Pacific Energy Vista vs Super inserts

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Sbrown28

New Member
Nov 13, 2019
44
Nebraska
Looking for some help on which insert to buy for our house. The living room where the insert will sit is about 415 square feet with 8 ft ceilings. It then connects to a bedroom directly that is about 150 square feet. There is also a 8 foot hallway that connects to a room that’s about 115 square feet. In the room of 415 square feet we have a big double pane picture window on one side and a sliding glass door (both about 5 ft wide and 6.5 ft tall) on the opposite. There are also 2 exterior doors attached to the large room. Below is an unfinished basement, and above are 2 bedrooms that measure a little over 300 square feet in total.

I originally ordered the vista, but is already way behind schedule. I could get a super installed for almost the same price much much sooner. The vista has a 56,000 heat output cord wood BTU and is 75.5% efficient 1.5 cu.ft fire box.
The super has a 72,000 btu with 71.3% efficient 2.1 cu.ft fire box

Is this super going to heat me out of the room?
 
You can always build a smaller fire in the bigger fire box.

The Vista is going to give you 4 - 6 hour burn times on a full load. The Super will give you 7 - 9 (I have it's predecessor , the Pacific ... same fire box size).

Welcome to the forums !
 
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You can use small 8" desk fans on the floor, moving cool, dense air back toward or into the doorway of the stove room. Use low speed so as not to disrupt the natural convection loop of warm air out of the stove room, which you will be boosting by the use of the fans. You can hang strips of tissue paper in the doorways to help you see how the warm air is moving, and adjust your fan setup accordingly.
Less wood in a load will produce less heat, but a small load won't last overnight. If you are OK with your furnace taking up the slack, that will work. Or just load up full before bed, when you don't care if the stove room gets pretty warm.
 
You can always build a smaller fire in the bigger fire box.

The Vista is going to give you 4 - 6 hour burn times on a full load. The Super will give you 7 - 9 (I have it's predecessor , the Pacific ... same fire box size).

Welcome to the forums !
Thanks for the advice! Since you have the predecessor to the super, is your space significantly bigger than mine? If not do you get overheated?
 
I strongly prefer the Super's design. It is a pretty flexible burner and will run well on a half-load of fuel. The firebox shap
Thanks for the advice! Since you have the predecessor to the super, is your space significantly bigger than mine? If not do you get overheated?
Same size firebox. How open is your floorplan?
 
I strongly prefer the Super's design. It is a pretty flexible burner and will run well on a half-load of fuel. The firebox shap

Same size firebox. How open is your floorplan?
Floor plan is completely open on the main floor except the 2 bedrooms.
 
Floor plan is completely open on the main floor except the 2 bedrooms.
Go for the Super unless the house is superinsulated.
 
The PE is heating roughly 1200 SF of 2000 sf here. Layout prevents it circulating the heat to a lower level.

That's when the Englander 13 or the oil burner kick in.