Wife wants to add another wood stove w/ a pretty flame show

[7acres]

Well shoot! A couple months ago we purchased a Jotul F55. We're looking forward cutting our heating bill drastically this coming Winter. We are also looking forward a new baby in September. With my wife going into nesting mode she's remembering when our son was born 2 years ago and how much she liked rocking him in front of our gas logs in the living room. We decided to keep the gas logs as a sort of redundant option and the F55 is installed more centrally in the dining room area.

She approached me the other day saying she thinks we should return the F55 and get an insert in the living room because really loved having a fire going in the living room while she rocks in the recliner with the baby all Winter. I told her we can't really return the F55.

But I also started mulling over our options with her. We sized the F55 for the 2000 sq/ft 1st story of our house. We have an unfinished upstairs that will add another 800 sq/ft to the equation when we get it finished in the future. So there is a valid justification to buying another wood stove.

My wife's #1 desire is to have a lively flame show in the living room. The F55 should be able to keep the place toasty all by itself. So if you already had a warm enough house but wanted to add another wood stove insert in another room, which one would you recommend just for the pretty, lively flame show?

 

[jeff_t]

Fireplace dimensions?

 

[Grisu]

You kept the gas logs for ambiance, didn't you? Why not use those if heat is not your goal (yet)? Or would a rocking chair in the dining room be an option?

Does she like the "flame show" in the F55? Most secondary burn stoves will look similar. Maybe one with a large viewing window?
How well does the F55 heat the living room? Would an insert there really heat the upstairs or just make the 1st floor uncomfortably warm?

 

[stovelark]

For a matching look (somewhat) a Winterport 350 from Jotul would prob do the trick. Small enough not to run anyone out of the room, but good additional heater when necessary. Lends itself well to any fireplace too. Good size fireview should please all. Take care.

 

[webby3650]

I understand the desire to have another wood burner, I have a few myself.
But I would stick to gas for this intended purpose. She wants fire, you don't really need the heat, and the time spent by this fire will be random. If its gas she can always a nice fire to look at with a flip of the switch. A stove would rarely have that perfect fire view going on, especially in the middle of those up at nights!

 

[avsmusic1]

In my experience there is a correlation between firebox size and viewing window size. If you truly aren't interested in heat that could be a problem b/c the models with the largest views may cook you out of the room.

 

[mass_burner]

they have full fire apps you can play on your TV from your phone, even crackling sound.

 

[7acres]

Yeah, in some regards I'm asking for competing needs. Big beautiful fire that puts out only a little heat. I feel like I'm asking for advice on the most inefficient stove ever created. In that regard I'm open to another large stove. And we can use whichever one suits our needs. Webby's advice about keeping the gas logs is super! My wife goes on a guilt trip firing up the gas logs. She feels like she's just burning money. Which is true. So I'll enjoy learning about all these trade-offs as I continue the conversation with this great crowd on the Hearth.com forum.

Here are some photos to provide details of what I've currently got.



Insert height = 31.5"


Insert front width = 30"


Insert back width = 25"


Insert depth = 21"


All these measurements are internal firebox measurements. Overall outside dimensions of the insert are, no doubt larger.

 

[bobdog2o02]

Burn gas.

 

[Grisu]

Right now, I would just burn gas. When your wife is tired and has a hungry baby to feed she does not want to mess around with a woodstove.

For the future, think about a rear-vented hearth-mounted stove if the chimney allows that. I would feel uneasy putting an insert in that fireplace even when the gas line gets capped. You probably don't know what the clearance to combustibles are around that fireplace. And your hearth seems to be deep enough to accommodate a stove. Will also be a better heater.

 

[AK13]

It is a PIA trying to keep a fire going while caring for a newborn. Its an even bigger PIA trying to keep 2 fires going while caring for a newborn. I'd stick with gas for now.

Flip switch, sit down in rocker with baby, done. She'll be way more focused on the bundle of joy than the fireplace anyway. That said, my bundle LOVED our insert. She couldn't get enough of watching the flames dance.

 

[7acres]

Right now, I would just burn gas. When your wife is tired and has a hungry baby to feed she does not want to mess around with a woodstove.

