My switch from an insert to a stove has given me tranquility!

[Nick Mystic]

I am sensitive to sound and during the past eleven years I've put up with the constant drone of the fan in my insert whenever I burned a fire. The insert came with the house when we bought it, so it wasn't a conscious choice I made in picking an insert over a stove. Just recently I decided to replace the insert with a Jotul F 600 stove and I am thoroughly enjoying the silence of burning again! I find it so much more relaxing and peaceful to be able to sit in my easy chair, have some jazz playing quietly in the background, and read a book or just look at the flames. I make this observation for those folk out there trying to decide between an insert or a stove. How much do you enjoy quiet?

 

[Highbeam]

I share your experience as I too removed an insert that came with my home to install a freestander. The noise might be tolerable but the slience is pleasant. Now you will hear all sorts of other noises like the refrigerator cycling.

 

[Woody Stover]

I share your experience as I too removed an insert that came with my home to install a freestander. The noise might be tolerable but the slience is pleasant. Now you will hear all sorts of other noises like the refrigerator cycling.

Yeah, it's a question of volume. I think if you find a quiet blower, stock or aftermarket, you can live with it. Some people need to move a lot of air...

 

[velvetfoot]

I wish I could but I can't.

 

[Eaglecraft]

I am sensitive to sound and during the past eleven years I've put up with the constant drone of the fan in my insert whenever I burned a fire. The insert came with the house when we bought it, so it wasn't a conscious choice I made in picking an insert over a stove. Just recently I decided to replace the insert with a Jotul F 600 stove and I am thoroughly enjoying the silence of burning again! I find it so much more relaxing and peaceful to be able to sit in my easy chair, have some jazz playing quietly in the background, and read a book or just look at the flames. I make this observation for those folk out there trying to decide between an insert or a stove. How much do you enjoy quiet?

Nick:

I think that many folks would just as soon run their stoves without a fan - me included - but for many it's just not possible. I would include woodstoves and inserts in this argument.

From what I have read on this site, those of us with inserts must run a fan to get sufficient heat to other parts of their homes - I know that I do. I have my Clyde in its "full forward" position. Even so, I still need that fan to achieve sufficient heat distribution throughout the house.

Regarding choosing a hearth stove, or a free standing stove vs. an insert, the question of available space plays a significant part of the decision. The family room where I have my Clyde would not be suitable for a hearth stove, or a free standing stove. There is just not enough space. On the other hand, Clyde sits unobtrusive inside the fireplace cavity. No space in the room is given up to installing Clyde. That would not be true if I would have installed a hearth stove or free standing stove.

Once I got the fan quieted on Clyde - initially there was considerable rattling going on - which was solved - Clyde is relatively quiet and the sound drifts into the background of other noises in the house.

 

[mellow]

It takes a while to get used to the fan in the fall when we start it and in the spring when we stop it(ahh quiet), but when you have no other choice you learn to live with it.

 

[velvetfoot]

TV Ears also help.

http://www.tvears.com/

 

[adrpga498]

Free stranding was great during 2 week power outage. Thanks Sandy

 

[Slow1]

Now you will hear all sorts of other noises like the refrigerator cycling.

How true - and my refrigerator is free standing too, but I suppose there is no fixing the noise it makes

 

[Lumber-Jack]

I've never like the idea of inserts for that very reason, you just can't get much heat out of them without the use of a fan. The idea of taking a radiant heating device and sticking it in a hole makes no sense. You want to put that puppy out where it can "radiate" the heat out into the area you want to heat. But then I guess almost all inserts are kind of a "fix", or "work around" solution for an idea that was bad from the get go, that of a fireplace. Back in the 70's I worked for a contractor building houses. We build dozens of house on speculation, and he sold every one of them, and practically every one of them had a masonry fireplace. Even way back then I use to shake my head at these things because I knew they were a waste of money and useless for heating the house. Only two houses do I remember ever had just chimneys requested installed, with the intention of putting in a free standing wood stove after, they were both custom built houses where the owner knew something about wood heating. I'm curious how many of those useless fireplaces ended up with inserts stuck in them???

 

[WoodpileOCD]

I've never like the idea of inserts for that very reason, you just can't get much heat out of them without the use of a fan. The idea of taking a radiant heating device and sticking it in a hole makes no sense. You want to put that puppy out where it can "radiate" the heat out into the area you want to heat. But then I guess almost all inserts are kind of a "fix", or "work around" solution for an idea that was bad from the get go, that of a fireplace. Back in the 70's I worked for a contractor building houses. We build dozens of house on speculation, and he sold every one of them, and practically every one of them had a masonry fireplace. Even way back then I use to shake my head at these things because I knew they were a waste of money and useless for heating the house. Only two houses do I remember ever had just chimneys requested installed, with the intention of putting in a free standing wood stove after, they were both custom built houses where the owner knew something about wood heating. I'm curious how many of those useless fireplaces ended up with inserts stuck in them???

