Pacific Energy Neo 2.5 Insert

[aouke]

Hi Everyone,
I have searched the forums and haven't found very many reviews of it and was wondering what people are thinking about it.
I have heard a few of the issues with it, like that the right side is burning hotter and the left side glass is getting dirty. But unsure if these are causing actual problems.
I thought I was set on a different model however the lady friend has asked me to put my feelers out on this stove as she knows how much I have been reading it since I moved into this house with the original stove.
I am concerned that a flush stove like this may not be able to fully heat my townhouse. though i am not sure.
The townhouse is 1800sq ft and pretty tight. The Fireplace is on on outside wall which obviously gets cold, but I live in north central NJ so its not like Canada cold. The problem is that i only have electric everything in my house so heating is obviously very expensive and the stove did function and the new one will function as the main heat source in the winter.
So please, if anyone has any opinions on this stove or another modern looking flush one please let me know.
Thanks!

 

[Grisu]

The Neo 2.5 was released in the spring of last year. Thus, you won't find many owners and no one will have burned in it for more than a year.

Other modern looking inserts about that size: Osburn Matrix, Regency 2600 (but check this thread first: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...-ci2600-fireplace-insert-risky-costly.132252/), Enviro 1700 Venice maybe (not flush). A bit larger: Lopi Large Flush Hybrid. Another nice looking medium insert but not cheap: Hearthstone Clydesdale

You already seem to know that you may lose some heat out the back of the fireplace and even more so with a flush insert. Those also don't have an ash lip; make sure to turn the blower off before opening the door or any ash spill will have ash flying in your face. Get a block-off plate in the chimney if you don't have one already.

 

[aouke]

Thanks for providing that post, I was reading it and it just further confirms that I should stay away from that recency and does not help my feeling toward cats... Btw thanks for replying on both my posts, definitely very helpful

 

[Grisu]

Please be aware that Regency just recently started to put cats into some of their models. Their problems are rather normal when a company tries to incorporate a new (to them) technology. BlazeKing and Woodstock have been building cat stoves for many years and their models simply work as advertised. Quite a few members here "upgraded" their secondary burn stove to a BlazeKing or Woodstock to enjoy the long burn times and increased efficiency of a cat stove.

 

[aouke]

Please be aware that Regency just recently started to put cats into some of their models. Their problems are rather normal when a company tries to incorporate a new (to them) technology. BlazeKing and Woodstock have been building cat stoves for many years and their models simply work as advertised. Quite a few members here "upgraded" their secondary burn stove to a BlazeKing or Woodstock to enjoy the long burn times and increased efficiency of a cat stove.

Yea i realize that it is new tech and there can be issues with new tech. Which is why I am a bit more hesitant with pulling the trigger on the Neo.

 

[Grisu]

The Neo is a new model but also a secondary burn stove which PE has been building for years. They changed the shape of the firebox to make it more wide than deep so it can be installed as a flush insert and did some modifications to the baffle. Other than that it works like all their models. Maybe the burn and airwash is not quite as good as in their N-S loading units but I have yet to hear that there is a lot of difference. I remember a thread of one user who was raving about his Neo 1.6 which has been around a bit longer. That said, the Osburn Matrix is now 4 to 5 years old plus it uses the same firebox as the Osburn 2000. Check it out to see if you feel more confident with that unit if you want to go modern/flush.

 

[aouke]

Yea I realize it's a new model and that it is similar to the 1.6 but from my reading I've learned that it burns hotter on the right and glass gets dirty on the left as the air channels inside are not centered like in the 1.6. I'm wondering how big of problems these are and if it could actually fully heat 1800 sq ft all winter

 

[begreen]

A flush insert will need the blower going to heat the space effectively. That will mean some blower noise, though the blower at low speed is fairly unobtrusive. Another downside of this design is no ashlip. That means more mess on the hearth and more opportunity for this ash to get sucked into the blower and then blown throughout the house.

Take a look at the Hearthstone Clydesdale if it will fit. It's good looking, with a big view and time proven. The depth projection out onto the hearth are adjustable and it has an ashlip.

 

[aouke]

A flush insert will need the blower going to heat the space effectively. That will mean some blower noise, though the blower at low speed is fairly unobtrusive. Another downside of this design is no ashlip. That means more mess on the hearth and more opportunity for this ash to get sucked into the blower and then blown throughout the house.

Take a look at the Hearthstone Clydesdale if it will fit. It's good looking, with a big view and time proven. The depth projection out onto the hearth are adjustable and it has an ashlip.

I am not really concerned with the blower noise. All of the units that I am looking at have blowers. Unless I was getting a freestanding stove I would be looking at one with a blower. Regarding the ashlip, from what I can tell it does have one, just a small one.

I have enough room for the Clydesdale but honestly it isnt even in the running for me. It is way too expensive of a stove IMO and not comparable to one of the modern stoves in terms of look. If I decide to go with a stove that is not flush I will be going with the Summit.

 

[prezes13]

How come no one is talking about cape cod?

 

[velvetfoot]

My Hampton, sister unit to a Regency, has been great. And, you can load front to back.

 

[billb3]

How come no one is talking about cape cod?
View attachment 159773

they're caught in traffic ?

 

[prezes13]

I think that for a condo bk princess insert would work great. If you are ok with the looks of it.

 

[wisconsin2]

I have had both a quadraburn insert upstairs and for two years a pacific energy neo 2.5 fireplace insert downstairs
i prefer the neo 2.5 insert. i did put in a insulated flex when installing in the chimney , gives an excellent draft and easy restart when i need to . i usually do not crack the door to start because it starts so well. glass needs to be cleaned once a week when my wife fills the insert otherwise i can go weeks with clean glass
i burn anything seasoned; pine, poplar, ash, oak, birch, cherry, black walnut, elm, chinese elm, I try to always have a mix burning.
usually i run just my pacific energy which is downstairs which heats my 1960 2100 square foot house. I fill it ~10pm and run it 1/2 open still burnign in am.. I do not fuss much with my air control. depending on the wood i can go several days before i have to unload the ashes. about once a day i rake the coals to the front and the PE seems to incinerate them.
did run both quadraburn and pacific energy when it was -30 for several days. house stayed 70+ and my natural gas for that february was ten dollars which includes gas water heater and stove.
wood use, my woodpile keeps growing every year. I have lots of old neighbors on social security asking me to drop, chop and haul their dead trees away. started off with 6 racks two years ago and started this winter with 29 racks despite burning 24-7.
i wish i had an outside intake but the plus of present installation is that basement is very dry with the neo 2.5. My dehumdifier runs constantly in the summer despite airconditioning.
maintenance. easy. chimney pretty clean when i sweep yearly despite mixed wood. going to have to replace the firebrick after three seasons, seals still great, fans great.
i wanted the summit but wife wanted the clean contempory look. she is happy with it even though she is a san fernando valley girl