Shopping a used wood stove

[faultymechanics]

Found a few candidates for used inserts in my area that will make it possible to have wood heat this winter.

The main option is a Osburn 2400 which seems like a very nice unit. Based on photos and description it is 6-8 years old and saw very limited use. It is for sale by the original owner and includes all original parts like the surround trim.

This insert is much higher in output than the previous insert. Are we at risk of it being too powerful? I imagine there is a pretty good level of control with both blower and fire size.

Im going to take measurements to confirm it will fit but I believe I will be all good as our current insert is massive.

They’re asking $600 but I’m hoping if I go in person I can knock it down a couple hundred.

Anything else specific I should be looking at? Still trying to figure out how I want to move it to and from my truck…appliance dolly?

I cannot thank you all enough for the help you have given me; from my pellet boiler to the inserts, I’d be….up in flames without your help. Thank you.

 

[marty319]

I'm surprised no one has chimed in with blaze king yet.lol.osburn is a good stove and that price seems decent.sbi has great customer support. Good luck

 

[EbS-P]

It’s a big insert. heavy too. Did I read that right that it’s 500#!
Show up with a way to move it safely and without damage to house and stove, I bet you could talk them down. Price seems fair.

 

[kennyp2339]

In my opinion you can always build smaller fires vs not having enough stove space for more heat. One of the biggest issues that isnt paid enough attention to is making a block off plate and insulating it above the smoke shelf in the fire place, lots of heat gets sent up the flue or absorbed into the masonry which during colder periods makes you run the stove harder and use more splits.

 

[begreen]

Link to previous thread that has the particulars of the current VC Winterwarm installation.

How do I safely try my wood stove?

Now that the wife and I have moved in and spent plenty of money elsewhere; there’s nothing really left for a new wood stove. I’m hoping to get what we have working. Currently there’s a Vermont Castings WinterWarm that needs to be cleaned(externally) but seems to be complete. We had a sweep...

www.hearth.com

The Osburn 2400 is a good, stalwart heater. If it is only lightly used and you can get it for $500-600, that is a great deal. Just make sure it will fit first! And if it is a good fit, don't procrastinate. Good deals sell quickly, especially at this time of year.

 

[faultymechanics]

Link to previous thread that has the particulars of the current VC Winterwarm installation.

How do I safely try my wood stove?

Now that the wife and I have moved in and spent plenty of money elsewhere; there’s nothing really left for a new wood stove. I’m hoping to get what we have working. Currently there’s a Vermont Castings WinterWarm that needs to be cleaned(externally) but seems to be complete. We had a sweep...

www.hearth.com

The Osburn 2400 is a good, stalwart heater. If it is only lightly used and you can get it for $500-600, that is a great deal. Just make sure it will fit first! And if it is a good fit, don't procrastinate. Good deals sell quickly, especially at this time of year.

View attachment 281821

Depth seems to be the major one I need to check. The WinterWarm we have is wider than the minimum there and is just a half in shorter than the Osburn so I should be there. However, the WinterWarm seems to be about 10” shorter than the Osburn so I need to check the depth.

I’m guessing I pull the surround trim of my unit to get accurate measurements.

 

[begreen]

Good luck, send pics of the Osburn if questions. It is a much simpler stove with good support so if lightly used it should be fine.

 

[faultymechanics]

So, potential problem. The hearth extension from the fireplace is only 18” as seen here.
In fact, the current install isn’t up to code as the WinterWarm door is 14” not 16”.

Doesn’t the Osburn 2400 have a good amount of poke? See photo for reference but I think this means I can only have about 2-2.5” of poke for the front door if any insert or freestander.

 

[EbS-P]

I’m just guessing but with a 3cu ft box you will need a hearth extension with R value according to manual. Nothing that hasn’t been successfully documented here. Just another project.

 

[faultymechanics]

I’m just guessing but with a 3cu ft box you will need a hearth extension with R value according to manual. Nothing that hasn’t been successfully documented here. Just another project.

Manual says R value of 1 or greater if hearth isn’t 4” higher than combustible floor. How can I determine if this tiled hearth has any R value?

