New, looking for options for my size opening

[J.Wal]

Hello, I have lived in my house since the day I was born. Once my grandparents passed I bought it. My grandmother removed the wood burning stove/ insert after my grandfather passed and I am looking to replace it. The home is 2,600 sq foot. The den where the fireplace is located has two vents over it ( vaulted ceiling) and a in line fan from there blowing the heat from a stove through the entire home.

I would like help finding inserts that will fit my opening. It is 42wide, 25tall, 24 deep. I have plenty of room infront of the opening for the stove to hang out in the room from the opening. The one she had when I was little had a flat top and we would warm up stuff on it when the power was out. I would love that option if possible. I want a built in blower and a long burn time, good heat.

I know there are lots of options and new technology ( cats and stuff) that have improved the effectiveness of burning. I know a buck 91 will for but wanted to see other options before committing

 

[J.Wal]

Here is a idea of how it was built for a stove to sit out some from the opening.

 

[begreen]

Is this a gas ZC fireplace?

 

[J.Wal]

The current one is gas, not sure what you mean by ZC, but I will be capping the gas off further back once I replace it with a wood burner

 

[J.Wal]

Bump, anyone?

 

[Chuck the Canuck]

Bump, anyone?

I think ZC means, is it a "zero clearance fireplace." Unfortunately that all I can tell you, because I don't know what a ZC fireplace is.....

 

[J.Wal]

Well I thought I might have got more help than this...

 

[BrotherBart]

So if it is a full masonry fireplace behind that thing then folks can offer a lot of options. If not then it is a whole nother story.

And folks don't hang around all day waiting to offer advice. Chill. It will come.

 

[HotCoals]

I doubt that is a zc setup since it already had a wood burner in it for years.
You looking for wood heat 24/7 or just a fire once in awhile?

 

[smokedragon]

ZC means zero clearance....it means that there is framing/flammable material too close to the current setup. I imagine since it had a wood burner in it for years, that it is NOT ZC.

The width and depth will be no issue.....the height will be minor (it will rule out a few stoves).

Is your home well insulated, or is it original insulation/windows??? This has a lot to do with the size stove you want to install.

I know a buck 91 will for but wanted to see other options before committing

A buck 91 is a great stove, and will get you nice long burn times......but it will also need an 8" liner.

Since your climate is similar to mine, I would strongly suggest a catalytic woodstove (looks like you are already leaning that way with the buck 91).

I would look at the following:

Blaze King Princess Insert
Buck Model 80
Heritage 2500

In non catalytic, there are few great inserts that would really heat your home and get those burn times you want:

Quadrafire 5100i
Osburn 2400
Pacific Energy Summit
Hearthstone Clydesdale
Regency i3100
Jotul C550 rockland

Your house is right on the upper range of many of these inserts, but if it is well insulated in Memphis, you could pull it off.

If you are willing to put in an 8" liner, there is a whole range of larger stoves you could go with.

Give some more information (insulation, windows, BUDGET, etc), and I am sure others will chime in........

If you are like me, there aren't a lot of local shops to visit, so most of mine was reading forums on here and google/bing/yahoo searches.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Since your climate is similar to mine, I would strongly suggest a catalytic woodstove (looks like you are already leaning that way with the buck 91).

I would look at the following:

Blaze King Princess Insert
Buck Model 80
Heritage 2500

What Heritage are you referring to?

EDIT: Nevermind. Figured it out. You were referring to the High Valley stove.

 

[smokedragon]

EDIT: Nevermind. Figured it out. You were referring to the High Valley stove.

Doesn't really have a "brand" but here is the link.....

http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Firep...ytic-Wood-Stove-Insert-with-Original-Surround

I looked at this one when trying to decide myself.....realized after I fished this link up that it requires an 8" liner.

 

[J.Wal]

My exterior walls are 2x6 and have 2" foam insulation, and where it meets the wood has spray foam filling the air gaps, then regular insulation between that and the Sheetrock. Original windows from 81 when it was built. The old wood stove we had was plenty to heat the House once going good. There are vents above the stove and a in line fan to spread the heat through the house.

Why would I need a 8" liner?

Behind that gas log setup is all stone/ concrete. No other materials... That measurement I provided is the bare open area. Nothing else in there.

I want to heat the hole home with it and will spend good money. Of course I prefer to spend only what is needed. Noting supper fancy. Needs to heat well and have a blower.

 

[weatherguy]

To install an Insert properly you'll need to run a stainless liner down the flue connected to the stove. Some stoves require 6" some 8". if you can get an 8" down you can get a bigger stove like the Kuma Sequoia or as mentioned the Buck 91.

 

[begreen]

Was this ever a wood burning fireplace? We need to know is what you have there. It needs to be determined if this is a gas insert in a masonry fireplace (or surround) or a built-in, prefab (ZC) gas fireplace surrounded by stone. One hint might be at the chimney top. Is there a metal flue and cap at top or is it all masonry? Another help would be to get the make and model from the UL tag. This is usually on the front frame. The reason being is that gas flue pipe is very different from the high temp pipe required for a wood insert. Clearances are different too.

 

[J.Wal]

It's a real fire place, stone all the way up with metal cap over hole in roof.

The gas logs were added after the wood burning stove / insert was removed after my grandfather passed and my grandmother no longer wanted to deal with wood.