Thats all well and good and I agree completely with your thoughts of sticking a radiant heating device in a hole but many of us moved into those houses with masonry fireplaces and the fireplace wasn't anywhere near the deciding factor in buying the house. In many cases, the FP is in a room that just won't handle extending the hearth enough to put a freestanding stove practically. I have taken the surround off of mine when I put in the liner and blockoff plate and I'm convinced I get a lot more heat out of it with that 'hole' open to the room. I'd trade my insert for a freestanding in a heartbeat but it just isn't practical in my room. Good on those who can design their house around their stove ahead of time. Just saying that most of us don't have that option.

 

[begreen]

I loved the easy clean burning convenience of the pellet stove, but I sure did not miss the noise once it was gone.

 

[gyrfalcon]

I've never like the idea of inserts for that very reason, you just can't get much heat out of them without the use of a fan. The idea of taking a radiant heating device and sticking it in a hole makes no sense. You want to put that puppy out where it can "radiate" the heat out into the area you want to heat. But then I guess almost all inserts are kind of a "fix", or "work around" solution for an idea that was bad from the get go, that of a fireplace. Back in the 70's I worked for a contractor building houses. We build dozens of house on speculation, and he sold every one of them, and practically every one of them had a masonry fireplace. Even way back then I use to shake my head at these things because I knew they were a waste of money and useless for heating the house. Only two houses do I remember ever had just chimneys requested installed, with the intention of putting in a free standing wood stove after, they were both custom built houses where the owner knew something about wood heating. I'm curious how many of those useless fireplaces ended up with inserts stuck in them???

It's no surprise that old houses built during the 1800s after the invention of good woodstoves by and large do not have fireplaces. It's only when central heating became practical that builders started putting in fireplaces again, and usually with little concern for function but only for looks-- ie, usually with huge, handsome outside stone or rock structures.

 

[TradEddie]

Maybe those completely flush inserts are worse, but I really can't decide if there is any difference between having the fan on or not with mine, I bake either way. I only have it on lowest setting in any case, and it is silent, I need to turn it up just to check its running, and I am very very sensitive to noise.
No stove or insert is exclusively radiant or convective, making it overly simplistic is missing the point, which is that crappy fans are crap.

TE

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Thats all well and good and I agree completely with your thoughts of sticking a radiant heating device in a hole but many of us moved into those houses with masonry fireplaces and the fireplace wasn't anywhere near the deciding factor in buying the house. In many cases, the FP is in a room that just won't handle extending the hearth enough to put a freestanding stove practically. I have taken the surround off of mine when I put in the liner and blockoff plate and I'm convinced I get a lot more heat out of it with that 'hole' open to the room. I'd trade my insert for a freestanding in a heartbeat but it just isn't practical in my room. Good on those who can design their house around their stove ahead of time. Just saying that most of us don't have that option.

I know what you are saying, you weren't given the option. Had I had my way back when we built those houses I would have just installed the chimneys like those couple custom houses we built. As Gyrfalcon said, those fireplaces, that were included in the plans, were designed just for looks, probably at that time the bank appraisals added a certain amount for having a fireplace in a house, so it was worth adding them in, but it would have been way cheaper to just build a chimney, and IMHO, a lot more practical.
It's a shame, but it's not very often that architects every design a chimney and an area for wood stoves into house designs.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Maybe those completely flush inserts are worse, but I really can't decide if there is any difference between having the fan on or not with mine, I bake either way. I only have it on lowest setting in any case, and it is silent, I need to turn it up just to check its running, and I am very very sensitive to noise.
No stove or insert is exclusively radiant or convective, making it overly simplistic is missing the point, which is that crappy fans are crap.

TE

I'm sure the flush mounts are worse than the inserts that protrude out into the room a bit. The more exposed surface area of the stove you can get out into the open, the better it will be able to radiate the heat.

 

[Beer Belly]

Our Avalon Ranier Insert stands out of the fireplace about 11 inches out of it's total 14 inch depth, so it does look a little like a free standing with a surround. We do use the fan, yes, it is a little noisey, but when we are in the room and want quiet, we shut it down......but at night, that puppy is on high, and if thats what it takes, so be it. The insert in our case, was our best option due to location of the fireplace.....if we finish off the rest of our lower level, we'll have a freestanding down there.