Wood Stove Installed in Fireplace

[msb91932]

Hey everyone,

Hope you are a all doing well. I have a very nice stone fireplace in my living room. I have a small brick ranch (2 bedroom and 1 bath). Like many fireplaces, mine is beautiful, but does NOT give any heat. I am looking for a little auxiliary heat, and would like to leverage my fireplace.

I have looked at inserts, and they are perfectly fine, but I have noticed on the internet that some people seem to have a freestanding woodstove installed in their fireplace. For some reason this seems to appeal to me more than a fireplace insert.

Again, this will not be a primary heat source. I am looking for extra heat when it is very cold. I live in the Poconos, and it does get quite cold here.

Has anyone else gone with the stove in the fireplace, and can you tell me if it is working well?

Any input, or advice you can offer would be appreciated. Have a great day.

Mike

 

[begreen]

A good insert properly installed will heat well, sometimes better than a freestanding stove. A freestanding stove in a fireplace will have more constraints for a safe installation, especially for clearances. If the hearth extension is large enough and the fireplace lintel is high enough, then a freestander may provide more heat into the room. But if the freestanding stove is set deep into the fireplace and lacks a blower then it may not heat as well as an inser. @EbS-P has both installs in their house.

 

[jalmondale]

I went with a stove just in front of the fireplace - I built out a hearth extension, and installed a Woodstock Fireview (which has narrower front clearances than a front-loading stove). I love it, it doesn't take up much room, and I don't have to worry about heat getting trapped in the actual fireplace alcove.

 

[EbS-P]

Hey everyone,

Hope you are a all doing well. I have a very nice stone fireplace in my living room. I have a small brick ranch (2 bedroom and 1 bath). Like many fireplaces, mine is beautiful, but does NOT give any heat. I am looking for a little auxiliary heat, and would like to leverage my fireplace.

I have looked at inserts, and they are perfectly fine, but I have noticed on the internet that some people seem to have a freestanding woodstove installed in their fireplace. For some reason this seems to appeal to me more than a fireplace insert.

Again, this will not be a primary heat source. I am looking for extra heat when it is very cold. I live in the Poconos, and it does get quite cold here.

Has anyone else gone with the stove in the fireplace, and can you tell me if it is working well?

Any input, or advice you can offer would be appreciated. Have a great day.

Mike

Insert can be done cheaper. The height of your opening can really limit choices. I have just set a convection blower behind my stove. With a blockoff plate it works well. The insert is the best functioning solution but a stove can be make to work well. My stove only sticks out by an inch. If you have the the space and clearances to bring the stove out further one could get by without a blower.