after the the blower motor started to kick in and out especially on the low speed. It would not stop but would briefly cut out and then start right back up. This was with a decent fire going. The motor also started to make some rattle noises. I had the motor rebuilt but a local electrical motor rebuilder and installed it. It was really no better than the old one. I don't think they did much to it other than take it apart, clean it up, and put it back together. The price was cheap but like I say I am not sure much was actually done to it.

I then bought a new motor. Intalled it. The noise and cutting out problems went away but now it seems that the stove wants to "overheat" when it is not even close to hot. The thermal overload protection will kick in and the motor will shut down just like it was way to hot. But the stove is not even near as hot as it was the first time when I know I got it to hot. I can take a few peices of split seasoned poplar and then split it even further with a hatchet. Maybe make about 6 peices of 1.5"x1.5" sticks about 15 inches long and throw in there and it will "overheat" and kick off the blower. I have to just add peice by peice to keep it going and not overheating. Not exactly ideal.

Now I also know that my thermostats that control my 3-speed blow are acting up as well. As the blower will never really get up to the second speed. The blower shuts down like it has overheated way before it gets to that point. I just use the fan on manual which defaults to speed 2. I am considering replacing the thermostat discs but they are around $80 plus shipping and I have just been using the blower on manual anyway. I guess one question I have is that I assume the thermal protection on the blower motor is 100% seperate from the thermostats but if it were somehow tied into them to sense the temp. then that could be the problem I guess. I really don't know that answer to that.

But the burn times with the stove is not really my problem with it. It is "overheating" problem I am having. That is kind of why I am looking to replace it.

 

[ssordo]

Hi Cloper91, I am relatively new here to Hearth, but not to burning wood. Been burning wood the last 5 seasons in my VC defiant, I burn 24/7 and haven't used my electric baseboard heat yet, it would cost me an arm and a leg. I too have access to an unlimited supply of wood for free, accept for the fuel to cut/split/haul, that's all I spend in a season to heat almost 2800 sq ft. I just took delivery of a Buck 91 Bay insert to be used in a full masonry fireplace that doesn't get much use. I got it to supplement when it's really cold as well as block off the cold air that big fireplace let's in. The VC Defiant (catalytic) is still a pretty good unit despite the reviews it gets here, I do have to run it pretty hard to keep the house warm (70) when it's below 30. I thought rather than push it (over 600 stove top temp), I prefer to keep it at around 500, it seems to like cruising at that temp. I did a lot of research and looked at all the brands you did as well, and decided on the Buck 91.The price is not exorbitant, it was around $2500, the build quality is great- built like a tank at almost 600 lbs., took it off the truck myself, it's a beast! I like the fact that it is a catalytic for long burn times and even heat. It has 4.4 cu ft firebox, in all the research I haven't found one bigger. I have yet to install it, still looking at what to line the chimney with, pretty much decided on Duraliner. I'm doing the install myself, so want to make sure I have all the information I need to make it right. When I get this thing installed and fired up, I'll post some pics and a performance review. Good luck on your quest for the right insert. ;-)

 

[gzecc]

Have you spoken to these people regarding it ? (broken link removed). They are very helpful. Your over firing doesn't make sense to me. I think you have a thermostat problem. Mine sometimes goes on and off. You have to put it in manual, wait for a click, then back to automatic.
I would suggest fixing the problem, probably thermostat, and lining the chimney. Make sure when you line the chimney you use the appropriate liner that you would use in a new insert you like. In case you want a new stove in the future, you surely don't want to change the liner!

 

[cloper91]

I have not spoken to them yet about my problem but that is where I buy parts. I bought the new blower motor from them as well as some gaskets and seals. Stuff like that. I may call them and tell them what I have going and maybe it can be fixed on the cheap. I could buy everything for the stove minus the actual stove and still be way cheaper than a new insert.

 

[gzecc]

Cloper, thats for sure. The liner will make a big difference in performance. A blockoff plate above the firebox will also help. It sounds like you replace the door seals? Repair for 100's replace for 1000's. Do you have an exterior chimney?

 

[savageactor7]

If you're looking for maximum savings while running around the house in T shirt and shorts then think about a free standing stove.

 

[THEMAN]

Hi Cloper91, I am relatively new here to Hearth, but not to burning wood. Been burning wood the last 5 seasons in my VC defiant, I burn 24/7 and haven't used my electric baseboard heat yet, it would cost me an arm and a leg. I too have access to an unlimited supply of wood for free, accept for the fuel to cut/split/haul, that's all I spend in a season to heat almost 2800 sq ft. I just took delivery of a Buck 91 Bay insert to be used in a full masonry fireplace that doesn't get much use. I got it to supplement when it's really cold as well as block off the cold air that big fireplace let's in. The VC Defiant (catalytic) is still a pretty good unit despite the reviews it gets here, I do have to run it pretty hard to keep the house warm (70) when it's below 30. I thought rather than push it (over 600 stove top temp), I prefer to keep it at around 500, it seems to like cruising at that temp. I did a lot of research and looked at all the brands you did as well, and decided on the Buck 91.The price is not exorbitant, it was around $2500, the build quality is great- built like a tank at almost 600 lbs., took it off the truck myself, it's a beast! I like the fact that it is a catalytic for long burn times and even heat. It has 4.4 cu ft firebox, in all the research I haven't found one bigger. I have yet to install it, still looking at what to line the chimney with, pretty much decided on Duraliner. I'm doing the install myself, so want to make sure I have all the information I need to make it right. When I get this thing installed and fired up, I'll post some pics and a performance review. Good luck on your quest for the right insert. ;-)

I agree, however biased I supposed as I too have a buck 91. This insert rocks! As mentioned it is built like a tank the blower puts out great amount of heat and I don't find it too loud. The large firebox allows for larger and longer lasting loads. The catalytic conbustor really extends the burn time 6+hrs I usually only load the thing twice a day. I only have a direct connect at this time and like I said I have had no problems with it heating the house, last week we were in the 20's and the house was a nice 72*f in the room farthest from the insert/stove. The room with the insert was 76*f but I have a 14' vaulted ceiling otherwise I know it would be in the mid to upper 80's.

 

[Chargerman]

Check out the Country Flame BBF too if the Buck 91 interests you. It is another big Cat stove. I like it so much I bought another for the basement.

Just make sure you check and double check all your clearances with whatever you buy.

 

[tfdchief]

I have not spoken to them yet about my problem but that is where I buy parts. I bought the new blower motor from them as well as some gaskets and seals. Stuff like that. I may call them and tell them what I have going and maybe it can be fixed on the cheap. I could buy everything for the stove minus the actual stove and still be way cheaper than a new insert.

Cloper, check this place... (broken link removed) They have buck parts and I have ordered from them. good service. It sounds like a thermostat problem to me, now that you have replaced the motor. The motor thermal overload is not tied to the box thermostat discs in any way and it doesn't sound like you are overfiring it now.