Stove or zero clearance wood burner.

[Gloria]

Hello all!

We have a small home. I want to add a wood burning stove or fireplace for ambiance and also back-up heat. Whatever we put in must have a small footprint, as we simply do not have a lot of square feet to give to this addition to our home.

My research so far would indicate that a zero clearance wood burning fireplace could be installed inside a surround of 2 feet by 4 feet, with no additional clearances required. Is that accurate? I had one in a house years ago, but I cannot recall the depth dimension. If so that size is accurate, we could squeeze one in between our bookcases. We have enough space for that, I think.

I know that zero clearance fireplaces are NOT efficient. I did heat a previous home with one many years ago during an extended two week winter blackout, and it did keep the pipes from freezing throughout the house and did provide good warmth in the room where it was located. But they are NOT the best option out there for heating and waste a lot of fuel.

I would prefer to install an efficient wood burning stove, but herein lies my problem. We really cannot give up more square feet. Every stove I have found seems to require a lot more clearance around it, up to several feet And that makes it impractical for our small space. But I have a feeling I must be missing something. Surely if there are zero clearance fireplaces, there are similar wood burning stoves? But I cannot seem to find it if it exists? Help?

 

[begreen]

Welcome. There are modern EPA ZC fireplaces that are quite efficient and good heaters. Look at EPA units from RSF, Kozy, Quadrafire (Northstar), Astria etc. for example. The advantage is that there may be an option of a chased bumpout from the house so that it is flush with the wall and not taking a lot of floor space.

A freestanding stove is also a great option. There are close clearance stoves made by Quadrafire, Lopi, Pacific Energy, etc.. You might consider if rearranging the room makes sense in order to properly fit in the stove. We did this with our livingroom. It's worked out well.

 

[Gloria]

Well thank you! I was not aware of the EPA rated zero clearance fireplaces. For us, that could be a game changer, truly. Is the 2’ x 4’ chase a reasonable approximation of size?

A bump out is not really feasible for the room we want to place it in, which is why I am concerned about its square footage requirement. I will also check those close clearance stoves to see if one would fit. I appreciate the pointers.

 

[venator260]

The ZC fireplace in my signature heats my house well. If the outdoor temps are above freezing, I have to be careful not to heat the house up too much. My parents have what i think that you are talking about, late 80's fireplace that has heat vents but is mostly only useful for decoration. And ZC fireplaces that are decorative only are still made. But newer units designed for heating are respectable heaters.

 

[Gloria]

Thank you venator260. It helps to hear from someone who is using one. Yes, the fireplace I had previously was a 70’s era zero clearance model that did not even have vents. It was mostly for ambiance, although even that was amazing in what it did after a late winter tornado (yes strange) took out a chunk of our power grid.

Given the small footprint of a zc fireplace, this is likely the direction I am headed.

 

[venator260]

Not a problem.

I read more about the space that you want to put this in, and that you mentioned that it's a smaller home. In doing a search for a smaller unit, the Pacific Energy FP16 (1.6 cu. ft. firebox) and the Quadrafire Northstar (2.7 cu. ft. firebox) both only require a 42"x24" frame to fit within. The unit I have needs 52", and so wouldn't fit in your space. But this starts the question of sizing.

I will say that, with a 1400 sq ft. A-Frame house that's poor to moderately insulated, the FP25 provided about 90% of the heat this winter. During the polar vortex in late December, I lit the basement stove for a week or so. I've improved insulation in spots since, so I may not need to do that next winter.

 

[begreen]

Well thank you! I was not aware of the EPA rated zero clearance fireplaces. For us, that could be a game changer, truly. Is the 2’ x 4’ chase a reasonable approximation of size?

A bump out is not really feasible for the room we want to place it in, which is why I am concerned about its square footage requirement. I will also check those close clearance stoves to see if one would fit. I appreciate the pointers.

Yes, I think you may be able to find something efficient that will fit in the ~2 cu ft range of EPA ZC fireplaces. The hearth of course will need to extend out further to protect against sparks and the finished depth might be a more like 26".

some examples -
RSF Opel 3 or Focus 250
Astria Montecito or Brentwood
Pacific Energy FP16 or FP25
Kozy Z42

 

[Eureka]

I have a Kozy Heat Z42 cd and it’s a great heater. Likes to be run hot and the blower is a must. Keeps my new 3000 sq ft house warm , or too warm all winter.

 

[Gloria]

Not a problem.

I read more about the space that you want to put this in, and that you mentioned that it's a smaller home. In doing a search for a smaller unit, the Pacific Energy FP16 (1.6 cu. ft. firebox) and the Quadrafire Northstar (2.7 cu. ft. firebox) both only require a 42"x24" frame to fit within. The unit I have needs 52", and so wouldn't fit in your space. But this starts the question of sizing.

I will say that, with a 1400 sq ft. A-Frame house that's poor to moderately insulated, the FP25 provided about 90% of the heat this winter. During the polar vortex in late December, I lit the basement stove for a week or so. I've improved insulation in spots since, so I may not need to do that next winter.

Very helpful, thank you. Our home is a small one story. No cathedral ceilings to lose heat to. So a small fireplace should do the trick. I had been floundering about with Google and hadn’t come up with these, so your help and knowledge are appreciated.

 

[Texas123]

Perhaps a Jotul 602, Vermont Castings Aspen or the new Woodstock Soapstone Survival Heater are options to examine. All are smaller stoves which should not take up too large of an area in your family room.