New Construction Zero clearance option

[dr3131]

My wife and I are building a 2300 Sq. ft 2 story house in N. Michigan.

This is our vacation home and go up there for 1 week during the winter but use quite often from Spring-Fall.

My wife does not want a stand alone woodburning stove.
I don't want the cost of a masonry fireplace and I don't like the lack of efficiency either.

Given the amount of use what ZCF would you recommend?

Would you recommend a CAT?

Brands that I have researched the most
-- PE FP30
--- RSF Opel
--- FPX Elite or Apex

Just don't want to overthink this and trying to balance cost vs. benefit.

Thanks in advance

 

[SlyFerret]

What’s the complaint about the free standing stove?

Keep in mind that the ZC unit will probably need a blower to heat effectively. What are the chances of needing heat when the power is out?

There are some great ZC options, but I don’t know enough about them to speak authoritatively.

-SF


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[HomeinPA]

Regency EX90 or Quadrafire 7100. The Regency includes the blower, not sure about the quad

 

[Ludlow]

Women love the romantic aura of a traditional fireplace look. They just do.

 

[SlyFerret]

My wife has been perfectly happy with the intense warmth and giant glass viewing window on the free standing stove. She prefers it over the open fireplace in the lower level of our split.

-SF



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[dBrad]

I'm a fan of our quadrafire 7100. My wife wasn't interested in a standalone stove in our new construction either. And yeah it has a blower.

 

[Simonkenton]

Your wife just doesn't understand the beauty of the free standing stove. Now, take a look at the fireplace pictured at left.
I built it for my girlfriend and me, in the log cabin I built for us. It works great and is a great heater, for a fireplace. Girlfriend loves it plus she thinks I am a bad ass to be able to build a masonry fireplace. We burned many cords of wood in this beautiful fireplace.

Then, two years ago I built an addition on to our house, a new living room basically. And in there I installed a Jotul Oslo. Real nice install of course with masonry hearth.
This fireplace is now literally gathering dust we have lit it up one time in two years. Girlfriend loves the Jotul I have a joke I tell her she has a new religion, Woodstoveism.
She loves the magnificent fire view of the Oslo and the wonderful warm radiant heat.

 

[SpaceBus]

Women don't like stoves because their only experience with a wood stove was their father or grandfather burning in a steel box smoke dragon or leaky old cast iron smoke dragon with horrible unseasoned firewood making the house and everything near it smell like creosote and ashes all winter. You must show them that there are modern EPA stoves that don't smoke and there are alternatives to ugly black boxes with windows.

 

[Mooch]

I have an osburn Stratford zc. And was hoping it would cut heating costs. Well, it didnt. Looks beautiful, but will not heat much more than the room it's in. Just my 2cents. In my opinion get zc for looks and stand alone for heat. Also I have seen some really nice looking stand alone. Dress it up with some nice tile on wall and floor and she will be happy Good luck

 

[dBrad]

Mooch, I think you're just not burning yours hot enough - judging by your other thread. Our ZC makes a noticeable dent in our heating costs - at least a 50% difference the last month I kept track of it, and that wasn't even burning 24/7. We'd need two stoves to completely heat our house with wood because of its size/layout, but I'd trust a ZC to do the job. With that said, I don't think there's much doubt that a standalone stove is the more efficient way to go - efficiency just isn't always the #1 priority.

 

[webfish]

A review on the Opel 3....https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/rsf-opel-3-review-after-1-5-seasons.100308/


Had friend who just installed Quad 7100 in new construction. Says so far they love it.

 

[Mooch]

I've called sbi customer service to talk to him about where to put a thermometer and he said with a zc there's nowhere to put one. I explained my situation to him. not much heat output and short burn times. Using seasoned wood new split 13% hot coals unloaded box. Just for my own interest I have a thermometer on the door which I can get up to around 550° for no more than 2hours though. also fresh air is closed fully. Burning dead ash wood. The sbi rep is sending me washers to put in reburn tubes to slow burn down. Also I've used an IR thermometer inside fire box max temp 700°. Dont know what else to do to get a hotter fire?

