Considering the lopi freedom bay wood insert. Trying to heat about 2500sq/ft. Do any of you have experience with this model? Would you recommend a different model? What would be a good price? Thanks again for the help.
lopi freedom bay
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Well, Lopi says it should be able to keep up with 2250 square feet. That may be smaller than your house, but the way I see it, when we're talking about large houses like yours, the challenge increasingly becomes not producing enough heat, but distributing it around the house. Besides, it's the largest insert Lopi makes, and among the largest available. You won't find many options that can put out more heat without going to a free-standing fireplace.
My guess would be that as long as your house is reasonably well insulated, and has a moderately open floor plan, you will be able to heat most of your house with it, if not all.
For comparison, I've got the moderately smaller, more recessed (which reduces the natural convection) Declaration/Flush Wood Plus. Lopi suggests it for homes up to 2000 square feet. In an 1800 square foot home built in the 1980's, which I'd estimate is not quite as well insulated as current new build homes in my area, I've never had it fail to keep up with the amount of heat I need. I think the lowest outdoor temperature I've used it for was about 15 degrees F. It does need more frequent feeding in colder weather, but that's a universal reality.
Because the circulation in my house could be better, I sometimes run a space heater in the master bedroom for about an hour before bed time - a reasonably minimal amount of supplemental heat, in my opinion, but if I could circulate heat better in my home, I believe it could keep every room comfortable.
I'll also add that I think the Freedom Bay is the nicest looking insert Lopi makes. If it fits your budget, it's a great option. I'll let others suggest alternative options if they want, or share what they paid.
My guess would be that as long as your house is reasonably well insulated, and has a moderately open floor plan, you will be able to heat most of your house with it, if not all.
For comparison, I've got the moderately smaller, more recessed (which reduces the natural convection) Declaration/Flush Wood Plus. Lopi suggests it for homes up to 2000 square feet. In an 1800 square foot home built in the 1980's, which I'd estimate is not quite as well insulated as current new build homes in my area, I've never had it fail to keep up with the amount of heat I need. I think the lowest outdoor temperature I've used it for was about 15 degrees F. It does need more frequent feeding in colder weather, but that's a universal reality.
Because the circulation in my house could be better, I sometimes run a space heater in the master bedroom for about an hour before bed time - a reasonably minimal amount of supplemental heat, in my opinion, but if I could circulate heat better in my home, I believe it could keep every room comfortable.
I'll also add that I think the Freedom Bay is the nicest looking insert Lopi makes. If it fits your budget, it's a great option. I'll let others suggest alternative options if they want, or share what they paid.
jaychino415
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If it's used i got mine off of CG for under $700, it was barely used at all. Primarily used in a vacation home.
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