 

[faultymechanics]

Friend of a friend also has this Intrepid II for $100. Seems like it will fit but I’m not 100% sure on the overall condition.

Again the only measurement I need to confirm is depth of my fireplace. I believe my current insert and the Intrepid are similar though so I should be good, although it would be nice to pull it forward a bit, maybe 1/3 out of the fireplace?

Nice to have a couple options available…$100 is nice if this stove doesn’t need 5 parts replaced and countless enamel chips.

Photo ain’t great:

 

[begreen]

IIRC the Osburn 2400 is adjustable so that it can project between about 3 and 7" onto the hearth, depending on the depth available behind the insert.

Go in the basement or crawlspace to see what is under the hearth. There should be nothing but cement. If so, the R=value is ok. Is the fireplace floor flush with the current hearth extension?

The Intrepid is about 1/3d the size of the Osburn. Find out what is the model number and mfg. date. This will be on the UL label on the rear of the stove.

 

[faultymechanics]

Just took a bunch of photos. I believe the fireplace and insert are just a bit to the right of where the boiler exhaust meets the foundation.

I tried to photograph the arched area below the fireplace/insert area. I’ve never seen anything like it, quite a marvel of engineering for the 1920s. Looks like there is broke and mortar back there but I’m hoping you can tell me more.

I will remove the surround tomorrow to measure depth and check the floor level of the fireplace.

Let me know if I should take more photos:

 

[begreen]

I'm not certain why they did the arched form for the hearth extension support, but it looks like they never removed the form if there is cement above it.

 

[faultymechanics]

I'm not certain why they did the arched form for the hearth extension support, but it looks like they never removed the form if there is cement above it.

So there is a suitable non combustible hearth extension here? Would the fireplace floor composition confirm this?

 

[bholler]

So there is a suitable non combustible hearth extension here? Would the fireplace floor composition confirm this?

No that isn't a proper hearth extension. The forms and framing under it cannot be there. It is questionable if it would be able to support itself without that though.

Now you can check the hearth requirements for each stove in question. You may get lucky. But that certainly isn't safe for an open fireplace.

 

[faultymechanics]

No that isn't a proper hearth extension. The forms and framing under it cannot be there. It is questionable if it would be able to support itself without that though.

Now you can check the hearth requirements for each stove in question. You may get lucky. But that certainly isn't safe for an open fireplace.

I wonder if the WinterWarm in there is even appropriate for the location.

Am I understanding this right. If I don’t have the proper built in hearth extension then I need R value of 1 or greater under my insert or stove and extending at least 16” past the door?

 

[begreen]

Underneath the WW insert is the hearth which looks to be solid brick, perhaps on its own foundation. If so, that's fine.

 

[faultymechanics]

Underneath the WW insert is the hearth which looks to be solid brick, perhaps on its own foundation. If so, that's fine.

Okay, so it’s just the extended part that I need to confirm has the proper rating? The 18.5” of tile needs to have a R1 rating; Correct?

Even if there’s cement under that tile which equals R of 1, it’s still not safe because of the wood form below?

Sorry I’m trying to learn as best I can.

Edit:
Just read the WinterWarm manual and they have you use 24ga steel as a floor protector covered by a decorative material if needed. I’m betting that’s what I have going on here under my tile. Don’t think that counts as R1 though…..

 

[begreen]

Just read the WinterWarm manual and they have you use 24ga steel as a floor protector covered by a decorative material if needed. I’m betting that’s what I have going on here under my tile. Don’t think that counts as R1 though…..

That's ember protection only.

 

[faultymechanics]

That's ember protection only.

Maybe while we have the insert out we can pull the tile and put something else down, maybe even extend it a bit so we can push a stove further out safely.

 

[EbS-P]

Maybe while we have the insert out we can pull the tile and put something else down, maybe even extend it a bit so we can push a stove further out safely.

You get into thickness issues if you want to keep it all flush. Sometimes people have been able to add a layer of brick then install the insert on that. then build a hearth extension on top of existing extension/ flooring that meets R requirement.

