Received quote to install Harman Accentra Insert - STICKER SHOCK

[Tim M.]

Long story short home I purchased 1.5 years ago has a gas fireplace insert ..... it's almost 20 years old and is useless, it lights yes but throws almost no heat that's worth running it and paying for gas. It's time to go ..... options, install a new more efficient higher BTU gas unit or put a pellet insert in there. My preference would be for the pellet insert. I had a local Harman dealer some today and take measurements and got a quote for the install - $12K with tax. I almost sh*t my pants.

Just looking for someone to chime in here and give me an opinion on if that's reasonable or not - cost for labor to remove existing unit and install new insert was $4,500 for the labor alone ..... sounds absolutely astronomical to me.

Attached a few pics of the existing unit to see if that would help anyone tell me if I am getting scammed or not.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

Long story short home I purchased 1.5 years ago has a gas fireplace insert ..... it's almost 20 years old and is useless, it lights yes but throws almost no heat that's worth running it and paying for gas. It's time to go ..... options, install a new more efficient higher BTU gas unit or put a pellet insert in there. My preference would be for the pellet insert. I had a local Harman dealer some today and take measurements and got a quote for the install - $12K with tax. I almost sh*t my pants.

Just looking for someone to chime in here and give me an opinion on if that's reasonable or not - cost for labor to remove existing unit and install new insert was $4,500 for the labor alone ..... sounds absolutely astronomical to me.

Attached a few pics of the existing unit to see if that would help anyone tell me if I am getting scammed or not.

View attachment 275878 View attachment 275879 View attachment 275880 View attachment 275881 View attachment 275882

Yup that sounds outrageous. When you say gas, do you mean natural gas or propane? What Harman stove are they proposing?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Nice siding. Vinyl siding and exhaust of any kind tends to discolor it. 12 grand today is really chump change. The unit will be 4 plus alone plus you live in a high buck labor area. A surround has to be fabricated and the unit set on a sliding frame to access it for maintenace. One reason why I don't like any insert install because required maintenance becomes a hassle. I'd neve do a fireplace install. If I had a fireplace, I'd still go a freestanding unit, block off the flue so there is no heat loss (in your case don't apply because there is no flue) and turn the hearth into a bookcase.

My 2 cents.

 

[Tim M.]

Yup that sounds outrageous. When you say gas, do you mean natural gas or propane? What Harman stove are they proposing?

Harman Lover - this is for an Accentra Insert .... so yeah stove alone is $4700 .... need a zero clearance cabinet and then the exhaust. I mean an extra $7K ontop of that where I havethe firebox already there, framed etc and ready to go .... already have the doghouse on the back of house to fun the exhaust up and out of ...... it seems really really really high.

 

[Tim M.]

Nice siding. Vinyl siding and exhaust of any kind tends to discolor it. 12 grand today is really chump change. The unit will be 4 plus alone plus you live in a high buck labor area. A surround has to be fabricated and the unit set on a sliding frame to access it for maintenace. One reason why I don't like any insert install because required maintenance becomes a hassle. I'd neve do a fireplace install. If I had a fireplace, I'd still go a freestanding unit, block off the flue so there is no heat loss (in your case don't apply because there is no flue) and turn the hearth into a bookcase.

My 2 cents.

I'd actually really really like to do that but just dont want to lose that much floor space in the living area to have a freestanding stove come that far out into the living area. I may end up just replacing it with another gas stove and hope that might be a more economical option. Not sure if it will be but $12K for the pellet stove .... I think I pass.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Why don't you get a couple more competitive estimates?

 

[railfanron]

One reason why it's so high is the gas unit has to come completely out which means the surround and mantel must be dismantled. After removing all the gas fireplace stuff then the new zero clearance cabinet has to be framed for and installed along with the exhaust. After that the surround has to be fitted back in and the mantel reinstalled. Then the new pellet fireplace can be slid into place and the surround finish pieces fitted to the original surround. Sounds about right to me. It's not just push the new one in and knock a hole in the wall for the vent and call her done. Fireplaces whether wood or pellet are expensive animals to build or re-figure.
Ron

 

[SidecarFlip]

Another good reason for a freestanding unit.

 

[Ssyko]

Any Quadrafire or Enviro dealers near you?

 

[stovelark]

Any time taking out a zc fireplace reframing for another unit, it does get expensive. That price however sounds a bit high. Can you keep the fp, install a FS unit out an outer wall? Dont know if you checked out the XXV or absolute 63? Beautiful stoves.