For the future, think about a rear-vented hearth-mounted stove if the chimney allows that. I would feel uneasy putting an insert in that fireplace even when the gas line gets capped. You probably don't know what the clearance to combustibles are around that fireplace. And your hearth seems to be deep enough to accommodate a stove. Will also be a better heater.

Good thought, Grisu. Our insert runs on Propane. So if we cut-over to wood we'd just pick up the 4 100lb tanks and move them back to my shop.

 

[7acres]

It is a PIA trying to keep a fire going while caring for a newborn. Its an even bigger PIA trying to keep 2 fires going while caring for a newborn. I'd stick with gas for now.

Flip switch, sit down in rocker with baby, done. She'll be way more focused on the bundle of joy than the fireplace anyway. That said, my bundle LOVED our insert. She couldn't get enough of watching the flames dance.

Lots of good advice. This may be preparing me mentally to explain this all to her. I'm sure she thinks keeping fires going is my job. But I'm gone at work all day on workdays.

 

[begreen]

I don't see any chimney. It looks like a gas only fireplace. If so gas is all it's going to burn. Is it an unvented unit?

 

[7acres]

I don't see any chimney. It looks like a gas only fireplace. Is it an unvented unit?

It's ventless. We would have to add a chimney.

 

[begreen]

That's a no-go. You'll need to do more than that. You would have to replace the whole thing with a ZC fireplace with a full chase or come up with a new plan like moving the F55 into the living room and adding a chimney.

 

[avsmusic1]

EDITED- nevermind, people smarter than me articulated my point better

 

[Jags]

It's ventless. We would have to add a chimney.

Expect a full rebuild. There is basically "nothin" you can use from the old ventless.

 

[7acres]

That's a no-go. You'll need to do more than that. You would have to replace the whole thing with a ZC fireplace with a full chase or come up with a new plan like moving the F55 into the living room and adding a chimney.

There we go. I sort of suspected as much. I'll continue to watch the thread. Thanks be green and jags!

 

[begreen]

Losing the ventless fireplace might be a good idea. Personally, I would not have one in my home.

http://www.energyvanguard.com/blog-...t-Free-Gas-Fireplace-A-Sorry-State-of-Affairs
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com...ntless-gas-fireplace-doesn-t-belong-your-home

 

[Grisu]

Other option would be to pull out the insert, finish it as an alcove and put a stove in there.

In the mean time, you can tell your wife that she is not wasting that much money. A ventless fireplace is close to 100% efficient, the only heat lost will be through the walls surrounding the insert. Thus, the difference is the cost of propane versus the cost of your wood.

 

[begreen]

I'm not sure that would work either without extending the chase. It doesn't look like there is enough height to the bump out for a proper wood stove alcove.

 

[7acres]

Losing the ventless fireplace might be a good idea. Personally, I would not have one in my home.

http://www.energyvanguard.com/blog-...t-Free-Gas-Fireplace-A-Sorry-State-of-Affairs
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com...ntless-gas-fireplace-doesn-t-belong-your-home

Haha! Good articles. I like the one statement... I prefer the term “ventless” or, even better, “unvented.” Some people suggest “room-vented” or “lung-vented.”

Alas, we inherited ours from the previous owner. And I can attest to the air quality aspect. The house got pretty stuffy smelling afteral several back to back cold days this past Winter.

 

[Grisu]

Losing the ventless fireplace might be a good idea. Personally, I would not have one in my home.

http://www.energyvanguard.com/blog-...t-Free-Gas-Fireplace-A-Sorry-State-of-Affairs
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com...ntless-gas-fireplace-doesn-t-belong-your-home

Not a big fan either but the articles are not really convincing. Especially the second one is big on opinion and has very little actual data. If vent-less fireplaces are that dangerous why do we still cook on gas ranges?

 

[begreen]

I suspect the difference is the volume of gas and duration of burn. A large commercial gas range in a kitchen should always have a vented hood. Hoods are also strongly advised for smaller gas stoves in modern tight houses.

Here's a fireplace dealer's perspective worth reading:
(broken link removed)