So concrete is in contact with combustibles on the bottom side. I guess that doesn’t concern me as much if its just the hearth. concrete has an R of 0.95 per inch. It’s what we can’t see about the rest of the construction of the fireplace and chimney that is giving me pause. I’d definitely be intalling an insulated liner. Insert is offering a margin of safety over an open fireplace.

I guess it comes down to what you want it to look like. I could make the case for getting an insulated hearth pad And affixing in a permanent but still removable with minimal damage manner. yeah they don’t look great but for 100-150$ and less than an hour of time it would give me peace of mind and be a quick fix. I’d probably hear complaints about that big ugly black pad at least once a month until I did something that looked better.

the best looking way is to pull the tile and floor(possibly subfloor too) lay down cement board and fiberboard to get R value then finish with tile or stone keeping it all flush with the floor. raising it all up is probably faster. But remember you will be moving a 500# stove across this new extension

The 2400 is one of if not the biggest insert you can get on a 6” flue. It’s priced really well but is it the right inser? Is it creating more problems than its solving?

just some thoughts

Evan

 

[faultymechanics]

You get into thickness issues if you want to keep it all flush. Sometimes people have been able to add a layer of brick then install the insert on that. then build a hearth extension on top of existing extension/ flooring that meets R requirement.

So concrete is in contact with combustibles on the bottom side. I guess that doesn’t concern me as much if its just the hearth. concrete has an R of 0.95 per inch. It’s what we can’t see about the rest of the construction of the fireplace and chimney that is giving me pause. I’d definitely be intalling an insulated liner. Insert is offering a margin of safety over an open fireplace.

I guess it comes down to what you want it to look like. I could make the case for getting an insulated hearth pad And affixing in a permanent but still removable with minimal damage manner. yeah they don’t look great but for 100-150$ and less than an hour of time it would give me peace of mind and be a quick fix. I’d probably hear complaints about that big ugly black pad at least once a month until I did something that looked better.

the best looking way is to pull the tile and floor(possibly subfloor too) lay down cement board and fiberboard to get R value then finish with tile or stone keeping it all flush with the floor. raising it all up is probably faster. But remember you will be moving a 500# stove across this new extension

The 2400 is one of if not the biggest insert you can get on a 6” flue. It’s priced really well but is it the right inser? Is it creating more problems than its solving?

just some thoughts

Evan

Totally understand what you are saying. While redoing the hearth extension is something I’m capable of, I certainly would prefer less projects(been busting my butt on 100 other projects on the new house).

The Osburn was a good price and a local insert which is why I gravitated towards it. I’m fairly certainly we don’t need a stove/insert that powerful.

We have an awesome pellet boiler that does our heat and hot water. I want power failure security, ambiance and some extra heat on those super cold days.

I have also found a few freestanding stoves locally but I’m trying to work out sizing on those. They have tended to be smaller units so some have lower hearth extension requirements.

Found the Osburn for $600, Pacific Energy Artisan for $800obo(looks almost never used) and I found a Fireview for $800obo. As well as the Intrepid II for $100.

No qualms about a freestanding in our fireplace as long as it safely operates and fits.

Definitely doing an insulated liner(it’s a mostly exterior chimney). I’m hoping when I get my boiler liner swept I can get them to remove and take my old insert with them. That will make this process MUCH easier.

 

[EbS-P]

I’m fairly certainly we don’t need a stove/insert that powerful.

Shorts, tank tops and flip flops, in January…. never a bad thing but you will have to venture outside at some point. Funny thing is we were fine with the thermostat at 68 until we got a wood stove. Now we like it 75 and 80 living room.

 

[faultymechanics]

Shorts, tank tops and flip flops, in January…. never a bad thing but you will have to venture outside at some point. Funny thing is we were fine with the thermostat at 68 until we got a wood stove. Now we like it 75 and 80 living room.

Having the pellet boiler is a blessing. Old house was kept at 62. Now we run 70 and saved 1.5k on heating fuel last year vs propane.