Potential for huge fireplace insert or stove, but is flue an issue? Need advice

[pherzmd]

Hi and thanks in advance for the advice!

I grew up heating with wood in a home-made stove and a russian fireplace. Now I own a 1940's era house in Frederick, Maryland with a heat pump, oil furnace, HUGE fireplace, and an equally HUGE oil heating bill each winter. We want a fireplace insert (or stove?) to help relieve some of the oil heating bill, and because we enjoy having a fire. Despite spending what seems like my entire childhood cutting, splitting and stacking firewood, it seems I know little to nothing about modern fireplace inserts and best practices, so please help me!

Location - the fireplace is in a large (about 700sf) family room/kitchen open area. It is very poorly insulated and has a huge old leaky bay window in one wall - those are separate issues I am working slowly to resolve.

Complicating factor #1 - It's a huge fireplace, brick opening is 54" wide by 31.5" high and 22" deep at the floor, tapering in at the back and top. The hearth extends about 25" out in front of the fireplace surface.

Complicating factor #2 - It has a built in shutter-opening damper (see other picture) that looks like it could limit the ability to put a traditional type of stove pipe chimney up through it. I am not aware if this is a common obstacle and if there is some technology to deal with this issue.

Complicating issue #3 - My daughter has cystic fibrosis and it is critical that we keep our living area almost completely smoke-free. We want a unit that we can burn regularly, see the fire through glass, but tightly control any fugitive smoke emissions.

We want high efficiency. Obviously the budget for this is limited. We would like to ideally re-face the brick with a stone veneer, and maybe at the same time we could reduce the fireplace size, but not sure we will be able to do that at present.

Thoughts on a best approach? Thanks!

 

[Owen1508]

Based on your last requirement...are you dead set on wood or have you considered a pellet unit?

 

[pherzmd]

Based on your last requirement...are you dead set on wood or have you considered a pellet unit?

Not completely closed to the idea, and I like some of its advantages, but probably prefer a wood burning insert.

 

[Owen1508]

As far as #2 You can have the damper removed. If you were to install a Hearthstove or insert you would use a blocking plate and run the flue through that anyways. So not a huge issue and very common. With that size FP you do have options. Others will start chiming in soon with them. Best recommendation I can give is look at all your options and weigh the pros and cons, including cost and looks and narrow it down. Have you started to get the wood stacked yet?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

How tall is your chimney and do you know it's dimensions?

I'd be looking for a stand alone stove that would fit the opening. That's a beautiful hearth you have there.

 

[pherzmd]

How tall is your chimney and do you know it's dimensions?

I'd be looking for a stand alone stove that would fit the opening. That's a beautiful hearth you have there.

Can I ask why? What's the advantage of a stand alone stove?

The chimney is a single story.about 15 feet tall. Here is a picture:

 

[Jags]

What is the total square foot area that you are trying to heat? That fireplace is just screaming for a big ol honking steel stove in flat black with big glass.

 

[bholler]

The damper is not a problem it can just be cut out. No smoke at all might be modern stoves are very good but there can still occasionally be a little smoke. In your case with a firebox that large i would probably do a freestander also. I see no problem with an insert but in your case the surround would be huge and i think a stove in the firebox would look better.

 

[Owen1508]

I agree with Holler a frestanding stove would look great. You'd have to watch clearances on the mantel but very doable. It's a matter of taste. It is a very pretty hearth and like Jags said it is in need of a nice big hunk of a stove.

 

[TradEddie]

When running, you should never have smoke coming out of the stove/insert, but when reloading it's not unusual for a small puff of smoke to escape. Some models have a bypass damper that can reduce this, but usually just opening the door slowly does the trick. Lighting fires in milder conditions can also cause some smoke to escape, but again, can be mostly controlled by a careful user. Given the seriousness of CF, you should check on this site and others for stoves that owners report having such smoke problems on reload.

Given that you'll likely be spending $3-6K on such a stove and install, and that you already have two heating systems, you might get a better return by getting an energy audit and looking at air sealing or insulation. Just closing that damper when not using the fireplace could save you $$$.

TE

 

[Andy S.]

Unlike the others, I think that hearth begs for my dream fireplace insert. (broken link removed to http://www.osburn-mfg.com/en/heaters/2200ib-2200-wood-insert)

My little prefab fireplace really limited my options. Whatever you decide, best of luck and start stacking last year.

