Hello folks,
Just wanted to start off with saying this forum is a huge source of information and you all are very helpful. That being said, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of this information in trying to figure out how I can convert an old fireplace in my new house to a wood-burning insert (unfortunately not interested in a stove).
Down to the meat and potatoes of this post: I just bought a 1500 sq ft. 3-bed 2-bath ranch home built in 1952, single story with a crawlspace in the Lake County area on the WI/IL border (Brrrrr). In the house, there's a fireplace. It looks like a zero clearance box with a wooden panel surround and a brick hearth. Outside, the chimney stack is manufactured and not a masonry from what I gathered and goes through the attic all the way down. I've attached photos to the bottom of the post. I pulled the panels off of the fireplace and found out it has fans underneath, with an outlet that was never hooked up. I plugged those up to an extension cord and they work like new but it's no blower.
The box itself measures 21" tall, 36" Wide and 17" Deep. The surround including the firebox measures 41" x 40" and it's 26 3/4" to the rear wall, it is an exterior wall. My hopes are to get an insert to help heat the house more evenly, as the fireplace is located in what used to be a garage but was converted to a living room in the 1970's. This room only has one central AC vent and it gets really chilly in here compared to the rest of the house.
The wrinkle to all of this is that I plan on dismantling this fireplace and moving it to the corner of the same room come spring when it is much warmer. We are going to be pulling out a shoe closet and framing up a fireplace and spot for the television to make use of some currently dead space. This will move the chimney to an interior wall.
My question now is what kind of insert will fit my needs and what can I do with the current space for this winter if at all possible? I've been looking to spend anywhere south of $2700 on the insert, that being close to my max. I'm pretty handy and have lots of help, this insert is really meant to help me cut down on natural gas use the next couple of years and to keep the house more comfortable than the central unit can.
Pictures in an Album
Just wanted to start off with saying this forum is a huge source of information and you all are very helpful. That being said, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of this information in trying to figure out how I can convert an old fireplace in my new house to a wood-burning insert (unfortunately not interested in a stove).
Down to the meat and potatoes of this post: I just bought a 1500 sq ft. 3-bed 2-bath ranch home built in 1952, single story with a crawlspace in the Lake County area on the WI/IL border (Brrrrr). In the house, there's a fireplace. It looks like a zero clearance box with a wooden panel surround and a brick hearth. Outside, the chimney stack is manufactured and not a masonry from what I gathered and goes through the attic all the way down. I've attached photos to the bottom of the post. I pulled the panels off of the fireplace and found out it has fans underneath, with an outlet that was never hooked up. I plugged those up to an extension cord and they work like new but it's no blower.
The box itself measures 21" tall, 36" Wide and 17" Deep. The surround including the firebox measures 41" x 40" and it's 26 3/4" to the rear wall, it is an exterior wall. My hopes are to get an insert to help heat the house more evenly, as the fireplace is located in what used to be a garage but was converted to a living room in the 1970's. This room only has one central AC vent and it gets really chilly in here compared to the rest of the house.
The wrinkle to all of this is that I plan on dismantling this fireplace and moving it to the corner of the same room come spring when it is much warmer. We are going to be pulling out a shoe closet and framing up a fireplace and spot for the television to make use of some currently dead space. This will move the chimney to an interior wall.
My question now is what kind of insert will fit my needs and what can I do with the current space for this winter if at all possible? I've been looking to spend anywhere south of $2700 on the insert, that being close to my max. I'm pretty handy and have lots of help, this insert is really meant to help me cut down on natural gas use the next couple of years and to keep the house more comfortable than the central unit can.
Pictures in an Album
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