Here are some pic from behind the gas logs, which are ventless gas logs.
The first pic is showing it's just a bricked hole when the gas logs are removed. Te second pic shows it's just a fire brick Chimney all the way up.

 

[smokedragon]

I would definitely want to line that with a stainless steel liner.

The size liner you put in will determine how big of a stove you can buy.

An 8" liner will accommodate the largest stoves on the market, but 90% of the stoves on the market take a 6" liner.

2600 sq feet that seems to be well insulated with average windows. You could probably get away with a large insert that takes a 6" liner.

Suggestions from me (use your favorite search engine and search each of these, or search hearth.com to read about each of these)

Blaze King Princess Insert
Quadrafire 5100i
Osburn 2400
Pacific Energy Summit (or a smaller PE insert)
Hearthstone Clydesdale
Lopi Freedom

Others can chime in with their opinions, but these are brands that get a lot of good press on here. You will find active members with every one of these stoves on here. In my opinion (since your climate is similar to mine) if you are burning good dry wood, all of these inserts will heat your home. It may be that on a colder than normal night in the dead of winter that a few of these won't keep up, but for the most part I think they would all do fine.

If you are really interested in a catalytic stove, and you want a stove that is bigger than you need (cause it's easier to build a little fire in a big stove than the other way around), AND if you you really don't have budget concerns.....

I would go with the Buck 91. It will require an 8" liner, but it is a big stove. It can be used as an insert, and would easily heat your home on the coldest of nights.

My $0.02

 

[mstoelton]

If you are really limited to 25 inches tall there may be a challenge for you. With an insert you need some room to work above the stove to make the flue connection. It can be done inside some stoves, but you will still need some room above to connect the connector flange to the stove.

I installed a Clydesdale (actually 2) in my two fireplaces and had 29 1/2 inch tall opening. There was adequate room. Reduce that by 4 1/2 inches and I don't know. It would make the install a real challenge and it may not be possible.

My point is - Make sure the insert you choose will allow enough room to work above it with both hands.

 

[begreen]

It's a real fire place, stone all the way up with metal cap over hole in roof.

The gas logs were added after the wood burning stove / insert was removed after my grandfather passed and my grandmother no longer wanted to deal with wood.

Here are some pic from behind the gas logs, which are ventless gas logs.
The first pic is showing it's just a bricked hole when the gas logs are removed. Te second pic shows it's just a fire brick Chimney all the way up.

Great, sounds like a wood insert or maybe a freestanding stove will work. Do you have a preference?

 

[J.Wal]

I want a insert, not a stand alone.

There is a bar across the opening that supports the masonry work that's why there is a 25" hight limit. Behind that it opens up to a higher area.

When y'all say liner, y'all talking about a stainless pipe from flue to top of chimney?

 

[mstoelton]

Yes, the stainless pipe (usually 6 inch) from the top of the stove to the top of the chimney is commonly referred to as a liner. Usually it is recommended that you plan to insulate the liner. The insulation will help reduce the accumulation of creosote in the liner.

As I indicated earlier the 25 inch height is going to limit the inserts that can be installed in that opening.

 

[mstoelton]

if you want to do some research go to chimneysweeponline.com and look at the inserts. Several listed on that site will work in your situation.

 

[CaptSpiff]

Why would I need a 8" liner?

Behind that gas log setup is all stone/ concrete. No other materials... That measurement I provided is the bare open area. Nothing else in there.
.

So I think those second set of pictures you showed revealed a 1000 words, as did the nugget that the old wood burner was replaced by a "ventless gas log set" in an insert.

Your question of why an 8" liner may be needed: The new stove/insert will have either a 6 or 8" outlet, depending on the btu capacity. You should not downsize that into a smaller flue, but you can upsize a bit. That's why everyone wanted to know what your existing flue size & type was. Looks like yours is tile lined. That's good.

From the 4th picture it looks like the old fire place damper may have been removed, there's lots of spider webs in the Smoke shelf area, and no light coming down the flue. The lack of light may be due to a jog, but also may be due to a purposely blocked top. I think the very first thing you should do is call a chimney sweep to do a good clean out and inspection.

That will reveal a lot for you. He'll be able to tell you the condition & size of your existing tile liner, inspect the smoke shelf area for damage, and give a general idea of the costs of adding a SS flex liner. He may also have a list of stove shops to see some stoves up close & personal.

 

[J.Wal]

I want to go with the larges insert I can.

If I got one with a cat converter how do I change it when it goes out or what is the service process on one?

What are the benefits of with and without a cat?

 

[begreen]

That's a good question. Servicing the cat varies with the stove design. Some manufacturers like Blaze King make it easy. Others not so easy. I would be wary of stoves that have small bolts and nuts that need to be removed. After several years these can oxidize and become frozen in place making a simple cleaning a much bigger job. Have the dealer demonstrate cat access and removal.

Cat pros and cons have been discussed over hundreds of posts including very recently. Search on Cat vs non-cat for more opinions. In general a good cat stove will provide longer, low-burn rates than most non-cat stoves. The downside is a bit more maintenance, another control (the bypass), more awareness with regard to timing the bypass closure and watching out for pollutants that can poison the cat, flame impingement and thermal shock. When the stove is being pushed for heat the differences between a cat and non-cat are much narrower. In a non-cat instead of a long low burn one would build a short hot fire and let the fire go out once the house is warm of maintain the fire with just a couple splits at a time.