Suggestions on wood insert

[RK05]

I'm have been thinking about putting in a wood burning insert into our 1500sqf ranch. The current fireplace dimensions are 29.5"Wx26.5"Hx19"D with about a foot and half hearth off the face of the fireplace. I have been looking at the cheaper priced inserts (sub $1000) from Northern Tool, tractor supply and other stores but wonder if it would be better to maybe wait till we have more money for the higher priced insert like PE, Napoleon ect.

I have attached a layout of our house. The fireplace sits about the middle of the house with all the bedrooms on the right side in a row. There is a continuous walkway around the house. Will the heat from the insert be able to get to the bedrooms with natural flow or will we have to use fans to blow the air to the back side of the fireplace where the bedrooms are? All the bedrooms have ceiling fans.

Also, if you were to pick a not so expensive insert and a quality one which would they be?

 

[ironworker]

If possible I would get the more expensive, remember you get what you pay for and as far as heat getting to other rooms, more than likely the right size stove will heat your home but it is pretty much trial and era, all homes are different with many contributing factors.
Good luck and no matter what I am sure you will be happy heating with wood.

 

[wood4free]

I have been burning in a Drolet Escape insert for the past 2 years that I purchased from Northern Tool. It is a solid, small (1.8 cf firebox) stove. I can get about 3 or 4 hours of heat before a reload is necessary so I must get up in the middle of the night to feed it. Depending on the insulation in your home it may work. However, if I had to do it over again I would definitely spend the money to get a larger stove. That was not my thought process when I got it but getting up at night and fiddling with the burner gets old real fast!

If there is a Menard's near you, I noticed they are selling the Escape at a much lower price than Northern Tool and you can have it shipped to a nearby store for free. The sale price is good through 2-18.
http://www.menards.com/main/plumbin...burning-fireplace-insert/p-1448144-c-6884.htm

 

[Got Wood]

A couple thoughts on circulating the air in your layout. First, what ever insert you get make sure to get the blower. Second, blow cold air at floor level at the stove. Looking at your layout I would start on the south side of the picture and see how that goes.

 

[begreen]

Drolet, Englander, Osburn, Enviro, Napoleon are all good brands to look at. But all may not qualify.

Is this a masonry or prefab fireplace. How large is the fireplace opening and how deep is it? Are there problem factors like close wood on the sides or a low mantel? All of these factors will determine your options.

 

[RK05]

Drolet, Englander, Osburn, Enviro, Napoleon are all good brands to look at. But all may not qualify.

Is this a masonry or prefab fireplace. How large is the fireplace opening and how deep is it? Are there problem factors like close wood on the sides or a low mantel? All of these factors will determine your options.

This is a masonry fireplace and there is no mantel at all and nothing else that is close to the fireplace. The fireplace specs are listed in my first post above.

I was leaning towards something on the cheaper side because I know that the liner kit is going to cost between $500-700 for me to install and not sure how much we would use it to heat the house. On the flip side of that I don't want to spend less $$ and have to fill the thing throught the night as mentioned above.

 

[wood4free]

[quote
I was leaning towards something on the cheaper side because I know that the liner kit is going to cost between $500-700 for me to install and not sure how much we would use it to heat the house. On the flip side of that I don't want to spend less $$ and have to fill the thing throught the night as mentioned above.

Let me clarify my statement about reloading the Drolet Escape. If you load the stove fully with good hardwood and dampen down before going to bed you should have some coals the next morning to restart the fire but you will not have any measurable heat coming from the stove. The firebox is just too small to be producing much heat after about 4 hours. If you plan to supplement with your furnace the Drolet could be a very cost effective solution. I just don't like giving the gas company much money which leads to my stubbornness of reloading the stove in the middle of the night. In conclusion, the Escape makes a great stove for supplemental heat but not a good stove as a primary heat source as I have been trying to make it.

 

[RK05]

One of the hard decisions I have is spend just enough on this (new insert and flue kit) and have money left over to do some other projects like insulating our basement or buy a better insert and have to wait on the basement for another year.

We just had our ash tree cut down and all the wood is waiting for me to split! The tree guy who took down the tree has a list that I can get on to take free wood from them. They even deliver it!

Is there a decent insert that can burn 6-7 hrs (with good wood of couse) around the $1K to $1500 mark?

 

[Dix]

What are the measurements of the fireplace? Opening depth, etc?

Here's a thought, but with out measurements ....

http://www.overstockstoves.com/50tnc13i--epa-certified-noncatalytic-wood-stove--1550131500.html

It's max is 1500 Sf.

 

[Jerry_NJ]

I don't have any knowledge of prices today, but I can say my Quadrafire 4100I (mid-size, Quad makes small and one larger insert) works well. I never fill full before bedtime, but I do put in some large rounds/splits - maybe the volume is 40-50% full, and there is enough heat coming out to keep the fan (thermostat controlled) running for at least 4-5 hours, and even at 8 hours the face of the fireplace glass and extended metal is warm and there is enough hot coals to restart if I have some thin kindling.

