Regency Hampton HI300 vs Pacific Energy Alderlea T5 Classic

[HomeBruin]

Background:
Been burning in a Vermont Castings Aspen for past 11 yrs I've owned house. Installed by previous homeowner, rear vented via 6" steel flexliner up masonry chimney. Home is a 2300 sq ft colonial style.

The Problem:
Although the VC is a cute little stove that can keep the whole house warm if outside temps are above 32F, it is woefully underpowered for a home of this size and must be run at full power, requiring hourly feedings. It is only designed for a 1100 sq ft area. After at least 12 years of reliable service, the firebricks are cracking/crumbling, and the log grate has cracked and is now buckling, causing difficulty removing the ash pan.

The Solution:
A larger free standing stove or a fireplace insert. My current setup looks like this:

Nixed the idea of a larger stove, as I would have to blow out the hearth and match existing bricks, and the arched upper opening of the fireplace is not high enough to accomodate the height of the vents on the larger stoves. So....I opted for an insert. Based on fireplace opening dimensions, I need a medium sized insert. And the best looking inserts I've seen rated at least 75k BTU max were the Regency "Hampton HI300" and the Pacific Energy "Alderlea T5 Class" insert.

Pros and Cons:

Alderlea:
Thought the enamel brown finish looked just a hair nicer
Variable speed (pot) fan, vs only 2 speeds on HI300.

Alderlea Cons:
Price! The unit alone best price was $725 higher than the HI300!!
Firebox size is .0.2 cubic feet smaller than HI300
Weird gap between blower an hearth.


HI300:
much cheaper
Choosing oversize surround is proportionatelly larger all around, not just wider header like the Alderlea.
View of fire through glass is 2 inches wider. Slightly larger firebox.
4 overhead secondary combustion tubes.

Well, I pulled the trigger and put 1000 bucks down on the HI300. Thanks to everyone on previous threads for the HI300 that influenced my final decision! This is a great site! I'll send pics of my final install when it comes, which may take until after Christmas to install.

 

[raybonz]

Nice hearth and tough decision! They are both beautiful inserts so not an easy decision to make. The Hampton might have a slightly larger firebox and both should provide 8+ hour burns. I think either one will work just fine in NJ..

Good luck!

Ray

 

[BrotherBart]

You are gonna love that insert. And the extra sleep. Congrats.

 

[HomeBruin]

Thanks Ray. Gonna miss the look of the arched bricks along the opening topside. The oversized surround will mask them. Bart, I am so NOT going to miss trying to coax a fire back to life with just a few glowing embers when i wake up. Hopefully my bellows days will be over!

 

[raybonz]

Once you have that Hampton installed and running I bet you won't notice the arch bricks .. The overnight burns are important to me as well.. Look forward to the pics! Congrats!

Ray

 

[HomeBruin]

BrotherBart, wow, noticed you have a lot of BTU power How big is your house? Sounds like a castle!

 

[bearclaw27]

Hi Home... I am in the decision making process and I am also considering the Hampton Insert vs the Alderlea.. I am curious to know what your experience has been with the Hampton so far, and how much you paid for it.. I believe I was quoted a price of $2749

 

[kingquad]

Hi Home... I am in the decision making process and I am also considering the Hampton Insert vs the Alderlea.. I am curious to know what your experience has been with the Hampton so far, and how much you paid for it.. I believe I was quoted a price of $2749

Don't rule out the Enviro Boston either. Usually comes in cheaper and has a larger firebox than the Hampton. It's a very capable heater. The dealer network sucks in some places though.

 

[velvetfoot]

I love my HI300. It has a 2.3 ft3 firebox that can be loaded front to back and sideways. I'm surprised you couldn't fit a larger insert-the fireplace looks pretty big.

 

[begreen]

Don't rule out the Enviro Boston either. Usually comes in cheaper and has a larger firebox than the Hampton. It's a very capable heater. The dealer network sucks in some places though.

+1

 

[bearclaw27]

I'm not crazy about the surrounds on the Hampton nor the Enviro. I have a fieldstone chimney with a log mantle, and most of the surrounds mimic a classic style mantle. The Alderlea and the Jotul seems most aesthetically pleasing to me, though I am know they are probably at the high end of the price scale.. I am also unsure about the performance of the Jotul and parts availability for it.

 

[begreen]

Nice setup. Your needs are different enough that you should start an independent thread to cover your needs.

 

[HomeBruin]

Bearclaw, I agree, the traditional looking surrounds might not be to your liking with the fieldstone. Price you were quoted was very good though, I paid about 3300 total for mine installed using the existing non-insulated chimney liner. Still pushing my Hampton pretty hard to keep up in these deep winter days and nights, but not feeding it hourly like I did with my small stove. Now I can go several hours without reloading, and getting things going again in the morning is a piece of cake with all the coals. I would have been using about 5g heating oil per day without the stove running. I am down to about one gallon per day now. Based on the current cost of oil and what I am paying for wood (about 150/cord in bulk), I figured out I am saving about 6 bucks per day (about 180 bucks per month during the peak of the heating season). I've discovered the blower is fine with just the two speeds. Most of the time I have it on high, which is not bothersome at all. On low you can't even tell it's on. I really like the way I never have to clean the glass anymore! I've cleaned it one time around Christmas because I had company coming and I wanted it to look perfect. I'll post some pics soon.

 

[velvetfoot]

I usually clean the glass when I empty the ashes; I try to let things cool down some.

 

[tfdchief]

HB, I think you will like your Hampton. I sure do like mine.