Wood burning insert - where to start?

[LynneMcK]

We are renovating an old house with a fireplace, and I want to get a wood burning insert for heating back up and ambiance. I got one quote that recommended a large Lopi NexGen Hybrid. The first floor location of the fireplace is only about 600 square feet, so I'm worried about overheating the area. The company said it is easy to control heat output by just not adding a lot of wood. Is this true? What are other questions I should be asking about this installation, and should I get a second quote? I don't know anything about fireplaces!

 

[begreen]

Yes, you can limit the heating by limiting the fuel load size and by not reloading the stove if the room is warm enough. How open is the fireplace room to the rest of the house? Is there an open stairwell in the room?

Definitely visit more stores and get more quotes. Ask if the chimney will be completely cleaned first and whether the liner will be insulated.

 

[LynneMcK]

Yes, you can limit the heating by limiting the fuel load size and by not reloading the stove if the room is warm enough. How open is the fireplace room to the rest of the house? Is there an open stairwell in the room?

Definitely visit more stores and get more quotes. Ask if the chimney will be completely cleaned first and whether the liner will be insulated.

Thanks. Yes there is an open stairwell but otherwise the space is small. Are there recent articles here that compare the various manufacturers? Pros and cons? My main hope is that the insert works hassle-free for a long time!

 

[xshmoox]

That’s still a decent sized area. I had a buck 80 in a room half that size with 2 doorways to the rest of the house. Yes on the milder days it would be overly warm in there but on colder days it was ok. I think you’ll be ok. Especially if you have an opening or 2 for the hot air to flow to the 2nd floor. If not maybe a blaze king insert would be a better option so you can adjust thermostat To heating needs

 

[begreen]

Some of the heat will go upstairs which should reduce concerns about overheating. The Lopi is a good looking and operating insert. It's a hybrid which means it has both secondary tube burning and a catalyst. If hassle-free burning is the primary goal, perhaps a simpler, non-cat would be better.

 

[LynneMcK]

Some of the heat will go upstairs which should reduce concerns about overheating. The Lopi is a good looking and operating insert. It's a hybrid which means it has both secondary tube burning and a catalyst. If hassle-free burning is the primary goal, perhaps a simpler, non-cat would be better.

Would I get the tax credit if it doesn't have the catalytic combustion?

 

[LynneMcK]

Some of the heat will go upstairs which should reduce concerns about overheating. The Lopi is a good looking and operating insert. It's a hybrid which means it has both secondary tube burning and a catalyst. If hassle-free burning is the primary goal, perhaps a simpler, non-cat would be better.

That’s still a decent sized area. I had a buck 80 in a room half that size with 2 doorways to the rest of the house. Yes on the milder days it would be overly warm in there but on colder days it was ok. I think you’ll be ok. Especially if you have an opening or 2 for the hot air to flow to the 2nd floor. If not maybe a blaze king insert would be a better option so you can adjust thermostat To heating needs

Oh, I didn't know there was a thermostat option - will check that out!

 

[begreen]

Would I get the tax credit if it doesn't have the catalytic combustion?

That depends on the insert. Some Drolet and Osburn non-cat inserts qualify.

https://www.osburn-mfg.com/en/products/wood-inserts/

 

[Dix]

We are renovating an old house with a fireplace, and I want to get a wood burning insert for heating back up and ambiance. I got one quote that recommended a large Lopi NexGen Hybrid. The first floor location of the fireplace is only about 600 square feet, so I'm worried about overheating the area. The company said it is easy to control heat output by just not adding a lot of wood. Is this true? What are other questions I should be asking about this installation, and should I get a second quote? I don't know anything about fireplaces!

Welcome to the addiction !!1

Start getting firewood now, you won't regret it !!

 

[Ctwoodtick]

As mentioned above, 600 sq ft is not a small area. I have a good size insert in a 300sq ft sun room and it works well for the space. There are two door ways off it and rest of house gets heated. You’ll figure out how much wood to put in to not overheat space. You’re location is a bit colder than mine as well:

 

[xshmoox]

I did miss the ambiance backup part. So maybe a lopi hybrid wouldn’t be a bad choice. The flush hybrids are nice choices and offer a large viewing area. Could always get the medium flush hybrid.

 

[EbS-P]

You won’t have wood dry enough to burn this winter. Maybe you could buy a cord a truly seasoned ready to burn but it won’t be from anyone advertising they sell firewood.

I like my Drolet. It’s a great value. Not the best looking. Osborn has better looking options. If you want ambiance get a tube stove. Have fun with it. I make pizza on occasion in mine! If you want 24/7 consistent heat get a Blaze king.

 

[bigealta]

Posting a few pics of the fireplace and room can be a big help to get you some better recommendations.

 

[LynneMcK]

Some of the heat will go upstairs which should reduce concerns about overheating. The Lopi is a good looking and operating insert. It's a hybrid which means it has both secondary tube burning and a catalyst. If hassle-free burning is the primary goal, perhaps a simpler, non-cat would be better.

Where can I find information about pros and cons of the catalytic combustion? I understand it is far more efficient, but also one more thing to break. Will this hybrid stove work if the catalyst stops working? Any issues associated with that scenario? Our seller insists that Lopi lasts many, many years. And there aren't many dealers where I am in Upstate NY so not a lot of opportunity to comparative shop.

