What would YOU do? Small corner, long flue run, mild climate, new home.

[Salty in Spicewood]

Do you have someone who would install the MF Fire Nova 2 Tower if you got it shipped? Or can you do it yourself?

Most definitely can not do it ourselves. Well...that might not be true, technically. I mean, we just finished rebuilding our deck and it looks pretty good...six months later. But we want some pros to do it and it's a legitimate question. I haven't approached any local experts to see how they feel about installing a stove they don't carry, and the experts are few and far between down here. I contacted MF about it and they were basically like, "Yeah, we'll ship it and any pro shop can install it." Which frankly, wasn't an answer (among several others answered similarly) I felt great about.

I’ve seen a few mentions of that company and its stoves on this forum, and they’ve been pretty positive. I don’t know anything more than you would find on a search here, though.

You're correct. I'm actually struggling to find much on either unit. A smattering of non-promo YouToob vids, and some other brief mentions outside this forum.

What is the size of the firebox? The page I brought up that had specifications made me think it was 2.4 cubic feet as opposed to just 2.0 for the GM60. That would lead me to think that it would heat more of your house than the Hearthstone, but you said it the other way around. Am I wrong on the specifications for the MF Fire?

You are not at all wrong. I just can't read, apparently. :D

MF Fire Nova 2 = Up to 2,400sf
GM60 =Up to 2,000sf

Either is probably more than enough. If the GM60 wasn't so dang short, I think it would be the winner for me. A pedestal may be in order if we go that route. The GM60 burn rate efficiency is WAY better, too, which makes me think (always dangerous) that we would get longer, lower, slower burns on it if we wanted, which may be exactly the ticket for cool Texas nights. We don't need a steel mill in Texas but once every quarter-century and we just had that this year.

 

[Salty in Spicewood]

I am back after a few days. I was thinking of an installation on the wall to the left of the main entrance door.

Hmm. I wish we had a shared whiteboard in here. I'm still not sure I'm following. You thinking in front of the row of windows? Or adjacent to the stairs?

You are correct. Having any good stove is better then 34 degrees and ice on the inside of the windows.
My son and his family stayed alive with an old fashioned cast iron fireplace during the power off times. Not wood efficient but it worked.

Lol. And man it would've been a nice thing to have. But we lived and have the story to tell. A few pretty good ones at that.

There is a Truth often stated by the professionals here. You can build a smaller fire in a larger stove but not
a larger fire in the smaller stove. To use two examples of the same company. A Jotul 602 might have heated the corner this
past February, a F55 or F500 would have been better.

Good advice. I hope the two mentioned above are "big enough".

One thing, this is a long term bordering on 'permanent' investment in your new home. Don't be in a rush to choose. Spring is arriving here in Texas and what is a crisis at 15 degrees is a think longer at 75 degrees.

Hehe. We do have to figure out at least a little bit to finalize these house plans, but I suspect moving a flue a few inches one way or another isn't going to break us or the builder. But 2x4s ain't getting any cheaper, apparently. :D

 

[begreen]

Find a few of the best chimney sweeps in your area. Ask if they do installations. If you prefer the GM60, but want it higher, considering building a raised hearth in that corner. It could even have a seating area and/or wood storage built in.

 

[Salty in Spicewood]

Find a few of the best chimney sweeps in your area. Ask if they do installations. If you prefer the GM60, but want it higher, considering building a raised hearth in that corner. It could even have a seating area and/or wood storage built in.

Thanks, begreen. We will start looking around for one. And yes! That's the idea if we do go with the GM60.

I'm doing geometry (poorly) this morning, trying to figure out how far each stove will protrude into the great room. My brain hasn't done multi-variable geometry in WAY too long. Lol.

 

[stoveliker]

Thanks, begreen. We will start looking around for one. And yes! That's the idea if we do go with the GM60.

I'm doing geometry (poorly) this morning, trying to figure out how far each stove will protrude into the great room. My brain hasn't done multi-variable geometry in WAY too long. Lol.

Do it visually: use painters tape to draw lines on the floor where walls/windows/doors are. Then use a cardboard cut out of the surface area of the stove (see manual) to place it, move it around etc. And measure distances by hand.

 

[Salty in Spicewood]

Do it visually: use painters tape to draw lines on the floor where walls/windows/doors are. Then use a cardboard cut out of the surface area of the stove (see manual) to place it, move it around etc. And measure distances by hand.

Thanks, stoveliker. Great idea. I'll get a piece of cardboard cut out and see if I can find a free corner (ha!) in our current home.

 

[Salty in Spicewood]

We sound like a pair of wafflers over here, but we are now leaning more toward the Nova 2 Tower after reading more around Hearthstone's customer support. The GM60 sounds like a pretty amazing stove IF you install everything just so. But if something is amiss, it sounds like it can be painful to get support from them. Big company, long lead times, long comms times.

Just finished taping off the Nova 2 in a spare corner of our current home and it looks pretty promising. The ember protection always extends farther than I'd like, but I know it's for our own good. I have a fresh set of questions in at MF Fire, so we'll see what they have to say.