 

[johneh]

Looking at your photos you would have no problem converting to freestanding
That's what I did. The only difference is mine was a 0 clearance fireplace (Wood burner)

 

[guatamican eye fake]

I agree with the free standing unit approach. You should create an alcove

 

[gfreek]

I agree with the free standing unit approach. You should create an alcove

 

[Zeus]

Harman Lover - this is for an Accentra Insert .... so yeah stove alone is $4700 .... need a zero clearance cabinet and then the exhaust. I mean an extra $7K ontop of that where I havethe firebox already there, framed etc and ready to go .... already have the doghouse on the back of house to fun the exhaust up and out of ...... it seems really really really high.

Just my opinion, but at that price I would buy the stove and install it myself.

 

[guatamican eye fake]

Also remember this is just a space heater you are going to pay 12,000. A flipping space heater. No way is it worth it. You could install a whole heating system for that price.

 

[Washed-Up]

I would do it in stages, have the gas fireplace removed, then go from there

 

[johneh]

Also remember this is just a space heater you are going to pay 12,000. A flipping space heater. No way is it worth it. You could install a whole heating system for that price.

Replace my central heating system including 2 furnaces one wood the other propane and all ductwork for just over 10k Canadian last fall. My pellet stove Enviro and chimney installed with the removal of the old fireplace and remodeling cost just over 3 k but my stove was a floor unit never burned but still, a display cost 40% less

 

[Zeus]

to give you for example In 2015 my accentra 52i was completely installed all new flex line block off plate insulation a stainless steel top put on my chimney and a stainless cap for about $5000 . They are asking way too much for that install unless there’s something I’m missing. Oops I also forgot the also installed and outside air kit on mine as well .

 

[Zeus]

this new 52i is around the same pice as mine was in 2015 they gave me a good deal on install and the stove. My installer said average install of this stove at the time was $500 to$1000.

 

[railfanron]

Your missing the point Zeus. Your unit sounds like it was installed in an existing fireplace. This unit has no existing fireplace capable of handling the new unit. That means the gas unit has to be removed which means the surround has to be removed also as well as the mantel. Then the new units exhaust and intake have to be installed. Then the zero clearance box has to be installed which is much larger than the gas unit. So the framing all has to be reworked and the hole in the outside wall patched as the new units exhaust is more than likely higher than the gas exhaust. After that the surround has to be refitted to the new case and the mantel reinstalled. Then the unit can go in. If you can get all that done for 1000 dollars I expect the end result is going to be something to behold.
Ron

 

[girevik]

I removed a built-in wood fireplace. Added some minor 2x4 framing, durock backer, roxul insulation and leveled the bottom with cement. Took some time and effort but saved probably $5k in labor alone.

Installed the pellet insert, flue piping and braces...... Has definitely been worth the effort!

 

[Tim M.]

Well appreciate everyones thoughts here. Went and got a few other quotes none were as high as the original ..... more in the $7K - $8K range to get an insert in where the existing gas unit is.

The less expensive option is sticking with gas and going with another gas fireplace. While I do love the idea of burning a wood product I also see the benefits of sticking with natural gas, cleaner burning, the cost for fuel is right and we can (for the most part) take out the existing and swap in a new one without all that much hassle. I wont get the BTU's I could get from a pellet insert - the accentra boasts 51K BTU. I'll be going with a Heat n Glo CLX 8000 which pumps out 45K BTU .............. it'll keep us warm.

Thanks for all the info - this is a great website

 

[Ssyko]

Well appreciate everyones thoughts here. Went and got a few other quotes none were as high as the original ..... more in the $7K - $8K range to get an insert in where the existing gas unit is.

The less expensive option is sticking with gas and going with another gas fireplace. While I do love the idea of burning a wood product I also see the benefits of sticking with natural gas, cleaner burning, the cost for fuel is right and we can (for the most part) take out the existing and swap in a new one without all that much hassle. I wont get the BTU's I could get from a pellet insert - the accentra boasts 51K BTU. I'll be going with a Heat n Glo CLX 8000 which pumps out 45K BTU .............. it'll keep us warm.

Thanks for all the info - this is a great website

I believe you made a "Wise Choice Tim". good luck and let us know how you make out

 

[SidecarFlip]

Keep in mid that most manufacturers list their BTU output as gross output, not realized output so the actual heat output will be less by a couple thousand BTU's.