Ugly rear ends

[BronxBoy]

Newbie here.

Trying to purchase a multi-fuel (not just corn and pellets) stove ASAP for a 1200 sf semi-attached row-house type of home in New York City. Low-maintenance and quiet are important criteria. I'm happy with utilitarian look but my wife strongly demands furniture-quality appearance.

Was ready to purchase an expensive Mt. Vernon AE which is beautiful from the front. The dealer had his model set up as a fireplace insert. When I peeked into the fireplace to view the back I was surprised! It looks like the rear end of a 1970 portable TV. Fine for a corner or alcove installation but not for a long row-house side wall. I actually called Hearth and Home and the rep claimed that I was the first and only person to raise this objection which I find hard to believe. The beautiful front end is 17.5 inches wide but the ugly rear end is 12 inches--40% of the width. For a high-end stove Quad should have designed a better rear end.

I researched the beautiful Enviro M55 cast stove but it has the same rear end aesthetic problem as the MVAE and the manufacturer does not claim it is multi-fuel.

Any suggestions? I'm actually surprised about how few multi fuel stoves are on the market. From a utilitarian perspective I'm impressed by the Harman PC-45, the Seraph 106, and the FireFlame Blue Ridge (Nero). According to what I have researched the Magnum line of stoves from American Energy Systems require more maintenance and the Englander and US Stoves are noisy. I don't think any of these will pass the wife beauty test. She's seen some images of them, says they remind her of crematorium burners.

Any suggestions?

(broken image removed)

 

[Bioburner]

The Harman PC45 is longer in production Have you checked out any of the St.Croix stoves yet?

 

[TimfromMA]

The Harman PC45 is longer in production Have you checked out any of the St.Croix stoves yet?

+1

St Croix puts out quite a few different multi fuel stoves. You can check them out here:

(broken link removed to http://stcroixstoves.com/multi-fuel-stoves)

 

[johneh]

I guess I do not understand what the problem is .
Are you installing the stove in the middle of the room
so the back side will be seen ? All stoves have basically
the same look from the rear Smoke pipe outlet
combustion air intake , electrical cord and vents to allow heat out
and air movement with in the stove .
It is utilitarian and hidden on a normal installs.

 

[TimfromMA]

I guess I do not understand what the problem is .
Are you installing the stove in the middle of the room
so the back side will be seen ? All stoves have basically
the same look from the rear Smoke pipe outlet
combustion air intake , electrical cord and vents to allow heat out
and air movement with in the stove .
It is utilitarian and hidden on a normal installs.

I addition to these, mine has a receiver for the wireless thermostat plus a relay and associated wires.

 

[tjnamtiw]

This has GOT to be a joke! It's a friggin SPACE HEATER, for crying out loud! Just had to say what everyone else is thinking. Never was any good at holding back. Sorry.
How pretty can the back get when you have two pipes sticking out the back? Are you ready to pay for pretty cast iron, enameled trim on the back that the factory has to buy tooling for so YOU can have a pretty back? TROLL ALERT!

 

[TimfromMA]

Perhaps he can buy a zero clearance insert and build some sort of enclosure to put it in. He'll still see the vent and OAK, there's no escaping that.

 

[BronxBoy]

No troll. My room is approx 40' long by 15'. Long and thin open plan. The problem is looking at the stove's side profile. That MATTERS in a rowhouse home. So I will be looking at 17.5 width of prettiness and 12 in of ugliness.

I will check out the St Croix models.

Thank you.

 

[Bioburner]

Maybe have a custom wrought iron enclosure made to cover the offending sides. Simple enough and could be made really fancy with thousands of catalog designs available to assemble.

 

[Bill L]

Wait, you are basing the looks on peeking into the fireplace to look at the back of the insert model? The m55 and I'm assuming the quadrafire come in a free standing version that will look quite a bit different. The M55 is also a multi-fuel stove

 

[Polar Bear]

Methinks he needs to put his foot down... anything can be pretty, it'll just cost more.

 

[bags]

Does she want to be warm or stare at something pretty while cold and shivering? Bioburner has a good suggestion. Anything can be accomplished with a little creativity. You may have to pull some rank on the better half and suffer the consequences. I have a very utilitarian looking P68 (base model without over priced trims and accents) and see the sides. It looks like a wood burning stove / pellet stove. Not ugly by any means, but it is not a piece of upper price range furniture either. Well I recant that. It would be expensive furniture if I sat on it.

 

[JDenyer236]

Does she want to be warm or stare at something pretty while cold and shivering? Bioburner has a good suggestion. Anything can be accomplished with a little creativity. You may have to pull some rank on the better half and suffer the consequences. I have a very utilitarian looking P68 (base model without over priced trims and accents) and see the sides. It looks like a wood burning stove / pellet stove. Not ugly by any means, but it is not a piece of upper price range furniture either. Well I recant that. It would be expensive furniture if I sat on it.

Yeah I wouldn't sit on it, it gets quite hot on the top

 

[tjnamtiw]

Remember the pretty covers that we had over radiators? Possible adaptation????

 

[hossthehermit]

Pellet stoves aren't for everybody ........... what's she gonna say when you go to clean it and dump a mess of ash all over the ROWHOUSE HOME ???????????????

 

[Deromax]

Most of the Italians stoves would qualify as very nice looking! With 2 inches of clearance to rear wall, the rear of a pellet stove should be mostly out of sight.

 

[Bioburner]

Most of the Italians stoves would qualify as very nice looking! With 2 inches of clearance to rear wall, the rear of a pellet stove should be mostly out of sight.

But any imports multifuel?

 

[Jason845845]

Does your wife know there will be two pipes and a power cord in the back and it won't be pressed right up against the wall? Is a wood stove an option?

 

[Deromax]

But any imports multifuel?

Oh, looks like I overlooked this.

But are fuel other than pellets readily available and manageable in the big city?

 

[BronxBoy]

Thanks, fellas. Send me the bills for the therapy. Bioburner, your idea for the custom wrought iron is great. Chickenman, I will take your advice. Jason84, we know about the 2 inches, no prob. But 12" plus 2 inches is a problem.

If anyone knows of multifuel imports please let me know.

 

[batchman]

Check out Cumberland for a multifuel looker, but I can't recall what the back looks like - or quite figure out your issue for that matter.
But as Deromax points out, what exactly are you going to burn besides pellets?
Out here in the boonies I thought for sure I'd find corn (can't store due to vermin) or cherry pits (only available in MI). In the big city? I dunno, me.

Good luck,
- Jeff

 

[hossthehermit]

They also make the electric ones that can look like a fire, some have a heat/no heat option ...............

 

[2biker]

Maybe the little lady might want an electric fireplace. Only 8 inches deep, push a button and you get a video flame, another button, you get heat.

 

[BronxBoy]

BTW, Cumberland no longer makes their multi fuel stove.

Hey, Chickenman, don't give up on me so fast. The wife is looking forward to the stove. Just wants a pretty thing and I will take your advice and let her pick the design and color.

We are going to see a St. Croix dealer tomorrow. Any advice/opinions/cautions?

 

[bcarton]

You could put a large plant, vase, or similar on either side of the stove (following clearance requirements, of course). That way you could focus on function more and worry about form less.