Please advise: new Drolet insert

[lisadh]

I'm looking for any wisdom from you old-timers. My husband and I had a small Drolet insert installed in an existing fireplace in our old, not well-insulated, wood-frame house. Our chimney is located on an exterior wall. We had 2 different opinions as to whether or not to insulate the new chimney liner. We chose not to. For aesthetic reasons, we also didn't install the surround that Drolet sells with the unit, leaving us with a 6inch gap around the insert.
Now, the heat output from the insert has been disappointing. Were we wrong to skip the chimney insulation? Other than not insulating our house better, (which we plan to do), are we doing something wrong or were my expectations too high about the heat output of the stove?
Humbly yours,
Cold in CT

 

[begreen]

Is the wood nice and dry? Does it light and burn easily without any sizzling on the ends? If yes, that's good. If no, then it could be unseasoned wood. That will put out a lot less heat. If the wood is dry, then it sounds like currently, the stove is trying to heat the house and outdoors. Insulating the liner will keep the flue warmer and safer. Draft will be better too. Then, adding a damper block-off plate will stop a lot of the heat going up the chimney. A thin layer of insulation board like micore anchored to the backside of the fireplace cavity might also help.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Why_damper_seal_is_needed/

 

[yukiginger]

Make sure you have a blockoff plate to seal off the rest of the chimney around your liner just above the insert. Do you have a blower on the insert? Are you getting any heat increase in the house? How big is the insert? You are asking the right questions.

MarkG