Question for insert owners

[mranum]

My folks are considering an insert. Their fireplace is a masonary with sandstone on the outside with a metal framework inside. They have been heating with wood for the better part of 40 years so he's not new to it. Currently the main heat source is a Riteway wood furnace located in the basement. But with an insert on the main level they could be prepared for the inevitable difficulties associated with going up and down stairs several times a day.

Our dealer carries Quadrafire, Lopi, and Avalon. Its my understanding that Lopi and Avalon are the same stove correct? The house is a story and a half on a full basement with 1100 sq.ft per floor and is basically a square shape. The upstairs is closed during the winter for the most part. The fireplace is located in the center of the house in the living room which is about 400 sq.ft.

The dealer is recommending either the Quad 2700i or the Avalon Rainier. Reason being is they figure thats all the bigger they need for the size of the house. They figure the larger ones would cook them out of the house and be looking for places to move the heat to. Given the existing fireplace though, the smaller insert may look really too small for the fireplace. Its setup similar to the one in my avatar with stone on the bottom and wood on top. 8' wide.

Are there any things in particular we should avoid when looking? It wouldn't be put in for this season as they can't even get one till spring right now. That makes lots of time to make a decision.

 

[karl]

I have a Summit Insert and it's great, but I really don't think I'm getting as much heat from it as I would the Summit Stove. You lose alot of heat up the chimney and to the brick fireplace. Don't worry about getting an insert that is too big. I build a fire and then use the blower to control how much heat I want.

 

[begreen]

karl, do you have a damper block-off plate in the chimney? We've seen some nice improvements with insert heating once a block off plate was added, especially with exterior chimneys.

mranum, the Avalon Rainier is a stout, reliable heater. I've enjoyed one at our friends house. At 5 years now, it has stood up well and is very easy to operate.

 

[karl]

I have a block off plate. I'm going to ad insulation around the insert and above this year.

 

[velvetfoot]

I have the Quad 2700i and I pretty much like it.
We have a 2000 foot colonial, with 1000 ft2 on each floor.
The stove keeps the downstairs pretty toasty.
It's always nice to have more capacity, but you have to factor in what the local dealer stocks too.
Another plus is that it's very nearly flush, so chances are you don't have to extend the hearth, which my wife likes.
We put some tile around it and a nice mantle shelf we got on a vender on eBay. Simple, but okay for us.

 

[Jabbers]

I heat 900SQ with my 2700I Quadra Fire. This stove keeps my house as warm as I need it to be. This year I did install a pellet stove for the basement.

 

[CT-Mike]

Its my understanding that Lopi and Avalon are the same stove correct?

Lopi and Avalon are both made by Travis Industries.

 

[ksticka]

I have the Avalon Perfect-Fit. It heats my upstairs very well. It puts off more heat than I can stand. My main floor is 1400 square feet. I am trying to figure out how to get some warm air downstairs. I normaly keep that at about 65 anyway with forced air.

ks

 

[JMF1]

I have the Olympic and my brother has the Ranier............I's recomend the bigger stove for sure. He says the Ranier doesn't keep up when it's REALLY cold, he's looking for a bigger stove......

 

[lloyd1]

;-) I HAD A QUADRAFIRE 2700I RECENTLY INSTALLED IN OUR 1800 SQ CHALET IN THE POCONOS OF PA. THE TEMPS HAVE BEEN IN THE MID 20S AND HIGHS IN THE LOW FOURTIES AND IT DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB. ONLY MINOR COMPLAINT IS THE FAN ON HIGH IS NOISY BUT WHEN REACHING DESIRED TEMP..TURN DOWN AND IT HOLDS THE TEMP WITH MINOR NOISE.. THE REAL TEST WILL BE LATE DEC/JAN WHEN THE TEMPS CAN GO DOWN T0 10/15 BELOW..WOOD COMSUMPTION IS NORMAL AND NOT A ISSUE DUE TO ACRES OF HARDWOOD TREES..

 

[burntime]

Why not wire a reostat inline to slow the fan speed on high?

 

[velvetfoot]

It has a variable speed fan.
I did put on an automatic shutoff on it which works nice.
It shuts off the fan after the temperature drops.
I got a Stovestat. It's 58 bucks now though.
(broken link removed to http://www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5SA-9600)