Lopi Freedom problems

[heydan]

I was close to buying a Lopi Freedom insert when I got a bad review of it from a chimney sweep. He said he didn't think much of it because his customers universally complain about short burn times. He also felt that its maximum heat output of 73,300 btu/hr was relatively low for a 2.9 cu ft firebox stove, that it's a hassle to load a tapered firebox because most people cut all their wood to the same length which needs to fit the narrowest part of the firebox, and that Lopi's 7-year warranty is measly. He felt a much better choice would be a Pacific Energy D1 insert or a Regency I2400 (which I already have one of) but that the Lopi Freedom was a much worse choice.

The thing that had attracted me to the Lopi Freedom was the 2.9 cu ft firebox, which is bigger than the D1 or I2400 but now this bad review is making me think twice. Are there any Lopi Freedom owners out there who can confirm or deny this chimney sweep's assessment?

 

[begreen]

That is surprising, but I can't comment as I haven't owned or worked with one. Is this like the Avalon Olympic firebox or different? I'm not sure why the installer suggested the PE D1. The Summit insert would be a more appropriate size comparison.

 

[Todd]

I can understand the short burn times for the Lopi because there is no way to control the secondary air supply and you can't put a pipe damper on an insert to slow down excessive draft problems. The Summit has EBT, so it has more control and longer burns. If your looking for long burns check out the Blaze King Princess insert.

 

[Hanko]

I didnt think any of the stoves had adjustment on the secondary air supply. That Is what i was told is how they got there EPA cert.

 

[Highbeam]

Almost no stove has an adjustable secondary air supply. That is not the reason for short burns. I owned a Lopi Freedom, the bay model, that was a well used insert with a shoddy installation into a big masonry chiney and it had burn times that were not unlike other stoves. I believe that the real reason for short burn times on a non-cat stove is that the minimum allowed primary air setting is set too high to make sure that you don't smother the stove into a smokey mess. In the old days, you could actually shut the draft all the way down to zero but these new EPA stoves require some minimum air inlet for clean combustion.

I, and many others, had no problem with the Lopi freedom or with the Lopi stoves in general. They are a good manufacturer of plate steel stoves. I don't like inserts and I needed to tear down my masonry chimney so I went freestanding.

 

[atvdave]

I'm new here so i can't really say much. I also have a Lopi Freedom Bay insert and I get very good burn times. I load the box with wood around 10pm and when I get up in the morning at 5am I still have very hot coals to re-start a new fire. On the weekends I sleep a bit longer but I still get about a 8 to 10 hour burn time.

 

[CT-Mike]

I also have a Freedom (non-bay model) and load the thing up around 10 PM, and still have a whole mess of hot coals to get a new fire going in the morning, be it 5 AM or 10 AM. I am very satisfied with this stove.