New guy looking for an insert

[NewGuy132]

Hello everyone,

Over the past few months I have been around just reading and gathering information. Long story short my family and I moved from a 1300sqft house to a 3100sqft house in late summer. When we looked at the house we noticed that the owners had an old Jotul Series 3 installed in the fireplace. We had hoped that he was going to leave it, but he ended up taking it(obviously the chimney sleeve is left behind). All was good until we got our first big oil delivery and it was $600 for a month and that was for November. So we are looking at ways to cut the oil bill and my wife grew up with a wood stove. Now after looking around and doing some research I'm fairly certain that the Jotul wasn't installed up to code. There is a hearth in front of the fireplace, but the Jotul was probably 5 inches from the wood floor on the front. My wife of course doesn't like any of the hearth mats and honestly they would take up a decent chunk of the room anyway.

So just today we decided that we needed to look for an insert and that should help with the clearance issues. So we measure up the firebox and the back width seems fairly small. Here are the measurements

Fireplace front width 33 1/2
Fireplace height 26
Fireplace back width 18 3/4
Fireplace depth 19
Hearth to mantel height 55 1/2

With these measurements does anyone have any recommendations on an insert? After looking at a couple the back width is what is making it kind of difficult.

Thanks!!

 

[begreen]

Welcome. What is the room size that the insert will be heating? Is the goal a flush insert?

 

[Riteway]

You might want to contact your real estate agent if you were surprised that the previous owner took the insert. Did your sales contract specify that the appliances would remain? And even if not, you'd think that heating appliances should remain when a house is sold. Like, you wouldn't take a furnace or water heater with you when you move!

 

[NewGuy132]

Welcome. What is the room size that the insert will be heating? Is the goal a flush insert?

We are just looking to supplement the oil heater. Just looking for a couple rooms of the fairly open first floor. Probably around or less than 1000sqft. A flush is probably all we can up in without doing hearth work. If can measure, but I think we have about 12-15 inches of brick in front of our fireplace.

You might want to contact your real estate agent if you were surprised that the previous owner took the insert. Did your sales contract specify that the appliances would remain? And even if not, you'd think that heating appliances should remain when a house is sold. Like, you wouldn't take a furnace or water heater with you when you move!

It was interesting because we were given 2 different MLS listing papers for the house. One said that the wood stove was an exclusion and the other didn't. It wasn't going to be a deal breaker and quite honestly looking back at pictures from our inspection it wasn't to code anyway.

 

[begreen]

It will be a tight fit, requiring good measuring, but the Lopi Medium Flush insert might fit. This may take shaving the upper, back bricks a bit in order to achieve a fit, depending on the slope. Similarly, the Pacific Energy Neo 1.6 may slip in there. Otherwise the Lopi Answer insert would fit. The Regency 1150 Altera would too.

Note that even a flush insert will need 16" of hearth in front of the door.

 

[NewGuy132]

Note that even a flush insert will need 16" of hearth in front of the door.

Well as it turns out my remembering how big it was and guessing was way off. Just measured it and we have 23”. That being said I have no issue with a non flush stove. Would just want to make sure that there is the required 16” available.

 

[begreen]

The new Hearthstone Clydesdale is not out yet, but that has an adjustable depth and might fit.

 

[spudman99]

While you are at it, and along with contemplating a new insert. get your wood supply now. Late winter can be a good time to secure trees and rounds to split. That gives them at least 7 months and a full summer to season. Too many folks look at an insert or stove, buy it, install it, then get their wood. By then it may be too late.

So cut some trees and split the wood, stack and cover. If not buy a cord or 2 from a supplier and stack and cover to season this summer. Trust me you will not regret this step at all.

 

[Dolphus Raymond]

I second getting your wood supply started now. For over twenty years, I have been running an Earth Stove BV 4000c and other than replacing the fan once and the cat 3 times, it has been flawless. This insert is no longer made though. Buck stove makes a good insert with a cat and I will probably go in that direction when it needs replaced.

 

[FrozenTundra]

We have been looking at the new Clydesdale as well, but Hearthstone has some crazy insert-mantel height requirements. I believe the new Clydesdale is 27in. It will qualify for the new 2021 Tax credit though which means you can get 26% of the cost of the insert/instillation back on your taxes.
Our mantel is 17in above what would be the top of the insert. I am trying to figure out a way to get the Clydesdale in without removing my mantel but I am not finding many options.

 

[begreen]

The manual for the prior generation of this insert permits a clearance reduction using an NFPA 211 shield. Have you considered using a mantel shield to meet the clearance requirement?

 

[Solarguy3500]

We have been looking at the new Clydesdale as well, but Hearthstone has some crazy insert-mantel height requirements. I believe the new Clydesdale is 27in. It will qualify for the new 2021 Tax credit though which means you can get 26% of the cost of the insert/instillation back on your taxes.
Our mantel is 17in above what would be the top of the insert. I am trying to figure out a way to get the Clydesdale in without removing my mantel but I am not finding many options.

I would suggest calling the local AHJ, likely the building inspector and asking him/her about this.

Before I bought my Osburn 3500 insert, I noticed that I didn't have the required clearance to the mantel that the manual calls for, so I called the local building inspector and asked him if I clad the mantel in something non-combustible like metal if it would be ok. He was very helpful and explained that if I used ceramic spacers between the metal and the wood mantel, I could cut the clearance requirement in half. I was going to fabricate something, and then I discovered that you can buy metal mantel protectors that come with the spacers so I bought one and saved a bunch of time. I haven't installed it yet as my insert install is on hold until I get better weather, but the mantel protector looks like it will be simple to install.

Amazon product ASIN B002VMH2R4
But, I would start with a conversation with your local inspector before buying anything.

 

[FrozenTundra]

I would suggest calling the local AHJ, likely the building inspector and asking him/her about this.

Before I bought my Osburn 3500 insert, I noticed that I didn't have the required clearance to the mantel that the manual calls for, so I called the local building inspector and asked him if I clad the mantel in something non-combustible like metal if it would be ok. He was very helpful and explained that if I used ceramic spacers between the metal and the wood mantel, I could cut the clearance requirement in half. I was going to fabricate something, and then I discovered that you can buy metal mantel protectors that come with the spacers so I bought one and saved a bunch of time. I haven't installed it yet as my insert install is on hold until I get better weather, but the mantel protector looks like it will be simple to install.

Amazon product ASIN B002VMH2R4
But, I would start with a conversation with your local inspector before buying anything.

The manual says 11in clearance with a mantel shield kit is good. I believe the mantel shield kit that comes with the Clydesdale is one that projects off the top of the insert. I would rather have something directly under the mantel. The ceramic spacers are a good idea for that. The company I was going to have install the insert are not fans of mantel shields and have been saying I should replace the mantel with a noncombustible which I am trying to avoid as it is a very nice decorative wood piece. I'll have to give my local inspector a call and see what he says.