Wood Stove vs. Insert: Simple Advantages, Drawbacks

[MrErlo]

I bought a 1,500 sq ft, 1 1/2 story bungalow style home in Omaha, NE in June 2011 and was told that the chimney was in good shape. I didn't have it checked until last week, and turns out... the liner is cracked and coming apart in several places. I was told "this will not operate as designed, you should not use this fireplace." Bummer.

So I would like to get the fireplace functioning again, and the options that were described were:
- repair the chimney and have it sealed, ~$100/ft * 20ft = $2,000
- get an insert with an insulated stainless liner

I'm a home residential energy professional, so most of my colleagues would rather see all the chimneys sealed up completely. I want to be able to have a warm inviting fire in my living room when guests are over, and as long as I'm consuming energy I might as well have some functional heat in my home. I have a 95% efficiency closed-combustion furnace which works very well to heat the home, so this is NOT designed to be a whole-home heating system.

I prefer the look of a free standing wood stove, sitting just in front of the 1920's masonry fireplace. My partner doesn't like the look of a stove standing in front, she says "it looks like it was added on later." Can people help get me some information to help us resolve this decision?

Here are a couple of the options I was considering:

Hearth Stone - Homestead
(broken link removed to http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/wood-stoves/stove-details?product_id=19)

Harman - Oakleaf
(broken link removed to http://www.harmanstoves.com/Products/Oakleaf-Wood-Stove.aspx)

Thanks for your help, I expect to learn a great deal more while I'm here.

Eric

 

[begreen]

Your partner is always right! Check out the Homestead's hearth insulation requirement first. It's really stiff. If freestanding also take a look at a Woodstock Fireview, Hampton H300 or Hearthstone Shelburne.

A good insert will get the job done and will make he/she much happier. They do look more intentional and some are very good looking. Take a look at a Hampton HI300, Pacific Energy Alderlea T5 and an Enviro Venice 1700 insert with your partner and let us know what the verdict is.

PS: If the house is really tightly sealed plan on having an outside air kit to supply air to the stove/insert.

 

[MrErlo]

Thanks begreen, that's excellent.

I think the free standing aspect is the non-desirable feature, so I'll be looking for inserts that don't seem cheap and... quite frankly like they'll fall apart in 10-20 years. My house and fireplace have been around for 90+ years, there's no reason I shouldn't expect the same performance.

That (broken link removed to http://www.pacificenergy.net/alderlea/t5_insert.php) does actually look very nice, and I found (broken link removed) as a local show room, so I'll plan to head down there and check it out in person this weekend. I've sent along those details to my partner (girlfriend feels a little immature), so I'll let you know what she says when she takes a look at some of these new options.

If anyone has clear advantage / drawbacks for a stove vs. insert, I'd be interested to discuss those with her as well.

As far as the rest of the house, it's 6" walls that are currently un-insulated, and the test-in CFM50 3,600. I did some minor air sealing in areas where there was noticeable draft, but my next priority is to get all the electrical upgraded (there's a breaker panel, but everything is non-grounded) so I can go back with injection foam insulation all the way around the first floor. Eventually I'll probably end up with an energy recovery ventilator, but that's several projects away.

Very much appreciated.

 

[jatoxico]

Hi welcome aboard. Pretty common topic so you can do some searching here as well but IMO if you have the right layout and can find an insert you like that extends onto the hearth it will heat better even if you lose power (most inserts blow heated air using electric fans). I went with a flush mount (Jotul 550) out of necessity and it performs well but there is little radiant heat w/o the fans. An insert that extends 6-8" will perform better as a heater and a free standing stove will perform better still.

I feel obliged to say any unit you choose will require dry wood which in most cases means cut, split and stacked in an open area for at least a year if not 2. Oak may not be seasoned well enough until 3 yrs. So if you don't already have a supply that fits that criteria it's never too early to start .

 

[Gazing in Wonder]

Depending on your floor plan, having a freestanding stove may interfere with traffic patterns. I have an interior chimney, and we walk by it all the time, so a freestanding stove would be in the way. I would have gotten one anyway, but my partner wanted an insert. Now, after 2 winters, I love my insert. In the summer, it kind of disappears. It has a very large glass window which is very easy to keep clean. It's not good for waking up to hot coals, but we don't need it for that, and it sounds like you don't either. At the same time, when our power was out for a week, we were able to keep the house warm, because I'm a night owl and my partner wakes early.

 

[rideau]

Look at Excel stovepipes site for their division that makes fireplaces and inserts. They have something like a 25 year warranty and look really impressive and interesting.

 

[jdp1152]

Sounds pretty similar to our process. We were looking for something that provided nice ambiance and didn't waste house heat up the chimney. The wife demands contemporary and flush. We put a small one in last year just for supplemental heat and reducing cost of oil heat....turns out now we spend all of our time in that third of the house instead of in our large family room. So now I'm creating a sale watch list for a large contemporary flush insert that, when used with the smaller one, will provide heat during power outages and create nice ambiance for both us and our guests. I've got geothermal heating/cooling system being installed right now so it's more or less because I love tending a fire in the winter.

FYI, the two being considered right now are the Osburn Matrix insert, and the FPX Avalon hybrid. Some others that I'd like on the list, but the wife doesn't find modern enough.

 

[MrErlo]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

jatoxico & Gazing,
I'm interested in something that sits out about as far into the room as possible, to allow for maximum radiant heating. My masonry fireplace is to the south end of my living room, and the traffic flow wouldn't be bothered by even a free standing stove. I'll get some pictures of the living room posted soon, I've been a little behind on that so far...

rideau,
I found ICC - RSF with several different models shown, (broken link removed to http://www.icc-rsf.com/en/rsf-woodburning-fireplaces). Those are all nice, but it seems like they would require additional work to get them to match existing masonry. Most of the photos there show what seems to be custom construction for just that single purpose. Have you seen one of these in person, or know of any insert-type installations?

As an update, my partner is doing a good job discussing her desires for this type of work. She isn't thrilled about anything that "looks like a log cabin" (essentially doesn't like the free standing stoves), but we're looking at lots of different models so the discussion is progressing quite well.

 

[noce]

Mr E.,

i cannot answer your primary question (stove vs. insert) with direct knowledge, other than to chime in that my partner also does not want a "log cabin" aura. (a shame, 'cause i don't see the presence of a stove as synonymous with being in a log cabin, but i am the logical one of the two of us...!)

i cannot speak for performance or from experience, but i can say that, since "viewing area" is prime consideration for "us", and radiant for me, the osburn 2200i is what we are focusing on:
(broken link removed to http://www.osburn-mfg.com/en/heaters/model-OB02201-description)

 

[rideau]

Yes, the RSF units likely all next some pretty extensive custom work.

Free standing stoves, I love the Woodstocks. They are really quite attractive. I can think if a number of ways to make the firepalce opening/chimney look like a hearth back made for a stove. Haven't seen your chimney/fireplace, but you could likley do that so it wouldn't look like an add on. Lots of people who don't brick/stone chimneys build hearth backs of masonry as backdrops for their stoves....