Wood stove insert

[hearthon]

Just for fun I contact my local wood stove shop and asked how much it would cost to replace my current gas fireplace with a wood stove insert. This was their reply and I don't really understand it.

The gas fireplace would have to come out, and you would have installed, a wood burning fireplace.

There are two types of wood burning fireplaces:

1. An airtight unit, which could heat your whole house ($8,000.00 to $15,000.00) installed;
2. A non-airtight unit with bifold doors, used for occasional fires ($4,000.00 to $9,000.00) installed.

I didn't know there was a difference in air tight or not? Isn't every insert airtight meant to heat your home? Any examples of each?

 

[bholler]

Just for fun I contact my local wood stove shop and asked how much it would cost to replace my current gas fireplace with a wood stove insert. This was their reply and I don't really understand it.

The gas fireplace would have to come out, and you would have installed, a wood burning fireplace.



There are two types of wood burning fireplaces:

1. An airtight unit, which could heat your whole house ($8,000.00 to $15,000.00) installed;
2. A non-airtight unit with bifold doors, used for occasional fires ($4,000.00 to $9,000.00) installed.

I didn't know there was a difference in air tight or not? Isn't every insert airtight meant to heat your home? Any examples of each?

If this is a prefab gas fireplace you can't use an insert you need a prefab wood fireplace

 

[hearthon]

If this is a prefab gas fireplace you can't use an insert you need a prefab wood fireplace

What's a prefab wood stove?

 

[bholler]

What's a prefab wood stove?

Prefab fireplace. Its a factory made fireplace built to go into a framed structure. A fireplace insert needs to go into a working woodburning fireplace

 

[hearthon]

Prefab fireplace. Its a factory made fireplace built to go into a framed structure. A fireplace insert needs to go into a working woodburning fireplace

Ohh ok and 1 of them heats the house while the other doesn't?

 

[bholler]

Ohh ok and 1 of them heats the house while the other doesn't?

No there are different types of fireplaces. Ones that just function like a regular open fireplace and don't really provide much of any heat. Then there are high efficiency units that actually heat.

An insert is a totally different product

 

[begreen]

Ohh ok and 1 of them heats the house while the other doesn't?

A prefabricated metal fireplace is usually called a Zero-Clearance fireplace due to the close clearances for installation. The loose use of terminology is a bit confusing, especially when a stove shop or company calls these units inserts. An insert is a stove that goes into (inserts) an existing fireplace.

The bifold door style ZC fireplace is just an open, metal fireplace with glass doors. They suck out heat from the room as they cool down. A high-efficiency ZC fireplace uses secondary combustion or a catalyst (or both) to achieve a controlled, efficient burn. The heat output on several models can be ducted to an adjacent area if desired. Properly installed and run, they can do an excellent job of heating the whole house.

FWIW, they are not really air-tight, that's a misleading term with modern stoves and fireplaces. They admit air to the fire under controlled conditions but often the secondary and boost air are unregulated.

 

[hearthon]

I can't believe they want 8-15k for a fireplace installed. If I look at drolet insert the smallest one goes for 2k, plus another roughly 1k for pipe or even 2k for pipe. I would have to reach out to them and figure out how they got to 15k going from my upstairs through the roof. I want this done some day but not yet.

My shed stove cost me under 2k and I did it myself with everything brand new, I wasn't expecting this price tag.

 

[bholler]

I can't believe they want 8-15k for a fireplace installed. If I look at drolet insert the smallest one goes for 2k, plus another roughly 1k for pipe or even 2k for pipe. I would have to reach out to them and figure out how they got to 15k going from my upstairs through the roof. I want this done some day but not yet.

My shed stove cost me under 2k and I did it myself with everything brand new, I wasn't expecting this price tag.

Again an insert is very different. The stove itself will cost far less. And a liner will cost a fraction of the class A chimney needed for a fireplace

 

[hearthon]

Again an insert is very different. The stove itself will cost far less. And a liner will cost a fraction of the class A chimney needed for a fireplace

This is what I would be going for. And they're saying this is 15k installed?

