jameskira said:
Hi,
We live in Amherst, MA and want to buy a wood stove insert for our fireplace. Our house is about 1500 sq feet, and we hope to use the insert as our primary heat source, with our oil furnace as backup. So what are the best brands for inserts, what is soapstone and should I consider it, any recommendations on local dealers/installers.
Any and all advice appreciated....don't assume I know anything!
- Sue
You will probably need to get the chimney lined, preferably with an insulated liner since it's an exterior chimney. Do you know what the current flue dimensions are? Is the flue tile lined? Is it straight - if you open the damper and look up can you see the sky?
What kind of space do you have available for wood storage, and how do you plan to handle getting your wood supply? Scrounge? Purchase "log length" and process it yourself? (my approach) Purchase "cut & split"? Note that you need to have your wood stash ready a year or more before you want to burn it so that it has time to season properly. It is way late this year to process your own, and have it ready so you will have to do cut & split, and even that is getting late - it may be worth considering going through this winter on fossil fuel while you research your options and make the purchase in the spring when there is less of a rush.
From the size fireplace you mention, you will have a pretty wide range of choices, just about any insert should fit. Pretty much any of the brands mentioned frequently in these forums are good and will function in a similar way. Probably the three biggest factors to consider are firebox size, aesthetics and price. The latter two are up to you, and we can't help a great deal there. Firebox size is the key factor that determines how much heat you can get from the unit, and how long it will burn. I am a fan of the 2-3 cubic foot size as that seems to work pretty well. Smaller than 2 cf tends to have trouble getting an overnight burn, larger than 3 cf will run you out of the house at full bore.
Soapstone is one of the three main materials used in stove making - it is pretty, tends to be more expensive, and it's proponents argue that it puts out a more even "friendlier" heat than plate steel or cast iron, and holds the heat longer. It does take a longer time to start delivering heat when starting from a cold stove, so it is best for those that burn 24/7. Soapstone probably offers less benefits for an insert than it does in a stand alone stove.
Plate steel tends to be more modernistic and / or industrial looking, and is generally considered fast heating, but varies more with the state of the fire. It tends to be among the lower cost stoves - Englander makes good quality stoves that are considered the "best BTU for the buck" in terms of value, but are on the plain side cosmetically.
Cast iron tends to be in the middle for cost and heat stability, often tends to be more decorative in design with "classic" looking scrolls and ribbing on the castings etc.
If you search the threads you will find lots of debates about the differences and merrits of the various materials, however I would not get that hung up about it, the differences aren't that great, pick something you can afford and like the looks of, don't worry about the material that much.
Gooserider
