What are my options to replace Vermont Castings WMC36?

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mydigitalself

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Sep 27, 2009
4
Vancouver Island, BC
We built our house 5years ago and installed the vermont castings WMC36 fireplace in the main living space. Our house is an open design - vaulted ceilings 3500sqft. We don't get much heat output from this one, and are wondering what our options are for replacing this for a more efficient wood burning unit. We would like to find an option that would be able to really heat the house and help to offset our heating bill. Chimney is SK8...any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
The house is large, and has a lot of cu ft to heat with the vaulted ceilings, even more if there are large glass areas. Is the fireplace centrally located in the floorplan? If not, maybe consider installing a 3+ cu ft freestanding stove in a central area? The Hearthstone Equinox might be worth considering for this application.

In the WMC36, it looks like you may just be able to squeeze in a 2 cu ft insert like the PE Super. What is the opening size with the doors and door track removed? The insert will need a full stainless liner regardless. This won't heat the whole place when it gets below freezing, but will help reduce heating bills.
 
If starting from scratch, there are a lot of options. Get a 3 cu ft or larger stove that fits your aesthetic, budget and installation requirements. Might as well look at Pacific Energy stoves, (Alderlea T6 or a Summit), as they are made on Vancouver Island. But this is by no means your only choice. The Jotul F600 or Quadrafire Isle Royale (cast iron), Hearthstone Equinox (soapstone), Napoleon 1900 or Lopi Liberty (steel) are good stoves too. Also made nearby in WA state is the Blaze King King. This is a large, catalytic stove that is noted for its long burn times.
 
Thanks, we are looking at the Pacific Energy Summit! Good to know that it comes recommended :) It fits the budget and seems to have long burn times - as noted above, the area is open and has vaulted ceilings so we hope the Summit will help to keep the house warm during the day and offset the hydro bill and if we keep it burning at night too, otherwise we can at least get the fire going easily in the morning from the coals. Your expert suggestions and recommendations are greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Richard
 
We hope to sell the vermont castings fireplace and chimney as it is still in good shape, but wonder if there is a recommended place to post this or just go the usual routes - craigslist etc....
 
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