Need suggestion for large fireplace

[Greg in Alaska]

Hello All,
I'm new to this forum. I am looking for help picking out a fireplace for our new house. My wife and I are building a new home in Alaska. My wife wants a traditional fireplace. I am concerned that a conventional fireplace would be a major source of heat loss in our cold climate when it is not being used. I have looked at several products from Lennox, and RSF that appear to be basically a high effeciency fireplace that is built very similarly to a wood stove. I like the fact that they are air tight, and they all have the look my wife wants, but are too small. The fireplace will be in a large room, and my wife doesn't want a smallish looking fireplace. Does anyone know of a high efficiency wood burning "fireplace" that is at least 60" wide? The larger the better. I appreciate any suggestions you may have.
Thanks,
Greg

 

[nshif]

Questions?????
How big is the house?
Do you want this to be your primary heat source
Is it an open floor plan
My initial reaction is to build a standard fireplace and stick a PE Summit in it.

 

[Gooserider]

Hello All,
I'm new to this forum. I am looking for help picking out a fireplace for our new house. My wife and I are building a new home in Alaska. My wife wants a traditional fireplace. I am concerned that a conventional fireplace would be a major source of heat loss in our cold climate when it is not being used. I have looked at several products from Lennox, and RSF that appear to be basically a high effeciency fireplace that is built very similarly to a wood stove. I like the fact that they are air tight, and they all have the look my wife wants, but are too small. The fireplace will be in a large room, and my wife doesn't want a smallish looking fireplace. Does anyone know of a high efficiency wood burning "fireplace" that is at least 60" wide? The larger the better. I appreciate any suggestions you may have.
Thanks,
Greg

You're right Greg, a fireplace is little more than a heat vaccum. Even when operating, the amount of heat a fireplace puts out is marginal for the amount of wood that it burns.

Your best bet is a modern insert that is in essence a woodstove in a fireplace body, however I don't know if there are any as big as youre wife seems to want. There are two main reasons for this, first that it is difficult to get a clean efficient burn in a large firebox compared to getting a good burn in a smaller one, thus it is more difficult to meet standards. Secondly, a modern design stove is so efficient that you don't need or WANT a big firebox, as a large box would run you out of the room.

That said, I'd suggest some of the Quadrafire or Blaze King inserts, or possibly some of the VC units, I believe they make the two largest fireboxes around. There are lots of folks that swear by the PE stoves, but there are some units that are bigger, much as it bugs them to admit it :lol:

Gooserider

 

[Greg in Alaska]

Nshif,
The house is 5000 sq-ft. The house is a 2 story log house with a fairly open floor plan. The fireplace sits in the living room which is in the middle of the house. The room the fireplace is in is 35' x 25', with a cathederal cieling. We have a cieling fan to help blow the heat back down. I don't plan to use the fireplace for the primary heating of our house. I do expect to get some heat out of it, and I do want the take advantage of this to reduce our heating bills. The primary purpose of the fireplace is for backup heat in the case of power outages, and mostly I just like to have a fire in a fireplace every night when I get off work. If I can sit in front of it with my wife and enjoy a glass of wine, I can't imagine a better way to spend an evening. Who needs TV if you have a nice crackling fire. Anyway, the fireplace is against a big tall log wall, and might look out of scale if I install a smaller one.
Cheers,
Greg

 

[BrotherBart]

Quadrafire, as well as others, have some really nice and efficient fireplaces. Here is one:

(broken link removed to http://www.quadrafire.com/products/fireplaces/woodFireplaceDetail.asp?f=7100fp)

 

[elkimmeg]

What about a free stanging stove that has the open fire screen option and over 3.o cu ft fire box witha decent glass viewing when heat is need only fron the stove and not the wine and coach

 

[stoveguy2esw]

hey , the quad would be pretty good, hey elk, does blaze king have a big firebox insert???? i know they have a huge firebox in freestanding

 

[elkimmeg]

Buck 91 has a 4.6 cu ft firebox insert. The Blaze king monster is free standing

 

[restorer]

Greg:
Don't mean to be a spoil sport, but why did you build a huge heat sucking house in Alaska and not plan for keeping it warm? It just doesn't compute that someone knowing their environment and the challenges would go completely against it and then cry foul that they are not keeping warm. You are asking this forum, most members are conscious of their heating expenses on the half dollar per day, to answer your question why you can't save a few bucks. I won't waste my time on your excess.

 

[Greg in Alaska]

Dear Uncle Rich,
(Take a deep breath Greg), I probably misunderstood the tone that your last post was intended. In no way am I whining about a cold house, or saying that I did not expect to get heat from the fireplace. I said the fireplace was not to be the primary source of heat. I did say previously, and now repeat that expect to realize a heating efficiency from the fireplace. I am installing it as a backup source of heat in the even of power failures. I have however installed a conventional furnace in the home, and that will be my primary source of heat. As far as lecturing me about my waste, I have lived far more remotely at locations here in Alaska than you ever have. I now what it is like to live off the grid with no electricity, gas, internet, etc. I have had to cut wood for heat, as that is all we had. I know what it is like to sit on an outhouse seat at 20 below. Please do not lecture me.
Greg

 

[restorer]

Greg:
Did not intend to lecture, did not mean any harsh feelings, but you are really asking the impossible. Unless you are will to install a wood appliance, or a masonry mass fireplace, we can't help you. Others have suggested alternatives, but I don't think anyone here will endorse any open fireplace.

