New here - a Lennox question - NEWBIE ALERT

[Grinder]

Just thought I would say H! and post a newbie question.

We're building a house and the builder has a Lennox MPB3530 Direct vent fireplace to be installed.

I have HEARD that this is basically a builders box. I tried to do a search on reviews in Hearth.com but it seems there are ZERO reviews on Lennox (why ???).

So - this concerns me!

I'm a sponge soaking up information on gas fireplace and have yet to find if indeed the Lennox Merit Plus Gas fireplaces are cheap or if there are better fireplaces for a few hundred more.

If you can point me in the right direction that would be great.

Rod aka grinder

 

[begreen]

Welcome Rod, there are lots of options. You are probably correct about the basic builder box. What are your goals for this unit? Do you want aesthetics, real heat? What size and what budget?

 

[Grinder]

Goals LOL! Well - the ONLY fireplace I have ever had was in an apartment with real wood.

My vision of a gas fireplace is like what my mom's vision of what my 50 inch projector TV would look like - sort of dull and fuzzy.

This will be in the corner of a 17x10 living room and will not be used for heating and not the centerpiece to be oogled over - not a show piece in other words. THUS - perhaps one step up to a Lennox EDV-3530 might be the ticket. We're already a tad over budget (surprise!!) so we can't really upgrade THAT much as we have already upgraded a few dozen other things LOL.


Did that help??? We're looking for something better then bottom of the line that will be disappointing.

 

[elkimmeg]

If you h want basic cheap builder's special it will do the job I would be more concerned about its location. how it is built insulated and draft proofed

If that stove is installed in a poorly insulated chase it will not make any difference once that first cold blast hits you It could be the most expensive unit available
and leak cold air like a sieve.. So tell us about the construction of the chase or location it is to be installed Ask the builder how he addresses the opening When I have time later I will tell you what is required.. Biggest complaint is leaking cold drafts usually caused by incorrect building of the opening

 

[Grinder]

as you can see - words like "cheap basic builders special" put warning lights flashing and I'm never sure how to take it.

I mean those are the exact words I use when talking about a Bose Sound system. Bose systems sound great to many people but being an audiophile I know that they are cheaply made crap!

HOWEVER - if it makes you happy it is not crap to the listener. Thus - can I be happy??? Is Lennox the Bose of fireplaces LOL. People that REALLY know fireplaces hate Lennox but people like ME will be perfectly happy? I guess I need to find a dealership and actually LOOK at the fireplaces.
---------------

As for installation

I'm at the mercy of the builder on that one but I know that the installer has been installing for 25 years so he must be doing SOMETHING right!

I have heard about the cold air problem - is this just Lennox thing?? or is this an industry wide problem ???

 

[jqgs214]

hijack attempt!! OK, if Bose is crap whats good?? I'm in the market for a serious home theater system. PM me if ya want!!

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

lennox bought up severl small companies in 02' when they got in the industry. Unfortunatly they bought crap companies and they quality still shows through. Some lennox fireplaces are nice, but the merit series is junk.
welcome to hearth.com. this place is not nearly the hack job the other forum is. Here you will find what your looking for with plenty of pros and very very well educated consumers to answer your questions.

 

[Grinder]

Hi ya MountainStoveGuy - thanks seems a little more sophisticated here lol.

If you want to see real chaos try the Home and Garden remodeling forums when they talk about fireplaces.

We are looking into the Lennox Elite Series now - Mendota is to expensive for us and Im not sure what else is out there at the moment.

wxman - I'll PM you.

Bose is not all crap - it can sound good but you can get the same sound for half the price.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

get what fits the bill.
also look at the quadrafire village series. there affordable and look good.
the QV32a and the QV 36a can be had for $1200-$1500.
www.quadrafire.com

 

[Grinder]

What about Majestic or Regency - Mendota are too expensive and I like Quadra-Fire but not sure if our builder will go there that outlet (I'm new at this building thing so he might ??? - just have not asked!).

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

regency and majestic are both fine. You need to go put you hands and eyes on the model you want. The problem is, they all make builder boxes. For $200-$300 more you can have a mid grade that you will use and enjoy. Heatilator and quadrafire are owned by the same company. Quadrafire doenst make a builder box, so that leaves heatilator. The heatilator novus is a builder box, the caliber is a good mid grade, and the caliber NXT is high end. Ther are lots of good fireplaces to chose from, its all in the fit and finish. The merit is not that different then the mendota. They have similar parts. The difference is the realism and the logs. Do you have the option of picking out the fireplace for your builder? Does your builder have to be the one purchasing the fireplace? I would recommed that you go out and buy your own for him to install.
i think the quad QV series is alot of bang for the buck.

 

[Gooserider]

Off the stove topic, but a minor comment on Bose - Many years ago, I had a short term job working at Bose as a QA inspector, on the line that was making the high end audio systems that were going into some makes of US cars as something like a $1500 option. I did not last well, as I had difficulty with the idea of signing off on product that supposedly met their standards, but that if I had assembled it, I would not have had the NERVE to send to QA...

I'll admit, most of the work I'd done had been to mil-spec levels, but in any electronics book they have pictures of good and bad soldering technique, and the boards they were sending me could have posed for the "bad" pictures. I saw blobs, uneven component lead lengths, bent parts, etc.... When I expressed my opinion of the overall build quality, I was told not to worry, the boards had passed the autmatic tester, and besides "They only have a 90 day warrantee"

For some reason, I've never been interested in purchasing a Bose product since...

Gooserider

 

[lepp]

Hi Grinder,

Totaly biased opinion here but you DO want to get heat and you DO want something that looks nice. Otherwise, why bother?

A gas fireplace can be an excellent zone heater which can be cost effective depending on the type of heating system you have in your house. Also handy during power outages.

I agree with the other posters, you need to make an informed decision and the best way to get informed is to see and touch actual units. Go see a hearth retailer or 2 and get a feel for the variety, the options, the features. You may find that you are willing to pay a little more to get something functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Try the websites and see what you like, they all have dealer locators. Regency (http://www.regency-fire.com/), Heat n Glo (http://www.heatnglo.com/), Travis (http://www.travisproducts.com/), just to name a few.

 

[Grinder]

Thanks firestarter - we're going on tour to a few places this weekend to look at the different models. Personally I think it will be like the DVR (or Tivo) where you don't know what you have been missing until you have one.

I'm tryign to find out ABOUT how much a Lennox MDP3530 cost in teh first place so I have a rough idea how much we can spend on a "like" but better box (is that the right word? I'm working on fireplace lingo LOL)

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

i dont know of any lennox dealers here. You might want to call a local dealer and ask what suggested retail is.
here is a web site that sells them.
(broken link removed)