Stove vs Insert?

[ccpark0]

In our current house we have a Jotul F500 in the basement and love it. We are in the process of designing a new house. We definetly want to have a wood burner on the first floor. An insert maybe fit the room/decor better. What are the pros/cons of a insert? I am not sure on the sizing yet but we want something that will burn overnight.

Thanks for the help!

 

[bholler]

In our current house we have a Jotul F500 in the basement and love it. We are in the process of designing a new house. We definetly want to have a wood burner on the first floor. An insert maybe fit the room/decor better. What are the pros/cons of a insert? I am not sure on the sizing yet but we want something that will burn overnight.

Thanks for the help!

Well if you are building new you will not want an insert. If you want a fireplace look you would want a high efficiency zeroclearance unit. An insert would require you to build a working fireplace to place the insert into.

 

[timfromohio]

A major con against an insert is, IMHO, the blower. We ran a PE insert for almost a decade all winter in NEOhio. It was a great heater, but next to useless without the blower going. I did get tired of listening to the blower. I'm in a different home now and am running a Quad Explorer 2 and love not listening to the blower.

 

[cd36]

Some blowers are loud, especially when the fan is mounted right in the fireplace using the louvers that are apart of the fireplace.

I have remote ducting on my zc fireplace, so the fan is in the crawlspace and the vents are above the fireplace. You can still hear it but it's much, much quieter, and the fan does make a big difference,you will want one.

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[ThunderMedic]

I've had no issues from my Vogelzang insert. Fan noise is part of life with an insert, but I'm happy!

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[kennyp2339]

An actual insert gets installed into an existing masonry fireplace, It seems kind of a waste to plan a full masonry fire place only to stick a piece of metal to reclaim some heat.
I'd look into either epa zero clearance fireplaces or building a nice hearth with a woodstove possibly installed in some type of alcove.
IMO, free standing wood stoves trump everything with exception to masonry heaters. A free standing stove allows for great heat transfer (today's efficiency's are very good 70's - 80% 's on big name stoves. A free standing stoves allow for cooking / water heating in the event of power loss, they also allow for good radiant heat, and have decent nature convection (with out blowers helping)
A zero clearance stove can work great, has the same efficiency's but you need power to turn the blowers to keep hot air flowing.

 

[VirginiaIron]

Imho- a free standing is much better. We had an insert for about two decades and required the operation of the fan for full heat operation. Now we have a free standing stove and enjoy the silence. In addition, we now have a very large surface to use in emergencies- although the stove is not designed for cooking. Since you are starting from scratch design the space for the stove and a special return to incorporate into the central duct system, if applicable- code may not permit this connection or limit the proximity to a location away from the stove.

 

[ccpark0]

I guess I didn't think it through. I didn't realize that I would I would have to install a full firebox for the insert. I will have to do some research into zero clearance EPA fireplaces. It doesn't seem like they will have the same heat output as a traditional woodstove.

 

[kennyp2339]

I guess I didn't think it through. I didn't realize that I would I would have to install a full firebox for the insert. I will have to do some research into zero clearance EPA fireplaces. It doesn't seem like they will have the same heat output as a traditional woodstove.

There are a number of epa rated zero clearance stoves that are rated at or above 60,000 btu's. The biggest draw back is that many are blower dependent.
If I was building a new home I would design around a freestanding stove, as far as the stove, I would lean more towards a convective unit rather than a radiant. Many newer stoves that are made out of steel then have an additional jacket of steel are great natural convective stoves, plus give decent radiant heat through the large viewing window.
I would also lean on making the new home as air tight as possible and over insulated to save on energy costs (mainly cooling in the summer vs heating in the winter)

 

[timfromohio]

The ZC fireplaces, at least when I looked at them a couple of years ago when removing a DV gas log fireplace and putting in the Quad, were ridiculously expensive. I'd second the suggestion to strongly consider a free standing stove and design around it.

 

[bholler]

The ZC fireplaces, at least when I looked at them a couple of years ago when removing a DV gas log fireplace and putting in the Quad, were ridiculously expensive. I'd second the suggestion to strongly consider a free standing stove and design around it.

Yes but much much cheaper than building a masonry fireplace then buying an insert and liner.

