Squire insert

[Matt tech]

Hello, new to this forum. I have a small farm house I bought in 2019. I have plenty of land to cut and split all the dead ash trees around here. I’m in Northern Ky so winters get pretty cold. Anyway the house has a nice brick fireplace with an old Squire insert. If I feed it every 3-4 hours it will keep the entire house around 72-74 degrees on 0 degree days. Should I be looking to upgrade to a newer insert or keep this one? It’s in great shape and everything works on it. I’m just not experienced enough with inserts to know what to expect with a newer one. Also one of my good friends owns a tree service so he drops of wood anytime he has a job cutting oak, hickory, ash or locust so keeping good seasoned wood isn’t a problem.

 

[begreen]

A modern stove is going to burn cleaner, more efficiently, and with a better fire view. If the goal is to heat 24/7 with wood then it's worth considering an upgrade. If this is a slammer install then that is another reason to consider updating the system.

 

[Matt tech]

By slammer do you mean the stove is just sitting in the opening of the fireplace with a trim kit, and no liner?

 

[begreen]

By slammer do you mean the stove is just sitting in the opening of the fireplace with a trim kit, and no liner?

Yes, an insert with no liner that depends on the surround to seal off the chimney is called a slammer. This type of installation hasn't been allowed for years.

 

[Matt tech]

Yes, an insert with no liner that depends on the surround to seal off the chimney is called a slammer. This type of installation hasn't been allowed for years.

In that case it is a “slammer install”. I’m guessing that was allowed when the house was built or at least when the insert was installed. I recently had my brick chimney recapped and inspected and nothing was said about this. I’m only aware of chimney liners from this website.

 

[bholler]

In that case it is a “slammer install”. I’m guessing that was allowed when the house was built or at least when the insert was installed. I recently had my brick chimney recapped and inspected and nothing was said about this. I’m only aware of chimney liners from this website.

Code requires at minimum a direct connect for any stove venting into an old fireplace. Just because your chimney guy missed it doesn't change the code or the safety issues Which caused the code change it shouldn't be used until it's hooked up properly

 

[Garbanzo62]

You can get up to a 30% tax credit on SOME new inserts (including all materials and installation) So it might not be a bad time to invest in a replacement.

 

[mellow]

Ahh the ol squire. I have refurbed many of them back in the day. A new insert will be an investment that will pay back with less wood use, but you will need to season your wood for longer so it is dry and the initial cost is up there ( $6k-$9k) depending on your setup. But the 30% tax credit does help if you need deductions. Some of the inserts these days will burn for 8-12 hours per load, that is how efficient they have come since the squire was released back in the early 80's. Stick around here and read up on the new inserts, come spring/summer you might be able to find a deal on one.

 

[Garbanzo62]

Ahh the ol squire. I have refurbed many of them back in the day. A new insert will be an investment that will pay back with less wood use, but you will need to season your wood for longer so it is dry and the initial cost is up there ( $6k-$9k) depending on your setup. But the 30% tax credit does help if you need deductions. Some of the inserts these days will burn for 8-12 hours per load, that is how efficient they have come since the squire was released back in the early 80's. Stick around here and read up on the new inserts, come spring/summer you might be able to find a deal on one.

just to clarify the tax credit is a credit, not a deduction

 

[Matt tech]

Ahh the ol squire. I have refurbed many of them back in the day. A new insert will be an investment that will pay back with less wood use, but you will need to season your wood for longer so it is dry and the initial cost is up there ( $6k-$9k) depending on your setup. But the 30% tax credit does help if you need deductions. Some of the inserts these days will burn for 8-12 hours per load, that is how efficient they have come since the squire was released back in the early 80's. Stick around here and read up on the new inserts, come spring/summer you might be able to find a deal on

Ahh the ol squire. I have refurbed many of them back in the day. A new insert will be an investment that will pay back with less wood use, but you will need to season your wood for longer so it is dry and the initial cost is up there ( $6k-$9k) depending on your setup. But the 30% tax credit does help if you need deductions. Some of the inserts these days will burn for 8-12 hours per load, that is how efficient they have come since the squire was released back in the early 80's. Stick around here and read up on the new inserts, come spring/summer you might be able to find a deal on one.

I season my wood for a minimum of a year but usually 18 to 19 months. Is that sufficient? Do you agree I should discontinue the use of my fireplace till I get a chimney liner?

 

[Garbanzo62]

The amount of time to season wood depends on many factors. The primary one is the species of tree. Oak takes a long time. I am new to burning so I cannot say from experience, but from all of the comments on here 18 months is a minimum for Oak. 2 to 3 years seems to be what is recommended. Now Ash, Pine you could be good in 9 to 12 months, Maple 18 should be plenty. But that is assuming the wood is split, stacked off the ground and covered and has good airflow over the pile. Figure out what you have and ask members on The Wood Shed forum for their opinion on how long it will take.

 

[mellow]

Chimney liner on that old insert is not worth it, you would need to get 8" liner and a rectangle to circle converter for your liner which is a pain to install. I would put that money towards a new insert with insulated liner and call it a day.

 

[bholler]

Chimney liner on that old insert is not worth it, you would need to get 8" liner and a rectangle to circle converter for your liner which is a pain to install. I would put that money towards a new insert with insulated liner and call it a day.

But should it be used as a slammer as it is?

 

[mellow]

But should it be used as a slammer as it is?

That question has already been answered.

 

[bholler]

That question has already been answered.

I know but for some reason they asked you directly.

 

[mellow]

People are going to do whatever it takes to stay warm. I have burned in similar setups and installed liners on them, not worth it IMHO but I had to learn that for myself.

 

[bholler]

People are going to do whatever it takes to stay warm. I have burned in similar setups and installed liners on them, not worth it IMHO but I had to learn that for myself.

Oh I agree I don't think it's worth spending the money to hook up an insert like that properly. But many people do think it is. And we do quite a few of them. But continuing to use it as a slammer is just too risky