new construction - would a woodstove work in small room or is an insert better?

[melliejosa]

Hello, new here, reading as much as I can but I have some basic questions! We are starting a build. Approximately 3400sq ft over two stories, but the den with the fireplace is only 14x16 with two cased openings (to the kitchen and hall) and a nine-foot ceiling. The builder is planning on a prefab fireplace (I think that's what it's called) - not the traditional built on-site masonry type. We want to be able to burn fires on winter evenings for coziness and warmth, but don't think we would ever want or need to heat the whole house, and we don't want to suck all the warm air up the flue. I asked the builder to install a wood stove for energy efficiency, but now I'm reading that the newer prefab fireplaces might be efficient enough? I don't want to lose heat from the house up the chimney, but I don't want to tend fires more than 4 hours a night nor be driven out of the room by heat.

Should I consider a small woodstove or is there something more appropriate for this scenario? an insert? Thanks for any comments you can offer.

 

[kennyp2339]

There are a lot of nice epa certified fireplaces that can be installed as a zero clearance unit, I would plan for something in the 2 cu ft range so in the event you do want an overnight burn you can have it, but also just make smaller fires in the event you want ambiance, but not wasteful ambiance with room heat going up the chimney like a non certified builders grade fireplace.

 

[begreen]

Depending on the fireplace location and house layout, some of the heat from the EPA fireplace might be able to be ducted to other rooms either by gravity or blower-assisted vents.

 

[melliejosa]

There are a lot of nice epa certified fireplaces that can be installed as a zero clearance unit, I would plan for something in the 2 cu ft range so in the event you do want an overnight burn you can have it, but also just make smaller fires in the event you want ambiance, but not wasteful ambiance with room heat going up the chimney like a non certified builders grade fireplace.

thank you - can you give me an idea of what an epa certified fireplace is? I'm guessing this is just a parameter I request from the contractor... and am I wrong to assume this would burn as an open fireplace but be more efficient than older fireplaces?

 

[melliejosa]

Depending on the fireplace location and house layout, some of the heat from the EPA fireplace might be able to be ducted to other rooms either by gravity or blower-assisted vents.

Well I thought of that - it's at the end of a bumped-out room... but maybe a blower? Decades ago we had an old Buck stove insert and I hated the blower - it just blew smoke into the house. It was in a rental and we just didn't use the blower because of it. I am not really thinking we'd want to heat other rooms. I just don't know what type of fireplace, insert, or stove would be appropriate for a smallish room. thanks for your comment though.

 

[begreen]

Decades ago we had an old Buck stove insert and I hated the blower - it just blew smoke into the house.

That was a defective stove, maybe rusted out internally. Not at all normal or safe. If the heat can be moved to the rest of the house, or the cooler air from the adjacent rooms, blown into the stove room, then it could be more comfortable. Many EPA ZC fireplaces can be run with the doors open, but the efficiency comes with the doors closed. Sounds like you just want a basic ZC though, not for heating.