 

[begreen]

A freestanding stove will do the job the best for the least cost. There are several good looking stoves to choose from. Some ZC fireplaces are also excellent heaters. How well a stove will work at heating the home will depend on the home design, ceiling height, stove or fp location, insulation, etc.. A ZC fireplace can sometimes do a better job at more even heating if it is ductable. An example would be in a ranch house design. Ducting the heat to the far end can warm cooler bedrooms. Another example would be in a sprawling layout with a room (like a MBr and Bath) that is off to the side of the main floorplan.

 

[timfromohio]

Yes but much much cheaper than building a masonry fireplace then buying an insert and liner.

Good point.

 

[ccpark0]

Lots of good advice here. I like the looks of the ZC fireplace but for practical purposes a stove is easier to load, clean etc. Add in the stove is cheaper that is probably the way to go.

 

[bholler]

Lots of good advice here. I like the looks of the ZC fireplace but for practical purposes a stove is easier to load, clean etc. Add in the stove is cheaper that is probably the way to go.

Well no a stove is not nessecarily easier to load clean ect. A stove will cost less and give you much better heat output with no blower. But a ducted zc unit can help with heat distribution if need be. I agree a stove is going tp be a better choice most of the time but not always

 

[cd36]

Ya I wouldn't say a stove is easier to clean/load. I built a platform for my zc fireplace so that it sits at eye level when sitting on the couch. Don't have to bend over to load and and nicely sit on the couch and watch the fireplace. I'll try and post a picture of it.

It throws tonnes of heat and my blower is quiet since it is remotely mounted. Operation wise it is the same as a wood stove. Really it comes down to money. They are more expensive but a wood stove wouldn't have suited our house so we went with a zc fireplace and I don't regret it.

Really only you can make the decision what works best for your look and budget.

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[begreen]

Note that some ZC fireplaces are not designed for 24/7 burning. Always check the manual if the goal is full time winter heating.

 

[NoobTube]

My best suggestion would be that if you are building a house and you can design it any which way you want, you should go with a free-standing stove and build in some great wood storage solutions as well. I love my insert, but if my Wife had let me, I would have gone with a free-stander like a Blaze King.

Free Stander Pros:
Ash Drawer on most models
Better radiant heat
Blowers not necessary for distributing heat
Stove-top option for cooking
Side-Load option on some (if that is your thing)

My insert is an Osburn 2400. I basically bought the largest insert I could fit and the one with the largest firebox that I could find. I can load NS or EW, in both configurations I get great long burns over-night. EW does often leave more coal for some reason and I think burns a little bit cooler. I also bought a stove where the insert stuck out quite a bit so to have as much mass outside of the firebox for radiant heating.

 

[ccpark0]

Ya I wouldn't say a stove is easier to clean/load. I built a platform for my zc fireplace so that it sits at eye level when sitting on the couch. Don't have to bend over to load and and nicely sit on the couch and watch the fireplace. I'll try and post a picture of it.

It throws tonnes of heat and my blower is quiet since it is remotely mounted. Operation wise it is the same as a wood stove. Really it comes down to money. They are more expensive but a wood stove wouldn't have suited our house so we went with a zc fireplace and I don't regret it.

Really only you can make the decision what works best for your look and budget.

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I would love to see a picture of your setup if you can post it.

 

[cd36]

I don't have a good one of it burning right now, haven't really had to have a fire yet. Here's one of it during construction and I should have one of it burning this week when it cools down.

 

[bfast250]

I too built a raised hearth for my fireplace. Not as high as this one (you have much higher ceilings), but for many of the same reasons. My hearth sits at 16" off the floor. The bottom of the door to the fp is at 2'.

I wanted a freestanding stove, but it didn't work in the space we had and my wife wanted the traditional look of the fireplace, hearth, mantle. Don't forget to consider resale and insurance we comparing freestanding and zero clearance.

 

[saydinli]

We considered a free standing stove at first but because of the layout and size of our living room the ZC made more sense, plus I could heat the basement with the ZC instead of installing a second stove to maintain downstairs.


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[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Get a freestanding stove. I've had both (currently an insert), and love both. The freestander is superior in every way as a heat source. I only have an insert because my current home prohibits the installation of a freestander without major renovations that are scheduled for a much later date. At that point, I'll plan for the freestander in the plans. And, we'll be much happier. I'd never plan for an insert. Masonry heater, maybe. Inserts are nice compromises when the fireplace is already there.