Please help ... trying to decide what wood insert to get

[iceman]

I have a large room 30'-40' (roughly) thats the size of the room its going in (my main room in the basement BUT i would like to get as much heat upstairs as possible.... should i get PE summit insert... or the Quadrafie 5100I or the Osburn 2400?
Since this is a entertainment area should I consider PE vista or the Osburn 2200 for the pretty windows?? The stairwell going upstairs in directly across from the stove show getting heat upstairs should'nt be a problem but i am confused and need help!

 

[recppd]

So you have a 30' x 40' finished basement with a fireplace, correct? What size is your fireplace? That will dictate a lot.

 

[iceman]

So you have a 30' x 40' finished basement with a fireplace, correct? What size is your fireplace? That will dictate a lot.

I am not home now but i know for a fact it is 48" wide maybe 30-31"high

 

[DavidV]

The are harder to find but the new Appalachain inserts look really nice. I have also seen one of the Harmon stoves that sticks out of the hearth a bit and I really liked the look of that.

David

 

[begreen]

Iceman what is your first choice not based on cost? In other words, what would you love to see installed there? What style stove cast, steel, other? How often will the stove be burning and for how long? 24/7 or some evenings and weekends?

 

[iceman]

Iceman what is your first choice not based on cost? In other words, what would you love to see installed there? What style stove cast, steel, other? How often will the stove be burning and for how long? 24/7 or some evenings and weekends?

I would love not to break the bank (so i will not her her mouth) BUT I need the "look as it is in my main entertaining room, I would like to heat as much of the house as possible... but yes I will use it maybe not 24/7 but close to it depending on how much heat i can get upstairs.... I would rather steel over cast (don't know why my gut is just telling me that)

 

[wg_bent]

So you have a 30' x 40' finished basement with a fireplace, correct? What size is your fireplace? That will dictate a lot.

I am not home now but i know for a fact it is 48" wide maybe 30-31"high

The interior dimensions of the opening of your fireplace are 48" X 30"? That's one heck of a fireplace How deep is it? The first consideration is if you can get an insert and suround panel that will cover that hole. If not, then I'd suggest a large freestanding stove to set in front of the fireplace. The Hearthstones and Vermont castings are among the nicest looking, but there are others.

I know for a fact that if your fireplace is as large as you say, that the Osburn 2200 surround panels will not cover that.

That is a very large room. One thing to consider is how even the temp is and how fast the room will heat up. If running 24/7, then less of a concern, but if you want fast heat, You should look at a steel stove with a blower (insert or freestanding). If 24/7, a radiant stove will keep things toasty, but you probably won't feel the at the far side of the room as fast as you might with a convection stove and blower. In this case I believe the blower is very key.

 

[begreen]

What is the age of the house and how well insulated is this room and the house in general. It will depend on what dealers you have locally but for starters I would look at the Quad 4100i, Pacific Energy-Pacific or Summit insert, Lopi Freedom, Osburn2200i, Country Legacy.

 

[Turner-n-Burner]

I believe the Hearthstone Clydesdale and the PE Summit are two of the bigger inserts out there - and I don't think either would fill that hole. You may have to consider some extra masonry work or a freestanding stove.

-Dan

 

[begreen]

Some of the stoves can be ordered with oversized surrounds or a clean sheetmetal extension can be made and painted stoveblack.

 

[BrotherBart]

The Kodiak 1700 has a 33" X 46" surround available and kicks upwards of 74,000 BTUs.

That ought to heat the guests up nicely.

 

[MrGriz]

Osburn does make a 32" x 50" faceplate for the 2200 and 2400 insert.

 

[begreen]

Yes, I would look at the Pacific Enegry closely. EBT will be handy. I think you might want to lower the burn rate on the stove when using the room.
The Summit surround will handle this opening: • Embossed Surround Standard size (48 3/4"w x32"h) • Plain Surround Oversized (52 3/4"w x 34"h).

Also the Quadrafire 4100i has a large surround at 34" h x 48" w. The 5100i large surround is 34 1/4" h x 51 1/4" w

 

[recppd]

I have a Jotul Kennebec insert with the extra wide surround. Measures 47 5/8" x 34" overall. Remember, you want heat, not an oven...

 

[kd460]

The Kodiak 1700 has a 33" X 46" surround available and kicks upwards of 74,000 BTUs.

