Newbie question - Best way to go with existing masonry fireplace

[Doren Hagen]

42" (W) X 27" (H) X 22" (D)

My fireplaces are so inefficient it is driving me crazy. Should I go with insert or a stove with a rear flue piped up the chimney? Thank you in advance.

 

[begreen]

Welcome. Tell us a bit more about the area(s) that you are trying to heat, the house, your general location, etc., so that we can give you a more informed answer.

 

[brian89gp]

Inserts work better with a blower, stoves don't need them. More choices with stoves, but they take up more floor area.

 

[Doren Hagen]

My home is about 6,000 sq ft. I would use the stove to heat the family room and contiguous rooms. I'm installing because I enjoy fires and my kids love the physical warmth provided. Currently, when we burn in the masonry we lose a ton of heat up the chimney. We live in mid-West with moderate winters (sometimes quite cold). Another reason I'm installing is because during our last winter storm we lost electricity for 10 days and I had great difficulty keeping the house above freezing.

Thanks.

 

[PLAYS WITH FIRE]

With 6k sqft, I would go with out a doubt, huge and rear exit for a stove. But like BG says a layout will help and how much in reality you expect to heat.

 

[Doren Hagen]

Thanks, PWF. Don't intend to heat the whole house, except in emergency to keep house above freezing. Otherwise, just the FR and contiguous rooms - fewer than 2000 square feet. So, do you have to run venting all the way up the masonry chimney or just seal below the the vent opening into the chimney?

 

[PLAYS WITH FIRE]

The experts with codes and such will chime but plan to vent from the stove, through a block off plate to the chimney cap. Some details about the chimney will help and even pix as we love pix, i.e. total height, internal or external chimney. etc.

 

[jharkin]

Even to heat 2000 ft2 Well you need a large stove. My entire house would fit inside your living room and a 2.3 cu ft stove has to work hard to keep us warm below 20F. I don't think there is a stove made that would be able to keep your entire 6k even close to comfortable in an emergency, unless you are in a very mild climate. That space is suited more to multiple stoves or a wood boiler.

Where are you located, how old is the house, how well insulated?

 

[mellow]

My home is about 6,000 sq ft. I would use the stove to heat the family room and contiguous rooms. . We live in mid-West with moderate winters (sometimes quite cold). Another reason I'm installing is because during our last winter storm we lost electricity for 10 days and I had great difficulty keeping the house above freezing.

Freestanding:
The Kuma Sequoia will do up to 3500 sq ft, but it is a top exit exhaust so you would need to put an 8" thimble above your fireplace.
The Woodstock Progress will do up to 2200 sq ft and is a rear vent stove that would sit in front of your fireplace.

Insert:
The (broken link removed to http://www.buckstove.com/wood/model91.html) will heat up to 3200 sq ft
The (broken link removed to http://www.highvalleystoves.com/insert2500.php)will heat up to 2500 sq ft
The (broken link removed to http://www.blazeking.com/EN/wood-princess-insert.html)will heat up to 2500 sq ft

Many more inserts and freestanding stoves out there.

You would need to close off unused rooms in your house in the event you lose power, a free standing would be more beneficial in the event of a power outage if you can fit one in.

If you are looking to keep 6000 sq feet heated in a power outage I would look at getting gas/propane power backup generator and installing a outdoor wood boiler or something simular.

 

[begreen]

42" (W) X 27" (H) X 22" (D)

My fireplaces are so inefficient it is driving me crazy. Should I go with insert or a stove with a rear flue piped up the chimney? Thank you in advance.

Is this the dimension of the fireplace in the family room? If so, go for a 3 cu ft insert. You will need to give us a sense of what style appeals to you. Here are 3 examples of ~3 cu ft insert. There are others, but this will get us started:

Jotul C550 - (broken link removed to http://www.jotul.com/en-US/wwwjotulus/Main-menu/Products/Wood/Wood-inserts/Jotul-C-550-CF/)
PE Summit - (broken link removed to http://www.pacificenergy.net/pacificenergy/summit_insert.php)
Osburn 2400 - (broken link removed to http://www.osburn-mfg.com/en/heaters/model-OB02401-description)

These are all non-catalytic stoves. mellow has already provided some catalytic inserts options if that is your preference. FWIW, from the description of the house it should have a couple big stoves if long winter power outages are frequent.

 

[chimneylinerjames]

So, do you have to run venting all the way up the masonry chimney or just seal below the the vent opening into the chimney?

You need to run the chimney liner to the top of the chimney. This way you are keeping the exhaust chamber the same size all the way up and out. It will provide the safest and best operating conditions.

If you run the liner just up past the damper you will have less draft and alot more creosote build up.

 

[Doren Hagen]

Man, I wanted a soapstone wood stove, but my clearances are not sufficient. So, I'll go with the insert. I'd like to get the biggest viewing area insert for aesthetics. The Clydesdale from Hearthstone?

 

[rideau]

Man, I wanted a soapstone wood stove, but my clearances are not sufficient. So, I'll go with the insert. I'd like to get the biggest viewing area insert for aesthetics. The Clydesdale from Hearthstone?

Center of the flue with Woostock Progress Hybrid is 22.75 inches if you order the short legs for fireplace installation....6 inch flue...my ICC double wall stovepipe isn't more than 7 inch diameter = 22.75 + 3.5 = 26.25 inches...close is you are 37 inches high, but perhaps doable? Stove would keep a fair portion of your home quite comfortable...certainly the rooms you are indicating you want to heat. If you have not, you might call Woodstock and run your fireplace situation past them..they'll tell you whether you can safely install the stove.

One nice advantage of the PH is that you can heat water on it and cook on it (and of course it has no blkower so is not impacted by a power outage), which can be a great comfort in any extended power outage. Makes it possible to stay in your home quite comfortably.

Whatever your choice is, good luck, and welcome to the Forum.