Woodburning insert advice. I have photos and measurements!

[kungfupanda]

Hello,
This is my first post and a brand new account but I've been lurking for a few years. I need some expert advice and you all seem to know everything. I want to turn my family room into a bedroom/man cave for my disabled son. This room is accessible, on the main floor, and large enough for his equipment and to have a sitting area for guests. It is build on a slab. It has no room below or above it and the ceiling gables to about 10 feet at the highest point. It is the coldest room in the house. I'm going to remove the carpet and install vinyl plank, so it's only going to feel colder. There is an open fireplace there right now that we haven't used since we realized it was causing us to loose heat overall. We did dearly love it for a while, but it's time for an efficient upgrade.

Does there exist a woodburning insert that I could get installed for less than 4-5k, that is efficient and ecologically responsible, and that can be controlled so that this room doesn't become an oven. I'd love to take advantage of the tax break this year, but I'm not sure that can happen with my budget and if there are supply issues. I'm in central Maryland and I realize that shipping could eat up some of my budget.

I'm an office administrator for a landscaping company that sells firewood. I've read the forums and know that I'll want to age this wood another year or two, but I can certainly start piling it up at a discount. I have a choice between oak and hickory. Low supply due to everyone burning wood during quarantine last year has been a real issue this winter and I'd like to stock up again before the next price hike on cord wood.

Can you help me?

 

[kungfupanda]

I'd like to add that I do have an accessible mini van. If there is a manufacturer somewhat near the baltimore-washington area, and I can save serious money by driving there and hauling a stove myself, I'm willing to do that. Of course, I have no idea how much space a stove takes up in a vehicle, but my van can hold two power wheelchairs parked front to back. It also has a rear entry ramp.

 

[EbS-P]

I did just did a Drolet 1800i DIY install with insulated liner for 2000$. Add 1200-1750$ for install??? It’s bigger than you would want. I think. They have a smaller one. Is your budget realistic yes.

Other thoughts. Wood is messy. Dust, ash smoke it will be in the room. Is that ok? Wood is work. For nor larger than that space is I would consider a mini split heatpump. It’s just easier. You still have a fireplace for ambiance if you want. Gas logs? Push button fire?

Lastly my insert was like 375 pounds and two people could move it with a regular dolly. Curbside delivery was included in the the purchase. Would have taken some ratchet straps to pull up into van I think but doable.

 

[kungfupanda]

I did just did a Drolet 1800i DIY install with insulated liner for 2000$. Add 1200-1750$ for install??? It’s bigger than you would want. I think. They have a smaller one. Is your budget realistic yes.

Other thoughts. Wood is messy. Dust, ash smoke it will be in the room. Is that ok? Wood is work. For nor larger than that space is I would consider a mini split heatpump. It’s just easier. You still have a fireplace for ambiance if you want. Gas logs? Push button fire?

Lastly my insert was like 375 pounds and two people could move it with a regular dolly. Curbside delivery was included in the the purchase. Would have taken some ratchet straps to pull up into van I think but doable.

We didn't mind the wood and work with the open fireplace and I was pretty good about keeping the smoke out of the house. Is a stove/insert significantly messier? I was hoping if we opened the two doors opposite the fireplace we could heat the man living spaces during the day, then turn down the heat at night. It would be nice if we could be a little less reliant on the central heating when it's really cold outside. I should probably err on the side of a low, slow burn option.

Is installing your own stove tough for a mediocre DIY person? I can use basic power tools and wire a light. I did install my dishwasher, but I was under the impression that stove installation required permits or inspections or something official. I'm not the weakest of females, but a stove seems heavy. We do have accessibility so we can get it into the house, but lifting it onto the hearth might get tricky.

I will look up the mini-split heat pump though since I didn't know it existed. Thanks!

 

[EbS-P]

We didn't mind the wood and work with the open fireplace and I was pretty good about keeping the smoke out of the house. Is a stove/insert significantly messier? I was hoping if we opened the two doors opposite the fireplace we could heat the man living spaces during the day, then turn down the heat at night. It would be nice if we could be a little less reliant on the central heating when it's really cold outside. I should probably err on the side of a low, slow burn option.