I am now in my third season with the Quadrafire... I think, when I post my signature gives the date it was installed. I have not had any problems with the unit.

 

[wood4free]

One of the hard decisions I have is spend just enough on this (new insert and flue kit) and have money left over to do some other projects like insulating our basement or buy a better insert and have to wait on the basement for another year.

We just had our ash tree cut down and all the wood is waiting for me to split! The tree guy who took down the tree has a list that I can get on to take free wood from them. They even deliver it!

Is there a decent insert that can burn 6-7 hrs (with good wood of couse) around the $1K to $1500 mark?

You might find a Napoleon 1402 at the high end of that price range. I believe it has around a 2.2 CF firebox. .

 

[wood4free]

What are the measurements of the fireplace? Opening depth, etc?

Here's a thought, but with out measurements ....

http://www.overstockstoves.com/50tnc13i--epa-certified-noncatalytic-wood-stove--1550131500.html

It's max is 1500 Sf.

The 13 NCI has the same size firebox as the Drolet Escape at 1.8 CF so I doubt he would get the 6 - 7 hours of heat he desires.

 

[RK05]

The dimensions of the fireplace opening are 29.5"Wx26.5"H. It is 19"D from the back of the fireplace to the opening plus there is another 18" Hearth ledge. The backside of the fireplace measures 22" wide at the deepest part of the fireplace.

If my fireplace is going to limit the insert I can put in there to one that may only allow a burn time of 3~5hrs I might as well go with a cheaper model like the Drolet or something similar.

The Napoleon 1402 looks nice and the price isn't to bad but the depth is 27". I don't know one if I would like it sitting out that far and two if it would be legal with the amount of hearth left?

 

[WoodpileOCD]

Don't neglect the used market. It is getting late in the season now and it doesn't sound like you are in a great hurry for this year. Set up a CL search in google reader and every time someone posts to your specifications it will pop to your reader. You can get some great deals on CL but have to be quick about it. The deals only get better as the spring and summer get here. You'll find a ton of older 'smoke dragons' on there but also the occasional epa cert stoves and inserts as well. I bought my Buck 91 like that and saved about 2 grand on the price of a new one. Wasn't looking for a Buck necessarily but it happened to show up and worked for me.

Good luck.

Edit: get that wood c/s/s ASAP and start it drying for next year.

 

[Dix]

How about a free standing stove some where else? I'm having a hard time with door ways with your floor plan.

The 13 NCI has the same size firebox as the Drolet Escape at 1.8 CF so I doubt he would get the 6 - 7 hours of heat he desires.

Your not going to get the burn time out of it. I know that, I have one. 6 hours max, with good fire wood.

I am suggesting a stove/insert for the SF'age with in the price range.

 

[RK05]

I check out CL every day but usually I find either free standing stoves or some rusty old inserts that the people are asking $300 to $400 for.

For $750 that Drolet is looking pretty nice. I have a Menards about a half hour away that I could have it shipped to. I wouldn't suppose that I would find anything with my fireplace dimensions and a little bigger firebox for around that same price?? I see the Century CB00005 for $640 @ Northern Tool but I didn't see the firebox size.

I'm hopeing to get the wood split in the next two weeks if everything works out here at home.

 

[wood4free]

I check out CL every day but usually I find either free standing stoves or some rusty old inserts that the people are asking $300 to $400 for.

For $750 that Drolet is looking pretty nice. I have a Menards about a half hour away that I could have it shipped to. I wouldn't suppose that I would find anything with my fireplace dimensions and a little bigger firebox for around that same price?? I see the Century CB00005 for $640 @ Northern Tool but I didn't see the firebox size.

I'm hopeing to get the wood split in the next two weeks if everything works out here at home.

The Century firebox was mistakenly listed some months ago at 2.0 cf but others here on Hearth.com report that it has been corrected to 1.45 cf so it is smaller than the Drolet. One other expense to keep in mind that while the price of the Drolet insert includes the blower and the door (many stove mfg. charge extra for these) you most likely will need the surround (trim panel) which costs about $100. Not necessary but gives it a completed look.

 

[RK05]

We currently have a free standing fireplace in the basement that sits between the two smaller bedrooms. If/when I redo the basement I plan on putting a free standing stove down there to replace the fireplace that doesn't put off much heat. Sorry about my pic I was in a hurry to get it posted that I didn't put in where all the doors are. There are two doors that can shut off the bedrooms and bathroom from the rest of the house on the top and bottom of the drawing. Other than that house has a circular flow if those two doors are not shut.

I saw the added options with the Napoleon but just thought that was just that brand. It looks for the price and reviews I saw the Drolet is the best out there for a sub $1K insert.

Any places to compare liner kits? I'm guessing we would need a 20' liner.