 

[begreen]

Hi Greg, what part of AK?

Some of the biggest inserts are only going to be about 40" wide. Now that's pretty wide, but I don't think there's anything near 60" wide.

My thoughts is that for power outage conditions you should have two large stoves. One insert and one freestanding. Maybe build the freestanding into the kitchen/dining area? Also, is there any possibility of zoning the house so that in case of prolonged outage you can close off a section?

FWIW, if it were my house I would also strongly consider a masonry stove or Russian fireplace if your budget can handle it.

Some of the big fireplace inserts are: Country Canyon 310, Quadrafire 7100, Regency R90, Osburn 2400, Lopi Freedom Bay

http://www.countrystoves.com/wood_in_C310.htm
(broken link removed to http://www.quadrafire.com/products/fireplaces/woodFireplaceDetail.asp?f=7100fp)
(broken link removed to http://www.regency-fire.com/Wood/Fireplace/R90/index.php)
(broken link removed to http://osburnstoves.com/html/2400insert.html)
(broken link removed to http://www.lopistoves.com/productuide/detail.aspx?id=218)

 

[Roospike]

Here is my input on the thread. ...............

Install 2

Install 2 wood stoves or
1 wood stove and 1 gas stove or
install 1 wood stove and 1 pellet stove ( can ya get pellets ? ) I dont know.

For 5000 sf a fire place is out unless your going to put in an insert. Forget about 1 big stove with 5000 sf in Alaska , ya gotz to be kidding and so is everybody else. Real world its going to take 2 of something with that much space.

Also with the big cathedral ceiling you have way more cubic feet then a normal house.
The square feet of ones house is one thing but when you figure cubic feet you add a he(( of a lot more space. If a wood stove says it will heat 3000 sf then you figure it will heat 2200-2500 sf at best.

I would suggest something like 1 big wood stove and it don't have to be the biggest made and 1 medium size wood stove or another big stove in different parts of the home.

BTW , Welcome to the hearth forum Greg .

 

[Hogwildz]

How bout a Quadrafire 7100 fireplace and another large freestanding?

 

[Roospike]

How bout a Quadrafire 7100 fireplace and another large freestanding?

Now your talking .........

HELLO?! 5000 square feet in alaska people !
with a big cathedral ceiling .

Com-mon people , lets put out thinking caps on here .

****************** ;-) *********************

See , its so easy, even a Neanderthal can figure it out !

 

[Hogwildz]

How bout a Quadrafire 7100 fireplace and another large freestanding?

Now your talking .........

HELLO?! 5000 square feet in alaska people !
with a big cathedral ceiling .

Com-mon people , lets put out thinking caps on here .

****************** ;-) *********************

See , its so easy, even a Neanderthal can figure it out !

HEY, I resemble that remark. Not to bad for a dumb Neanderthal eh?
I'd go with that 7100 & a Summit, or Blaze King freestander. That should put a nice size dent in that square footage.
Hell throw a wood furnace in the basement.

 

[Roospike]

How bout a Quadrafire 7100 fireplace and another large freestanding?

Now your talking .........

HELLO?! 5000 square feet in alaska people !
with a big cathedral ceiling .

Com-mon people , lets put out thinking caps on here .

****************** ;-) *********************

See , its so easy, even a Neanderthal can figure it out !

HEY, I resemble that remark. Not to bad for a dumb Neanderthal eh?
I'd go with that 7100 & a Summit, or Blaze King freestander. That should put a nice size dent in that square footage.
Hell throw a wood furnace in the basement.

************ :lol:*************

Wood furnace? , he(( .........Why not !? Monster wood furnace (NOT A WOOD BOILER!) and a nice big romantic wood stove.

SOLD!

 

[begreen]

How bout a Quadrafire 7100 fireplace and another large freestanding?

Seems like we're on the same page. But Alaska varies pretty widely in temperature from the core around Fairbanks to Juneau down in the panhandle. That why I asked where in AK they are.

 

[Greg in Alaska]

Everyone,
Thanks to everyone for all the great feedback. BeGreen, thanks for all the links, they made it easy to check out the different companies. (In answer to your question, we are now living in Anchorage, but I have lived all over the state). I think that the Quadrafire 7100 looks like a good starting spot for us. I agree with everyone that it alone won't be enough to heat the entire house, and a 2nd, probably freestanding, stove would be required. We do have room for 2, but I think I will start with the 7100 and go from there. Mostly for cost reasons. I don't think my budget could take the hit from 2 fireplace/stoves right now. There is a local dealer for the 7100 listed on their website, so will take a look tommorrow.
Cheers everybody,
Greg

 

[Hogwildz]

Good luck Greg, keep us posted, I am curious to hear how the 7100 works.
Just a side note, you could do the 7100 and the freestander could be a Englander 30NC which is a decent stove and not a big wallop on the wallet.
Brother Bart can fill you in, hes a happy 30NCL owner. And Mike from Englander is a regular on here and VERY helpful & service oriented.

 

[begreen]

Great Greg, happy to help. Do let us know what you decide and for sure post some pictures of the install and the new house.

I think a second stove will be in order, so at least plan accordingly so that it's easy to retrofit. And whatever you do, keep the chimney or chimnies inside.