That ought to heat the guests up nicely.

Me like my Kodiak! Me like my low gas bills, me like my overnight burns. Me like that it fit my POS Heatilator prefab fireplace like a glove.

Nice unit, reasonably priced, large firebox, built like a tank, nice construction, fitment and welding, secondary burn is a piece of cake. Blower is variable and can be very quite as well as really kicks when cranked on high. Nice cast aluminum bower motor (squirrel cage blower). It is set up to make installation a breeze. The flu collar can be installed from the inside of the firebox, so tight fits are not a problem.

The negatives are it's plain jane look, and dealer network. They have allot of corn and pellet dealers, but not as many that carry the wood burning inserts. KD

 

[iceman]

Freak these guys (PE, OSBURN and etc) web sites sucks!! geez you would think at the price of these things they have better sites!

 

[Roospike]

Freak these guys (PE, OSBURN and etc) web sites sucks!! geez you would think at the price of these things they have better sites!

------> ? <--------

What information are you looking for that isnt there on the web sites?

 

[iceman]

Just more info... better pictures the pe site was very vague i guess ... just something that makes you wanna buy something that would make you believe one might be better ... you if you have the equal products but you say "i like that store better and believe the cs is better so lets go there"

 

[begreen]

Are you looking at Osburn on this site? (broken link removed to http://www.osburn-mfg.com/products.aspx?CategoId=7)
For PE info at this site: (broken link removed to http://www.pacificenergy.net/woodInserts.html) or (broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/pacsumin.htm)

 

[Roospike]

Just more info... better pictures the pe site was very vague i guess ... just something that makes you wanna buy something that would make you believe one might be better ... you if you have the equal products but you say "i like that store better and believe the cs is better so lets go there"

Did you go to the "Product Manual" and the "Brochure" next to each model of stove on the Pacific Energy site?
Lots of information on the product and a lot of detail.

 

[iceman]

Are you looking at Osburn on this site? (broken link removed to http://www.osburn-mfg.com/products.aspx?CategoId=7)
For PE info at this site: (broken link removed to http://www.pacificenergy.net/woodInserts.html) or (broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/pacsumin.htm)

thanks for the links!!

 

[Roospike]

no / yes ?

 

[iceman]

Just more info... better pictures the pe site was very vague i guess ... just something that makes you wanna buy something that would make you believe one might be better ... you if you have the equal products but you say "i like that store better and believe the cs is better so lets go there"

Did you go to the "Product Manual" and the "Brochure" next to each model of stove on the Pacific Energy site?
Lots of information on the product and a lot of detail.

yes i did
one question for you though.... does the pe really put out 100,000 btus???? I see other stoves that are bigger and just as expensive but don't come close (well 60 -80000 btus)
Is that a gimmick?

 

[Willhound]

I think that the general consensus on the Forum is that most, if not all, of the manufacturers are a little optimistic on their BTU claims. In a perfect lab setting with perfect wood, and somebody fiddling with the fire to get perfect output, perhaps 100,000 BTU, in the PE example that you used. (Actuallly, I think they claim 97,000 if memory serves me correctly)

Generally, I think that most units will perform at 60 to 80% of the factory claim in real world conditions, maybe more. This is using average wood and a set it and forget it damper setting.

I can tell you that my Summit heats my entire 1800 sq. ft. house at -40 no problem at all. Gas furnace absolutely does not kick in as long as the insert is lit. Saved over $800 on my gas bill last winter with less than perfect wood and didn't start burning until mid-December.

 

[Roospike]

Just more info... better pictures the pe site was very vague i guess ... just something that makes you wanna buy something that would make you believe one might be better ... you if you have the equal products but you say "i like that store better and believe the cs is better so lets go there"

Did you go to the "Product Manual" and the "Brochure" next to each model of stove on the Pacific Energy site?
Lots of information on the product and a lot of detail.

yes i did
one question for you though.... does the pe really put out 100,000 btus???? I see other stoves that are bigger and just as expensive but don't come close (well 60 -80000 btus)
Is that a gimmick?

Its going to be rated at a higher BTU for a big reason of how the stove is made. The body is all 1/4" steel and the top is 3/8" thick steel.
Read the thread "Wood Stove Design & Heat Transfer"
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/4202/