I am replacing my 40 year old Lopi with an Expedition ll. I got a $5000 voucher to replace it. I hope I am not making a mistake. I was hoping for more efficient wood burning
Replacing old Lopi
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You’ll be fine quadrafire makes good products. Shouldn’t have an issue with overnight burns with that either, firebox seems big enough.
Just know that a new stove will require dry wood, 40 years ago you could get away with subpar wood but your new stove will not work well with wet wood.
Which Lopi model is being replaced? Is it flush or does it project out onto the hearth?
How was the Lopi used, 24/7 winter heating or more occasionally, such as mostly nights and weekends?
Is this in a new home construction or older home?
How was the Lopi used, 24/7 winter heating or more occasionally, such as mostly nights and weekends?
Is this in a new home construction or older home?
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I think it is called a Lopi X. It is not flush. No blower. We are retired so we usually keep it going during the day. It usually goes out in the night but it is usually mild enough that that is no big deal. The house was built in 1975. I have put in dual pane windows and extra insulation in the attic.
Thanks, that helps define the differences. The X had a blower option, but without it, the insert is still quite radiant. It has a large firebox that can be loaded N/S or E/W. It's built like a tank and a decent heater for the day.
One more question, how tall is the chimney on the fireplace? The new insert will need a 6" stainless liner. Unlike the Lopi, the Quad will need at least 16' of flue liner. This is especially important for the stove to work well in mild climates like Paradise.
The Quad Expedition II is flush insert and quite different from the Lopi. Flush inserts need the blower running to produce decent heat. The only radiant heat is from the front door. This is fixed-rate, secondary burn stove. What does that mean? It means that the user does not control the fire. After setting the the startup air timer (ACC) it is self-regulated to burn at a fixed rate. The light show from the secondary burn is entrancing and it's not a bad choice if those caveats are ok.
One more question, how tall is the chimney on the fireplace? The new insert will need a 6" stainless liner. Unlike the Lopi, the Quad will need at least 16' of flue liner. This is especially important for the stove to work well in mild climates like Paradise.
The Quad Expedition II is flush insert and quite different from the Lopi. Flush inserts need the blower running to produce decent heat. The only radiant heat is from the front door. This is fixed-rate, secondary burn stove. What does that mean? It means that the user does not control the fire. After setting the the startup air timer (ACC) it is self-regulated to burn at a fixed rate. The light show from the secondary burn is entrancing and it's not a bad choice if those caveats are ok.
Do you think I will be disappointed with the heat output. My Lopi originally had a blower but even if I could replace it I was looking at nearly $500. I was hoping to burn more efficiently. By that I mean making my wood last longer. My experience with regulation in CA is that while something becomes more “environmentally friendly” it turns into a piece of crap that no longer functions well. To get this voucher the new insert had to be on the “Alaska” good list if you are familiar with that.
With the blower running, their will be good heat as long as the draft is sufficient and the wood is dry. There may be other inserts to consider. I haven't heard of the Alaska list. Can you point me to it?
The firebox will likely be smaller. What length is the firewood that is currently burned?
The firebox will likely be smaller. What length is the firewood that is currently burned?
I currently burn 16”. The company I am buying from came and looked at the chimney.
How tall is the chimney?
The old Lopi will work on a much shorter chimney than a modern secondary stove. A stronger draft is needed to pull the air through the secondary manifold and out the tubes. Some designs breathe easier than others. That is going to be important especially if fires are burned at 50º.
Any stove we would recommend is on the EPA 2020 certification list per CARB reqs.
ww2.arb.ca.gov
The old Lopi will work on a much shorter chimney than a modern secondary stove. A stronger draft is needed to pull the air through the secondary manifold and out the tubes. Some designs breathe easier than others. That is going to be important especially if fires are burned at 50º.
Any stove we would recommend is on the EPA 2020 certification list per CARB reqs.
Woodsmoke Reduction Program | California Air Resources Board
The Woodsmoke Reduction Program (Program) offers financial incentives for homeowners to replace old, inefficient, and highly polluting wood stoves, wood inserts, or fireplaces with cleaner burning and more efficient home heating devices. California residents using uncertified wood stoves or wood...
ww2.arb.ca.gov
16" wood is good, though the Quad will need to be loaded E/W. It can only take about a 12" stick loaded N/S.
E/W is the direction I load. I don’t know how tall the chimney is but I will be sure to press them on that when it is installed.
the EPA 2020 certification isn‘t enough to qualify for this voucher from the Butte County Air Management District. I am starting to think this is more trouble than it is worth.
the EPA 2020 certification isn‘t enough to qualify for this voucher from the Butte County Air Management District. I am starting to think this is more trouble than it is worth.
Got it. I downloaded the pdf after posting. The list has not been updated since February, so really this is your only option. The rest are obscure models and CARB has not gotten around to testing the bulk of Fairbanks, AK-certified woodstoves.
Yes, there's about 5 or 6 speeds, none of them move a bunch of air and most of them are loud.
Honestly I'm probably just picky. It's one of the things of an insert you can't get around, they will all be like this. They can only fit tiny little fans in there, so it is what it is.
You’ll be fine. It’ll get long enough burns for overnight and away from home for work. If you’re burning 24/7 you’d probably be fine with 2 loads a day unless it’s really cold you may need 3 loads if you’re burning 24/7. Only downside is it’s a flush Mount. Fans will probably be louder on the higher settings. I have a old buck 80 insert and on low my fan is really loud. But it also moves more air then new style inserts on low. I just deal with it by turning the tv up a bit. And I don’t turn it up unless it’s crazy cold or when we go upstairs to bed when we don’t have to worry about noise.
Does anyone out there use their Expedition ll as a primary heat source in an 1100 square foot home. The salesman keeps telling me this insert is not for 100% of your heating. I am home all day and not concerned about reloading
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