Is installing your own stove tough for a mediocre DIY person? I can use basic power tools and wire a light. I did install my dishwasher, but I was under the impression that stove installation required permits or inspections or something official. I'm not the weakest of females, but a stove seems heavy. We do have accessibility so we can get it into the house, but lifting it onto the hearth might get tricky.

I will look up the mini-split heat pump though since I didn't know it existed. Thanks!

Mess isn’t worse. Smoke is better with an insert.

A diy insert is not difficult skill wise. Clean the current flue well, take out or cut enough of the damper to allow the new liner (should be insulated) to connect to the insert. The most skill required is to fabricate a blockoff plate to seal the old flue/chimney around the new liner so heat doesn’t go up the old flue. Insist on this.

It is physically demanding. And requires working on the roof at the chimney. I’m a decently fit 6’ 185# ex college athlete that hasn’t seen a gym in a decade but I am active. With the help of my retired father with a back back and my sister who has arthritis I was just barely able to lift one side block it, lift the other block it. Lift the front block it lift the back block it—-repeat I wish I had three more fit people to lift it but was able to get it just barely. I did think about how to do it for quite some time. We are not required to get permits here but you may. I had my stove professionally installed. It was installed just like an insert and it took a pro two person crew who did it for a living about 6 hours. It’s fire inside your house so error on the side of caution.

If I had to buy firewood I would not save any money. I will never save enough to have my two wood burners pay for them selves. But I like it. My suggestion is if your hvac system is more than 10 years old you are money ahead to replace it as it heats and cools as opposed to spend 4-5000$ on a wood burner.

Just my thoughts

Pop back in with any questions.

Evan

 

[lml999]

Other thoughts. Wood is messy. Dust, ash smoke it will be in the room. Is that ok? Wood is work. For nor larger than that space is I would consider a mini split heatpump. It’s just easier. You still have a fireplace for ambiance if you want. Gas logs? Push button fire?

I was thinking the same thing. If your concern is heat, a minisplit would certainly be a lower maintenance alternative, also less expensive to install and perhaps to operate. It would also give you cooling in the summer.

We certainly don't need to go into details, but do you have concerns about safety for your son around a hot heating appliance?

You probably already have a lot on your plate; give some serious thought to whether you want to be feeding a stove every few hours, etc...

 

[NoGoodAtScreenNames]

Try to pick your stove before you do the floor. Depending on how far it sticks out you may need a non-combustible area in front of the existing fireplace brick for maybe 8-10 inches. Easier to deal with that when you already are removing the carpet. Being on a slab gives you lots of options since you don’t have to worry about any particular r value for the flooring.

Also, if you are worried about overheating the room then look at cat stoves that can turn down lower. Being in Maryland your winters are going to be a lot less harsh than what you’ll see from a lot of folks on here. You may not need much and a tube stove may be too hot for the room while riding the peak of the burn.

Lastly, yes wood can be messy but if you clean up after every load it’s not an issue (though special medical conditions can raise your threshold for cleanliness obviously).

 

[stoveliker]

I second the minisplit. Cooling heating. Also down to low temperature (0 or below). For ambiance a gas fireplace?

However, if you go with a stove, carefully check the BTU output you want. One way would be to get a quote for a minisplit as that will get you a BTU output for the system. If the company is reputable and knows what they are doing.
Also, carefully check the clearances for the stove or size of the insert before you do anything. You need to know the dimensions exactly before committing to something.

Have your chimney inspected to see it's in good shape. You need an (insulated!) liner. Does that fit?
And How tall is the chimney? That is important for draft needed for the stove.

 

[kungfupanda]

You guys are probably right and I think you just saved me about $4000. If I do a mini-split my son can control his heat and ac with voice commands via Alexa like he does his lights now. This also solves the problem of heating/cooling if he closes his doors for privacy. We can always just do a fire in the fireplace if we get the urge to have one. Maybe down the road install a gas fireplace since our heating is gas and we have the lines to the house. Our power lines are buried , so I can count on one hand how many times we've experienced an outage in twenty years and our winters aren't really that cold. Thanks for being the voice of reason. I think I got seduced by the mountains of cord wood at work and all of the happy customers eagerly anticipating their fires.