Zero clearance fireplaces. Brands to consider for addition to house?

[eyefish2]

I am new to this site. I have heated my house for 16 years with a wood stove in our basement (Energy King). We are putting a 20 foot by 22 foot addition on our house this year. This will be a living room upstairs with either a woodstove or zero clearance fireplace in a corner, and a couple bedrooms in the basement. I have a couple questions for those who know about zero clearance fireplaces. 1) What would be some good brands to consider? I would like a good ash removal system. 2) Can I have one of the heat ducts from the fire place (located upstairs) routed to one of the bedrooms in the basement?? Thanks for your time and thoughts. Lance

 

[Mt Ski Bum]

I am new to this site. I have heated my house for 16 years with a wood stove in our basement (Energy King). We are putting a 20 foot by 22 foot addition on our house this year. This will be a living room upstairs with either a woodstove or zero clearance fireplace in a corner, and a couple bedrooms in the basement. I have a couple questions for those who know about zero clearance fireplaces. 1) What would be some good brands to consider? I would like a good ash removal system. 2) Can I have one of the heat ducts from the fire place (located upstairs) routed to one of the bedrooms in the basement?? Thanks for your time and thoughts. Lance

Look for a high-effiecency, EPA-approved unit. Some good ones to consider are any of Fireplace Xtrordinair's models (if you like the heat-duct option, FPX is coming out with a new unit called the 36-CVT that can be attached to heat ducts- it's supposed to be released some time in June, I believe.), or Heat N' Glo's North Star (which can also be connected to heat ducts).

All the FPX models use catalytic converters, whereas the Heat N' Glo North Star uses secondary burn tubes.

I attached a diagram taken out of the North Star manual that shows ducting options:

 

[jimbom]

When we built, we put in a double sided zero clearance fireplace. We never did like it or use it much. So, this summer, the thing is coming out for a wood stove. I should have known better since as a kid, I had experience with both fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition to the don't like factor, I bought an IR thermometer and discovered the fireplace is pumping a lot of heat out of the house due to various issues. One being some sort of flue system that has an air cooling component. Also, the flue has extra clearance to combustibles on purpose, but that gives cold air in the attic access to interior space inside the walls above the fireplace. A fireplace damper is not tight compared to an air tight stove. It conducts heat via OAK outside air through the masonry. I am sure I could improve the install to minimize energy loss, but the 'do not like' factor would still be. The wood stove will give us the cave man TV we need. Just to be fair, zero clearance technology probably has improved in the twenty years since we bought ours.

 

[certified106]

For what it's worth there wouldn't even be a choice in my mind, as I would go for the wood stove. I have never been a big fan of fireplaces and I want something in my house that I don't have to depend on a blower or other electrical component to heat my house in the dead of winter. They make some very nice stoves that have low clearance to combustibles if that's the route you choose to go.

 

[Garjan111]

Hey check out the Villa Vista by Lennox. It has an ash pan, a good one that has two handles and a completely covered lid so no ashes spill while you carry it across the carpet. It has a tall glass door to view the fire. It is a cat f/p also. Love watching the fire in it.

Gary

 

[Fsappo]

For what I sell, a fireplace that fits the bill would be the Regency 90. Good sized ash pan and can be heat ducted. Also, Regency is normally sold thru trained authorized dealers, so you should be able to get good before during and after the sale service.

 

[EnergyKing]

@ eyefish2: If you are happy with the ENERGY KING stove in your basement, and still looking into zero-clearance fireplaces you could consider one of our zero-clearance wood fireplaces. They are powerhouse heaters, just like our stoves and furnaces, and can be finished in about a billion different looks to really complement your home. If you are interested, please feel free to contact me toll free at (877) 720-1794 or via email at [email protected].

 

[hemlock40a]

We have a Kozy Heat Z42 and are very happy with it. Search the forum for comments from others. Good luck.

 

[FyreBug]

You in the UP? Unless I'm mistaken there's not too many dealers in that area. You may want to check for some online dealers if you have some problems locating various brands. www.woodlanddirect.com is in michigan and carry various brands.

EPA units are the way to go since they'll give you more heat for the buck. Non-EPA are classifed 'decorative' because while they look good they dont necessarily put out a lot of heat. For a little over $2,000 you can get a 2.5 cu ft EPA ZC. Of course you also have other associated cost (construction material, chimney etc...)

 

[par0thead151]

enviro venice 1700 is what i have in my ZC fireplace.
i could not be any happier with it.