 

[hearthon]

That's my current fireplace

 

[bholler]

This is what I would be going for. And they're saying this is 15k installed?


View attachment 313711

Ok that is an insert and it looks like you have a zero clearance fireplace of some sort. You typically can't use an insert in one of them. We would need to know make and model of the fireplace to know for sure

 

[hearthon]

Ok that is an insert and it looks like you have a zero clearance fireplace of some sort. You typically can't use an insert in one of them. We would need to know make and model of the fireplace to know for sure

Mine is a napoleon and the insert is a drolet, I know I probably need pipes and obviously the wood stove but I didn't expect that price tag, I'm going to message the company the same thing I messaged you guys and see what they say. I was expecting 5k.

 

[bholler]

Mine is a napoleon and the insert is a drolet, I know I probably need pipes and obviously the wood stove but I didn't expect that price tag, I'm going to message the company the same thing I messaged you guys and see what they say. I was expecting 5k.

Yes we need the make and model of the fireplace. I am pretty sure what you have cannot have an insert put in it.

 

[begreen]

Looks similar to a Napoleon Ascent gas fireplace. If so, a wood stove insert can not be installed there.

 

[moodledi]

Just for fun I contact my local wood stove shop and asked how much it would cost to replace my current gas fireplace with a wood stove insert. This was their reply and I don't really understand it.

The gas fireplace would have to come out, and you would have installed, a wood burning fireplace.

There are two types of wood burning fireplaces:

1. An airtight unit, which could heat your whole house ($8,000.00 to $15,000.00) installed;
2. A non-airtight unit with bifold doors, used for occasional fires ($4,000.00 to $9,000.00) installed.

I didn't know there was a difference in air tight or not? Isn't every insert airtight meant to heat your home? Any examples of each?

Hi! If you are looking to replace your gas fireplace with a wood burning fireplace, I would recommend choosing an airtight fireplace. This will give you the most efficient and effective heating option.

 

[begreen]

Hi! If you are looking to replace your gas fireplace with a wood burning fireplace, I would recommend choosing an airtight fireplace. This will give you the most efficient and effective heating option.

Airtight is an old term, not really applicable to modern stoves and inserts. They are not really air tight, but the air going to the fire is tightly regulated but always allowing enough air to prevent smoldering the fire. Often the secondary air is unregulated. And on many stoves, there is some boost air that is also unregulated.

 

[hearthon]

I want an insert but obviously don't want to pay 15k I know anything can be done but I have a budget. I want to get them here or send them the pics to see what they have to say. Either a insert or a full blown wood stove in the corner with the wall taken down to expose the corner I would do. But we'll see.

 

[begreen]

When you say you want an insert do you mean a ZC fireplace?

 

[hearthon]

When you say you want an insert do you mean a ZC fireplace?

Just like the drolet I posted a few posts back, I just call it a insert I'm not sure about the proper term on those.

 

[bholler]

Just like the drolet I posted a few posts back, I just call it a insert I'm not sure about the proper term on those.

The drolet you posted cannot be used in your situation. You don't have a suitable fireplace for an insert

 

[hearthon]

The drolet you posted cannot be used in your situation. You don't have a suitable fireplace for an insert

I'm sure my local fireplace store can make it happen though? But it'll probably cost 15k like I got quoted.

 

[bholler]

I'm sure my local fireplace store can make it happen though? But it'll probably cost 15k like I got quoted.

No they can't for 15k. You would need to remove what's there and build a working wood fireplace then install the insert. The last basic fireplace I built from the ground up was about $25000 then you have the insert and liner ontop of that

 

[hearthon]

No they can't for 15k. You would need to remove what's there and build a working wood fireplace then install the insert. The last basic fireplace I built from the ground up was about $25000 then you have the insert and liner ontop of that

Wow, so I'm guessing it would be cheaper to remove that corner wall and add a free standing stove.

 

[bholler]

Wow, so I'm guessing it would be cheaper to remove that corner wall and add a free standing stove.

Yes or go with a high efficiency zero clearance fireplace which is probably what the $15000 price was for