Hey everyone, I am new to wood burning, and I am attempting to pick the correct insert for my new to me 1954 cottage in Annapolis, MD. I am moving into a 872 sq ft house built with 2x4 walls, minimal insulation in the walls, and minimal attic insulation. My wife and I have decided on a insert as opposed to a free standing stove to save space in the small house. There are 3 used inserts in good condition on craigslist that I was looking at, and I was hoping for some guidance. The first one is a Quadrafire 3100i that makes 47k btu's with a 1.9 cu ft firebox. The 2nd one is a Buck model 21 that makes 41k btu's with a 1.6 cu ft firebox, and the third one is a brand new Century that makes 65k btu's that accepts 20 inch logs, unsure of firebox size.
Any thoughts on which one would work best for us. The house has a central masonry fireplace of good size, that is about 10 feet from the bedroom doors. I prefer a cool house in the winter, my wife prefers it warm. The current heating system is a 2 year old trane oil burning furnace. I was hoping to go with used as opposed to new to save money, I am a general contractor so I'm pretty comfortable lining the flue myself.
Any thoughts on which one would work best for us. The house has a central masonry fireplace of good size, that is about 10 feet from the bedroom doors. I prefer a cool house in the winter, my wife prefers it warm. The current heating system is a 2 year old trane oil burning furnace. I was hoping to go with used as opposed to new to save money, I am a general contractor so I'm pretty comfortable lining the flue myself.