 

[MRD1985]

Drolet 1800i. I like mine so far. Will be the 2nd full winter I’ll be using it this year, 2 and a half winters total.

 

[basilseal]

There are a lot of threads on the forum regarding catalytic versus non-catalytic stoves if you use the search function. As a first-time burner who uses his fireplace for secondary heat, I was leaning toward non-cat because I was concerned about complications and simplicity seemed better. But I am also cheap, and the tax credit on the cat insert we purchased (which I understand is disappearing at year-end) tipped the scales.

All this to say that I am not an expert of any kind, but have not found our cat insert to be at all difficult to use. It just requires a few extra minutes of attention during the lighting phase.

 

[begreen]

Where can I find information about pros and cons of the catalytic combustion? I understand it is far more efficient, but also one more thing to break. Will this hybrid stove work if the catalyst stops working? Any issues associated with that scenario? Our seller insists that Lopi lasts many, many years. And there aren't many dealers where I am in Upstate NY so not a lot of opportunity to comparative shop.

With a good design it can be more efficient for very low and slow burning. The cat chews up the smoke from the smoldering fire. With a moderate or high fire, the efficiency is a moot point.
Lopi (Travis) is a premium brand with a great reputation. If that is the preference, it's a solid choice.

PS: There are countless threads here debating cat vs non-cat. It's an annual discussion. There are pros and cons to each option. Other considerations are how the stove loads (East/West, North/South), how it looks, many people will be operating the stove, maintenance costs and frequency, local service, aesthetics, quietness, heat into the room, etc.

 

[GG Woody]

It sure is nice that our new (new last year) BK stove in the basement lasts 12+hours easily between reloads.
We have a Pacific Energy insert upstairs, it's great, it throws a lot of heat with fan blowing, but it is almost always out of fuel by the time I'm home from work (9ish hours) and if it's cold I'm relighting, which is not a big deal either.
These "new insert" threads do have me dreaming/researching a new insert, and if I was to buy today I would be looking for something that burns more than 12-15 hours (which probably means more than 8 hours for me since I don't burn much hardwood).
So far, the catalyst is not a big deal as far as operations, I don't really look forward to the replacement cost but the long burns really are worth it. I've also been able to burn lower temperature fires earlier in the year and later in the year, and get a bunch more use out of the stove.

 

[begreen]

Yes, these are all factors in how the stove or insert will be used. A best fit for one may not be ideal for another. This is irrespective of the stove quality. For instance, our stove goes 12 hrs between reloads in 35-45º weather and that drops down to 8 hrs in cold weather, all softwood burning. We have a heat pump that covers the milder weather heating. The timing is partly because our house's heat loss is fairly high due to its age and too many windows. Howver, being retired, this works fine for us.

 

[shortys7777]

I would make sure you have an insulated liner going all the way up the chimney. Burn dry wood or clean monthly if your only option is to burn wet wood. I have an insert in an open ranch. The living room definitely gets warmer but once it's been burning a while it creates a nice convection where my kids rooms exact opposite the stove are comfortable. Sometimes we lower the fan when watching tv or I let it burn out in the early fall or spring when the temps aren't as cold. Other than that I try to burn 24/7. Start splitting and stacking asap. You'll be ready for next year.

 

[LynneMcK]

I called Lopi tech support to see what they had to say on catalyst warranty and to get more details about their product, but what the guy told me has me questioning whether I want to use a fireplace at all! Hoping to get reassurance here (or at least, guidance). This is what I was told:
1. You must get temp to 600-800 before shutting down the bypass (whatever that means...) to preserve life of the catalyst. This could take 15-20 minutes. If you shut down bypass too early, your catalyst could eventually crumble -- or something like that. My concern was that I don't want to burn so hot all the time but he didn't have anything to say about that concern.
2. Never leave a fire unattended. So, what happens when you're sleeping? Going to the market? This is a weekend house so we would need to make sure fire is out before leaving, but how long does that take? He said there is no way to just shut it down. You have to let it burn out. I'm envisioning a potentially dangerous scenario where we have to leave but the fire is not yet out.
3. If you don't burn at a high temperature, the glass door can turn black. He said Lopi has some air blowing design that helps prevent the soot accumulation, but the high heat is the most important. So what happens if you want to keep the burn low? The glass turns black? Doesn't sound so great.
What do you all think about these concerns?

 

[MRD1985]

I can’t help you with your first question, but I can the second 2. It would be no different than leaving a boiler running while you weren’t home or even running a drier. I dont leave the stove alone until I know the fire is under control on a full packed load, so it doesn’t get too hot. Once it peaks and settles out I go to bed. From the point of loading it to that point where it peaks and settles out is an average of 45 minutes to an hour. There is little risk of a problem if everything is installed correctly, while burning properly seasoned wood. Which leads into your last question. Running a stove low especially with unseasoned wood can creosote and “black glass”. You never want to smolder a fire. So when you are burning properly seasoned wood and operating the stove as intended, there is no creosote concern. Now it’s my understanding that catalyic stoves can blacken the glass some times if run on a very low setting frequently. But it’s usually easily cleaned, and a nice hot burn will usually help clean it up. I would not let that deter you.

 

[Dix]

Stove temps of 600-800 Fare common burn temps. My PE cruises at 700 -750F.

I can't help with thee cat situation, as neither of my stoves have a cat, but I'm sure someone will chime in on that.