Thank you SO much to everyone so far. This has been a learning experience and we have more to go. But it's also a lot of fun. :D

 

[begreen]

The ember protection can be flush with the flooring if planned for in advance.

 

[Salty in Spicewood]

The ember protection can be flush with the flooring if planned for in advance.

Ah. Great point, begreen. In the near future we will be researching more about what types of materials we can use there and figuring out how to integrate them with the "regular" floor as best as possible.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Find a few of the best chimney sweeps in your area. Ask if they do installations. If you prefer the GM60, but want it higher, considering building a raised hearth in that corner. It could even have a seating area and/or wood storage built in.

You probably have more chimney sweep options in your area than I had in mine, but I’ll pass this along in case it helps.

Chris from The Fireplace Shop in Stephenville installed our fireplace insert even though I didn’t buy it from him. I had called his shop even though it was five hours away from our house because I found it on a list of Enviro dealers, and I was looking for an Enviro insert. He couldn’t get one at that point but told me that he was willing to do the install if I found one. I found one at a different shop in Tyler, and Chris committed to install it with an insulated liner. The install ended up being very difficult, but he got a helper to come on a second day and got it done. We’ve been so grateful for the woodheat and were very impressed by Chris and his helper (who, I think, may live in Georgetown). You might have a different option closer, but it would be worth a call if you’re having difficulty finding an installer.

When is your house being built?

 

[Chilly Willys]

We sound like a pair of wafflers over here, but we are now leaning more toward the Nova 2 Tower after reading more around Hearthstone's customer support. The GM60 sounds like a pretty amazing stove IF you install everything just so. But if something is amiss, it sounds like it can be painful to get support from them. Big company, long lead times, long comms times.

Just finished taping off the Nova 2 in a spare corner of our current home and it looks pretty promising. The ember protection always extends farther than I'd like, but I know it's for our own good. I have a fresh set of questions in at MF Fire, so we'll see what they have to say.

Thank you SO much to everyone so far. This has been a learning experience and we have more to go. But it's also a lot of fun. :D

What made you decide to switch? Just the potential issues with customer service?

 

[Salty in Spicewood]

You probably have more chimney sweep options in your area than I had in mine, but I’ll pass this along in case it helps.

Chris from The Fireplace Shop in Stephenville installed our fireplace insert even though I didn’t buy it from him. I had called his shop even though it was five hours away from our house because I found it on a list of Enviro dealers, and I was looking for an Enviro insert. He couldn’t get one at that point but told me that he was willing to do the install if I found one. I found one at a different shop in Tyler, and Chris committed to install it with an insulated liner. The install ended up being very difficult, but he got a helper to come on a second day and got it done. We’ve been so grateful for the woodheat and were very impressed by Chris and his helper (who, I think, may live in Georgetown). You might have a different option closer, but it would be worth a call if you’re having difficulty finding an installer.

When is your house being built?

No time soon. Or at least finished. We are just now getting our lender to approve our builder and figuring out when the latter can actually start. We are hoping to have it completed by the spring. We will see.

And I wonder if Chris also does work for Georgetown Fireplace, who would be our one local dealer that is reputable and with a good selection. I will probably call up our sales guy over there first and at least see what he has to say about things. He gave us the time, so I should see if he gets any benefit from the install.

What made you decide to switch? Just the potential issues with customer service?

Primarily, yes. My wife is more social media savvy than me, and she poked around and found a large number of issues around the GM60 online (as well as other Hearthstone models). But the problem wasn't that the issues sounded severe, but that their customer service seems to be wanting. Not uncommon for a large company with distributed/siloed resources, but not something I ever want to deal with if needed.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

I think there is a Chris who works at Georgetown. He wasn’t the salesperson I worked with, but he answered the phone a couple of times, I think. I had planned to buy my stove from them, but in the end neither of their installers would do my job so I had to look elsewhere. It was after that that I started calling dealers and stores much farther away to see if I could locate the insert I really wanted, and that’s when I found a different Chris at The Fireplace Shop in Stephenville. His main line of work is chimney sweeping, but he also sells stoves and does installs. He’s pretty much a one-man operation, I believe. He did recruit a contractor friend from the city/town of Georgetown to help him with our install when the liner got stuck, but the friend was not an employee of Georgetown Fireplace and Patio.

I had a good impression with Georgetown Fireplace and Patio. I would have been comfortable working with them had it been possible. It just wasn’t in my case.

 

[cabinwarmer]

I guess I have to comment on the Hearthstone Customer Service. You would be dealing with your local dealership/stove shop right? I have two dealerships in my area. One has proven to be very good, one not so good. I have called Hearthstone several times and all but once I have gotten what I had asked for over the phone, talking with a live person. You may want to think about if you think the local dealership will provide you with what you need, not so much Hearthstone directly. Your dealer is the one that is providing the installation and service.

 

[Tron]

Have you looked at any of the Blaze King line? There is a member in Mississippi, @Tron, who has been very happy with his install, I believe.

Can confirm. It's really great dialed down on chilly-but-not-cold days, which we have far more of than the guys in the North, and I suppose that applies to TX, too. I just set the thermostat and it keeps the room at the same temperature all day.