 

[Jags]

• Firebox volume (cu. ft.) 2.3

No dream of mine.

 

[Owen1508]

• Firebox volume (cu. ft.) 2.3

No dream of mine.

How about a 3.6 cu. ft.?

http://breckwell.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=891

 

[Owen1508]

Based on your last requirement I would also look into pellet units

 

[Andy S.]

No dream of mine.

How about a 3.6 cu. ft.?
http://breckwell.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=891

Fair enough, fellas. You dream bigger than me (but you are not saddled with a little prefab fireplace that limited you to a 1.4 cu ft firebox).

I agree with the breckwell and revise my dreams accordingly.

 

[pherzmd]

Unlike the others, I think that hearth begs for my dream fireplace insert. (broken link removed to http://www.osburn-mfg.com/en/heaters/2200ib-2200-wood-insert)

My little prefab fireplace really limited my options. Whatever you decide, best of luck and start stacking last year.

I think I have to agree, that is the look that we were hoping to go for. If an insert and a free standing stove are similar in heating efficiency, I think we would like to stick with a projecting insert.

 

[Jags]

How about a 3.6 cu. ft.?

http://breckwell.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=891

Now yer talking. I wonder if breckwell realizes that there poster picture isn't installed according to proper frontal clearances.

 

[Jags]

If an insert and a free standing stove are similar in heating efficiency, I think we would like to stick with a projecting insert.

A very large percent of inserts really need a fan running to move the heat. Stand alone units don't.

 

[Woody Stover]

How tall is your chimney? With decent chimney height and a liner, you should have good draft and no smoke should ever escape, depending on the design of the stove. As mentioned, a bypass is good insurance. A grated ash-handling system will cut the amount of ash dust escaping to almost zero.

 

[Owen1508]

Now yer talking. I wonder if breckwell realizes that there poster picture isn't installed according to proper frontal clearances.

LOL Yeah that is NOT 16" in front of that unit in the picture....Nice catch. Of course that is super imposed. Guess the media guy who created that pic doesn't know about clearances or floor protection

 

[Andy S.]

that is the look that we were hoping to go for.

It is a beautiful unit, isn't it? I agree with the others that the bigger the better, but all that viewing area fits my eye to a "t". I'd take that look over any freestander any day of the week.

 

[pherzmd]

Is it possible to go TOO large with the firebox? Too many btus? The bigger the firebox, the more firewood you are going to eat through, right? The area we will heat is about 700 sf (though poorly insulated), and I would love it to heat more of the house but the heat would have to be thrown through a doorway 30 feet away, can't imagine that's gonna happen.

 

[pherzmd]

How tall is your chimney? With decent chimney height and a liner, you should have good draft and no smoke should ever escape, depending on the design of the stove. As mentioned, a bypass is good insurance. A grated ash-handling system will cut the amount of ash dust escaping to almost zero.

I posted a pic above, it's only about 15' tall so a draft has occasionally been a problem with it. So a bypass and a grated ash-handling system are features I should be looking for in whatever unit I buy?

 

[DougA]

I agree with a few others, if CF is a serious issue, forget wood entirely. I've burned wood for 30+ years and I know I am oblivious to the smoke that visitors can smell. Do the insulation and look at upgrading the furnace and it will be cheaper and cleaner than a wood stove or insert. You did not mention whether you have a reliable supply of free firewood but you did say that your budget is limited. If you are buying wood, it won't save you money at all.

My daughter has cystic fibrosis and it is critical that we keep our living area almost completely smoke-free

People can slam me all they want but when it comes to health issues, you need to be aware that all stoves/inserts will add smoke to the room. "Almost completely" sounds to me like you want a wood stove even if it might be a problem. Either the home is smoke free or it isn't. If you want smoke free, do not burn wood.

Sorry if I seem blunt but you really need to answer these questions before you worry about a damper and stone veneer.

 

[DAKSY]

The MAJOR problem I see with an insert is the overall width of the opening you've got.
The largest Regency insert (I3100L) has an oversized surround option, but that's only 50" wide.
Not sure if Osburn even HAS that option... You may have to get creative with some brake-bent
metal to cover the remainder of the opening, or maybe you should re-face it BEFORE you decide
on which unit you're gonna go for.