New to the insert game please help.

[kversch]

Today we close on our new house. I’m incredibly sad to leave our beautiful lopi liberty behind when we move. Thankfully the new house has a wood stove insert. Downside is its a dinosaur I have little to no info on. It’s a gold Marc. After we get everything inspected we will have to figure out how to use this pre epa monster. Our end goal is to replace it with a new much more efficient modern stove. As I start the search I’m looking for any input and guidance from others with inserts. We’ve only ever had free standing wood stoves do the insert game is new to us. We’ll the insert won’t be the sole source of heat I do hope to have it take a big burden off the natural gas bill.

Thanks in advance. This forum was an amazing resource when we started out with our liberty. Looking forward to figuring it all out again

 

[EbS-P]

Start your research. Take some measurements, fireplace size and flue size Plan for a dry wood supply.

Decide if you will want to take advantage of the tax credit. Supply is really tight right now. Was this something you are wanting for this winter?

Classic or modern? Flush or projecting out a bit? Lopi, regency, Osborn, Drolet, Blaze King, pacific energy, Kuma are all good brands (in my gut have left a couple out).

How many square feet will you be heating? 24/7 or just weekends?

Evan

 

[vbu]

Do not gen a single rate burn insert. I have one and I hate it. I'm heating my chimney instead of my house.
Make sure that they install a block off plate, and insulation above it (not fiberglass, rockwool only).
You'll probably need an insulated liner

 

[bholler]

Today we close on our new house. I’m incredibly sad to leave our beautiful lopi liberty behind when we move. Thankfully the new house has a wood stove insert. Downside is its a dinosaur I have little to no info on. It’s a gold Marc. After we get everything inspected we will have to figure out how to use this pre epa monster. Our end goal is to replace it with a new much more efficient modern stove. As I start the search I’m looking for any input and guidance from others with inserts. We’ve only ever had free standing wood stoves do the insert game is new to us. We’ll the insert won’t be the sole source of heat I do hope to have it take a big burden off the natural gas bill.

Thanks in advance. This forum was an amazing resource when we started out with our liberty. Looking forward to figuring it all out again

View attachment 303072 View attachment 303073

Make sure it is installed properly with a full liner before using it

 

[kversch]

Start your research. Take some measurements, fireplace size and flue size Plan for a dry wood supply.

Decide if you will want to take advantage of the tax credit. Supply is really tight right now. Was this something you are wanting for this winter?

Classic or modern? Flush or projecting out a bit? Lopi, regency, Osborn, Drolet, Blaze King, pacific energy, Kuma are all good brands (in my gut have left a couple out).

How many square feet will you be heating? 24/7 or just weekends?

Evan

I have a supply of wood ftom
Our current place we moved all our seasoned wood. I have easy access to wood as I work for a tree company.

We would love to
Be able to take advantage of the of the tax credits and have something in this winter but understand the reality is we probably won’t get anything in this winter. If we could that would be sweet.

 

[kborndale]

Buying something now will limit your choices and you will be paying a premium. If you can wait for spring prices go down and availability goes up. If the current insert is safe to operate I would use that for this winter.

 

[TradEddie]

As far as I know, Gold Marc made only "slammer" inserts, so it's an inherently unsafe design, "banned" in some jurisdictions and nobody anywhere will inspect that and tell you it's safe to use. I had one, it was a good heater, it even had a rudimentary secondary combustion system but mine is long gone, and good riddance. The Lopi Frredom I replaced it with burns twice as long, burns a third less wood, and I can clean the liner myself in 5 minutes once each year, barely a cup of creosote.

If you absolutely must use it, inspect and sweep the chimney regularly, and have carbon monoxide detectors in working order. Use a stove top thermometer and don't let the fire smoulder. Top handle is not a bypass, it's a damper open/close. Adjust air with the four knobs, don't close them all the way.

Incidentally, I salvaged the blower from mine and at 40 years old, it's still going strong in regular use as a sports/ski/hiking boot dryer!

TE

 

[begreen]

First thing is to get the measurements for the fireplace to know what will fit. There are some inserts that qualify for the tax credit, but picking one out before knowing if it will fit is putting the cart before the horse.

 

[kversch]

First thing is to get the measurements for the fireplace to know what will fit. There are some inserts that qualify for the tax credit, but picking one out before knowing if it will fit is putting the cart before the horse.

In order to do that I just remove the black surround correct? Should I be looking for it to be physically secured in any way to the fireplace?

 

[kversch]

As far as I know, Gold Marc made only "slammer" inserts, so it's an inherently unsafe design, "banned" in some jurisdictions and nobody anywhere will inspect that and tell you it's safe to use. I had one, it was a good heater, it even had a rudimentary secondary combustion system but mine is long gone, and good riddance. The Lopi Frredom I replaced it with burns twice as long, burns a third less wood, and I can clean the liner myself in 5 minutes once each year, barely a cup of creosote.

If you absolutely must use it, inspect and sweep the chimney regularly, and have carbon monoxide detectors in working order. Use a stove top thermometer and don't let the fire smoulder. Top handle is not a bypass, it's a damper open/close. Adjust air with the four knobs, don't close them all the way.

Incidentally, I salvaged the blower from mine and at 40 years old, it's still going strong in regular use as a sports/ski/hiking boot dryer!

TE

Honestly that’s my fear. If I tell the wife that she wont even consider using it. What makes them inherently unsafe?

 

[bholler]

Honestly that’s my fear. If I tell the wife that she wont even consider using it. What makes them inherently unsafe?

Unless it has a liner attached to the insert and run out the top of the chimney it should not be used. Running stoves just slid into the firebox is very unsafe. It isn't the stove it's the install that is undafe

 

[TradEddie]

Honestly that’s my fear. If I tell the wife that she wont even consider using it. What makes them inherently unsafe?

Slammer inserts cause far more creosote than a properly installed system, and there are more places for that creosote to accumulate unnoticed in larger quantities, resulting in a ticking time bomb for chimney fires and house fires. I'm very surprised that a home inspector didn't flag this, it's been a code violation for decades. Perhaps you don't have a slammer, but you almost certainly do.

You have no idea what the previous owner has done over the last 40 years. Even if you are literally freezing, don't use that insert at all without having the fireplace and chimney cleaned and inspected, Even after that, nobody will recommend that you use it, and your home insurance probably wouldn't cover any damage caused. If the fireplace and chimney are in good shape, perhaps you could use it as a regular fireplace, not very efficient, but not fatally dangerous.

TE