I am stuck between the Blaze King, Blaze King Princess, and Summit LE (Classic). Might as well throw in the Quadrafire 57ST-ACC-C (guess that is the 5700 model), and Blazeking Ashford, since it looks nicer. Looking for
Goal:
1. practical/real experience from owners, as well as what other factors set these apart,
2. most importantly, is it going to work well for my specific situation:
3. I dont want to spend more than i need to.
4. High efficiency of course, which prob means catalyst. I looked at the EPA file as my starting point.
5. Are there other fireplaces I should be looking at?
4. Usage goal: Be able to run off wood year round if needed. Second, to use for cooking when electricity is out (again, long term here).
Usage scenario:
First, about the house:
Sq ft: House will probably be 2600 (+/- 100) sq ft after add-on completed. Two rooms are upstairs currently, and the extra two will also be upstairs..
Climate: -20F some nights and strong winds in NE Idaho.. -30's have happened, but rare.
House insulation: house is about 20 years old. Not sure how well insulated.
Flue: 6 inch currently, so if upgrading to King, then I was quoted an extra $1500-$2500 to replace with 8" flue. Not sure if this price is typical, but a barrier for sure.
Usability year round: Sounds like only the Blaze king works well on cool (not cold) days, is that right? This seems to be a pretty strong factor.
Current gas heating use: Last year gas bill shows 543,000 BTU's daily averaged in the coldest month, probably colder at night, and probably underestimates needs on the colder days of the month. Again, this is at 2200 sq feet, but expect another 400
Wood: Mainly douglas fir around here. Some cottonwood when its free. No hardwood.
Specs:
Burn time max / average:
King: 40 / 10-20
Princess: 30 / 8-14
Ashford: 30 / 8-13
Summit: 10 / ?
Quadra: 14 / ?
Heating capability:
K: 1500 - 3000
P: 1,200 - 2,500
A: 1,100 – 2,400
S: "for large spaces" whatever that means
Q: 1400 - 3700
Ugliness/size rating:
Blaze King / princess = 100% ugly, which is why the Ashford comes up. Size is humongous too, which is a big negative.
Reliability:
Obviously want a company that will be around in the future. Currently have some obscure, Montana-made fireplace.
Bottom line:
Problem is, if Blaze King with options is $3500, then flue is $2000 to upgrade to 8 inch, and installation is $500, so $6k total, or $2500 above princess and others. Combined with that it is the bulkiest/least attractive of the fireplaces, this seems like a tough decision, yet all the other models seem on the border of being able to heat my house on cold nights, but not sure.
However being able to get far more than 10 hours burn time, automatic non-electric thermostat, able to run in fall/spring, bring me back to BK, but not sure if princess/ashford are big enough for my case. Note that about 3 - 4 rooms are upstairs--i figure heat rises, but not sure how much here.
Links to each:
www.blazeking.com
www.blazeking.com
www.blazeking.com
www.pacificenergy.net
www.quadrafire.com
Goal:
1. practical/real experience from owners, as well as what other factors set these apart,
2. most importantly, is it going to work well for my specific situation:
3. I dont want to spend more than i need to.
4. High efficiency of course, which prob means catalyst. I looked at the EPA file as my starting point.
5. Are there other fireplaces I should be looking at?
4. Usage goal: Be able to run off wood year round if needed. Second, to use for cooking when electricity is out (again, long term here).
Usage scenario:
First, about the house:
Sq ft: House will probably be 2600 (+/- 100) sq ft after add-on completed. Two rooms are upstairs currently, and the extra two will also be upstairs..
Climate: -20F some nights and strong winds in NE Idaho.. -30's have happened, but rare.
House insulation: house is about 20 years old. Not sure how well insulated.
Flue: 6 inch currently, so if upgrading to King, then I was quoted an extra $1500-$2500 to replace with 8" flue. Not sure if this price is typical, but a barrier for sure.
Usability year round: Sounds like only the Blaze king works well on cool (not cold) days, is that right? This seems to be a pretty strong factor.
Current gas heating use: Last year gas bill shows 543,000 BTU's daily averaged in the coldest month, probably colder at night, and probably underestimates needs on the colder days of the month. Again, this is at 2200 sq feet, but expect another 400
Wood: Mainly douglas fir around here. Some cottonwood when its free. No hardwood.
Specs:
Burn time max / average:
King: 40 / 10-20
Princess: 30 / 8-14
Ashford: 30 / 8-13
Summit: 10 / ?
Quadra: 14 / ?
Heating capability:
K: 1500 - 3000
P: 1,200 - 2,500
A: 1,100 – 2,400
S: "for large spaces" whatever that means
Q: 1400 - 3700
Ugliness/size rating:
Blaze King / princess = 100% ugly, which is why the Ashford comes up. Size is humongous too, which is a big negative.
Reliability:
Obviously want a company that will be around in the future. Currently have some obscure, Montana-made fireplace.
Bottom line:
Problem is, if Blaze King with options is $3500, then flue is $2000 to upgrade to 8 inch, and installation is $500, so $6k total, or $2500 above princess and others. Combined with that it is the bulkiest/least attractive of the fireplaces, this seems like a tough decision, yet all the other models seem on the border of being able to heat my house on cold nights, but not sure.
However being able to get far more than 10 hours burn time, automatic non-electric thermostat, able to run in fall/spring, bring me back to BK, but not sure if princess/ashford are big enough for my case. Note that about 3 - 4 rooms are upstairs--i figure heat rises, but not sure how much here.
Links to each:
King 40 – Blaze King
www.blazeking.com
Princess 32 – Blaze King
www.blazeking.com
Ashford 30.2 – Blaze King
www.blazeking.com
Summit LE – Pacific Energy
www.pacificenergy.net
5700 Step Top Wood Stove
Powerful performance and high-efficiency heating for the largest of spaces.
www.quadrafire.com
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