Wood insert ceiling height too low

[FourOhThree]

Hello. Long time member, first time poster. I've learned a lot reading this forum but I couldn't find an answer to my question.

I am hoping to install a wood burning insert into my existing open hearth fireplace (see picture below). I have read on this forum that the general consensus is if you go with the biggest stove/insert you can get, you won’t regret it later on. With that in mind, I had my eye on the Century CW2900 which is a great price right now, at $2,089 CAD. My only issue is that while perusing the literature on the Century website, I found that there is a requirement to have 84” above the bottom of the stove (see the attached picture from their manual). My current fireplace is on a raised hearth, and since it’s a basement it would only have 73” from the brick hearth to the ceiling. Overall ceiling height is 86". See the picture below.

I have no intention of ignoring the recommended clearances, since I don’t want to create a hazardous situation or cause any issues with my insurance. BUT: Am I reading this correctly? The Drolet/Century inserts are the only ones I can find that list a minimum ceiling height above the appliance in their literature (Regency, Napoleon, Lopi do not, as far as I can tell). My only alternative is to go with the Century CW2100 which has half the sized firebox and is currently more expensive than the CW2900… Is it possible this “Height above appliance” number is just a carry over from their owners manuals for their stand alone wood stoves? Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[begreen]

The first concern is the distance to the mantel. The minimum for that is 27" above the insert top. The ceiling height is an odd one. Usually this is less of a concern with an insert. The best thing to do is to call SBI (Century) tech support and ask if this is a carry over, or if not, if a ceiling heat shield on 1" standoffs would suffice to reduce the ceiling clearance requirement.

 

[FourOhThree]

The first concern is the distance to the mantel. The minimum for that is 27" above the insert top. The ceiling height is an odd one. Usually this is less of a concern with an insert. The best thing to do is to call SBI (Century) tech support and ask if this is a carry over, or if not, if a ceiling heat shield on 1" standoffs would suffice to reduce the ceiling clearance requirement.

Thanks BeGreen. Re the mantle: I had planned on moving it up to get the 27" but thanks for the reminder.

Re the ceiling height: I too wondered if maybe this was just a copy and paste from one of their free standing wood stove manuals. I will call SBI to seek clarification. If I hear anything that clears this up I will let you all know.

Cheers

 

[FourOhThree]

I phoned SBI and the tech I spoke with confirmed that since the 84" measurement (from the bottom of the fireplace to the ceiling) was in their manual, it must be respected. So I guess I can't go with the CW2900. Does anyone know of another manufacturer of Wood inserts that can compete with the SBI inserts on price point? Thanks.

 

[MRD1985]

Out of curiosity I checked the manual for the Drolet 1800i and it does not state anything in the manual about minimum clearance to ceiling. It does state 27” clearance above stove to combustibles. You can double check if you’d like.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0782/2077/files/Drolet_Escape_1800_I-insert_Install_and_Operations_Manual.pdf?v=1678221251

 

[begreen]

Good suggestion. That's a popular SBI model and affordable.

 

[FourOhThree]

Out of curiosity I checked the manual for the Drolet 1800i and it does not state anything in the manual about minimum clearance to ceiling. It does state 27” clearance above stove to combustibles. You can double check if you’d like.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0782/2077/files/Drolet_Escape_1800_I-insert_Install_and_Operations_Manual.pdf?v=1678221251

I looked at the manual for the 1800 and it has the same picture as the century 2900. On page 13 of the manual it shows an 84” requirement from the bottom of the fireplace to the ceiling.

I phoned a local fireplace dealer yesterday and they recommended the true north tn20i. Looks like it’s a nice entry level fireplace and doesn’t have a minimum ceiling height requirement like the SBI ones. The price I was quoted was $2026cad not including the surround. Thanks for your guys’ replies so far.
If I actually pull the trigger on something one day I’ll let ya know!

 

[begreen]

True North is PE's value line. It's a good solid 2 cu ft insert with conventional tube secondaries. The PE Super insert is its fancier sibling. If you want a larger heater, it's the PE Summit LE insert.

Also get a price on a Regency i2450 insert.

 

[MRD1985]

I looked at the manual for the 1800 and it has the same picture as the century 2900. On page 13 of the manual it shows an 84” requirement from the bottom of the fireplace to the ceiling.

I phoned a local fireplace dealer yesterday and they recommended the true north tn20i. Looks like it’s a nice entry level fireplace and doesn’t have a minimum ceiling height requirement like the SBI ones. The price I was quoted was $2026cad not including the surround. Thanks for your guys’ replies so far.
If I actually pull the trigger on something one day I’ll let ya know!

Same picture or not, they are different stoves with different specifications. They are very similar stoves, don’t get me wrong. But it’s definitely worth a call and investigation. It’s a very good stove, I have the 1800i. I saw nothing specifically stating that ceiling height clearance in the manual for the 1800i

 

[begreen]

Same picture or not, they are different stoves with different specifications. They are very similar stoves, don’t get me wrong. But it’s definitely worth a call and investigation. It’s a very good stove, I have the 1800i. I saw nothing specifically stating that ceiling height clearance in the manual for the 1800i

It's not in the diagram, but one line on page 38:
Minimum floor to ceiling clearance: 84" (213 cm)

 

[MRD1985]

It's not in the diagram, but one line on page 38:
Minimum floor to ceiling clearance: 84" (213 cm)

Somehow missed that. Thanks for pointing that out