 

[dBrad]

Well he's wrong about there not being a place to put one on ZC stoves - lots of us ZC owners use thermometers. I confess I don't know much about your model, but if the issue is lack of heat why would he want to plug the tubes? I don't understand that one.

 

[Mooch]

He said to achieve longer burns. He thinks I might have to strong of a draft. 24' also I did put a thermometer on top of stove a few inchs from collar. As someone suggested.
Only get it to 250°

 

[dBrad]

I always thought too much draft caused higher temps. I dunno - he oughtta be the expert I guess but I don't understand that one either. Hopefully he gets it sorted out for you though.

 

[Mooch]

Yeah I'm really about ready to tear it out and put a gas one in. And put a BK chinook in other living room. Yes the whole thing doesn't make sense to me. Plus I'm no expert. And I also want to keep my family and house safe. I think he's saying all the heat is going up the chimney??

 

[TWilk117]

Mooch, I think you're just not burning yours hot enough - judging by your other thread. Our ZC makes a noticeable dent in our heating costs - at least a 50% difference the last month I kept track of it, and that wasn't even burning 24/7. We'd need two stoves to completely heat our house with wood because of its size/layout, but I'd trust a ZC to do the job. With that said, I don't think there's much doubt that a standalone stove is the more efficient way to go - efficiency just isn't always the #1 priority.

Efficiency should always be #1 priority.
Lower your carbon footprint.

Yes, with a ZC most of the heat goes up out the chimney.. that’s why so many of us have converted to freedstanders or inserts. Who wants to burn 17 cords of wood when 4.5 will do the trick. I would easily burn 1/16th of a cord of wood in one night with my ZC. Now that amount of wood will last several weeks.

 

[dBrad]

Efficiency should always be #1 priority.
Lower your carbon footprint.

If that were true we'd all be living in urban high-rise apartments and using public transit. Everyone makes efficiency tradeoff decisions for one reason or another.

Yes, with a ZC most of the heat goes up out the chimney.. that’s why so many of us have converted to freedstanders or inserts. Who wants to burn 17 cords of wood when 4.5 will do the trick. I would easily burn 1/16th of a cord of wood in one night with my ZC. Now that amount of wood will last several weeks.

Wow! Thankfully the ZC category has apparently made some progress since your old one - or that old one needed to die. This 7100 doesn't burn nearly that much.

 

[Mooch]

I feel I have been taken advantage of. 75,000btus yes (as it claims to do)for an hour then it's more like 10,000btus. Says it will heat up to 2100sq ft Doesnt even heat 1/3 of that. Maybe other brand zc's produce better heat. Maybe I dont know what the hell I'm doing? Dont know, but I have tried, and tried and tried. With no success. And unfortunately I'm stuck with it as walls and stone is built around it. Live and learn

 

[Zack R]

Why..... see if you can talk her into a nice freestanding wood stove. Plenty of them have a great view of the fire. Make it pretty with a nice hearth.

 

[Mooch]

Well first off I spent a lot of money on this zc and wall remodel. Second that's the main room we are in as it is open to kitchen. And we spend most of our time in those rooms. I do have another living room (formal) that we use for xmas and that's about it. Has 18' tall ceiling in there and even if I could talk the wife into putting a BK chinook in there I'm not confident anymore it would heat my house. So I really dont want spend another $6000 on a chance. Plus I already had to talk her into the new zc that was a failure. Might tear it out and put a gas one in. At least I dont have to do so much work for so little gains.

 

[SpaceBus]

Sounds like a Chinook would be too small anyway

 

[mcdougy]

This PE fp30 is heating 3100sqft main floor and 1850 finished basement. The unfinished basement is insulated and stays around 65°.
I believe my would consumption will be around 5 chord or more. 3 fires a day, no match, paper or excelerent required .....very impressed...high ceilings big windows southern Ontario Canada.