Fireplace insert

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polarisxcsp

New member
Just looking for some opinions on fireplace inserts. I have a fireplace that I burn wood in but it eats a ton of wood. I used to have a corn/pellet stove in my old house but didn't bring it with my to the new house. Debating on whether or not I should get a fireplace insert or another corn stove.

Advantages - disadvantages?

Thanks guys
 
goofy600

goofy600

Well-known member
If you get a insert make sure it is like a wood stove style that is sealed and uses outside air so all the heat doesn't go up the chimney there are a lot of good options out there do your research.
 
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cooker

New member
We installed a wood burning fireplace insert and have been very happy with it. We used to burn about 2 cords of wood per winter as we have a fire almost every night and have almost cut that in half. The insert is very energy efficient and we can pump heat into our back bedrooms threw are heating vents for the furnace. The model we have is the Enerzone 2.5ZC.
 
mezz

mezz

Well-known member
polarisxcsp said:
Just looking for some opinions on fireplace inserts. I have a fireplace that I burn wood in but it eats a ton of wood. I used to have a corn/pellet stove in my old house but didn't bring it with my to the new house. Debating on whether or not I should get a fireplace insert or another corn stove.

Advantages - disadvantages?

Thanks guys
Click to expand...
I am assuming that you have a "Traditional" fireplace in your new home & they are wood gobblers as there is no way to effectively control the draft. Not only that, but when they are not in use, they draft a lot of your heated air right up the flue. A fireplace insert would be the ticket there, it fills the void nicely cutting down on heat loss & effectively burns your body wood.-Mezz
 
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polarisxcsp

New member
Thanks guys, sounds like the insert would be a good investment! Esp after I just got 104 gallons of propane for $3.259 a gallon! (max delivery per house was 100 gallons)
 
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polarisxcsp

New member
Here is a quote I got from Heat & Sweep in Lansing. I about sh't my pants when I read it....I guess I didn't realize how expensive these were.

Thank you for your interest in our wood burning inserts. You picked 2 of my favorites. . The Clydesdale has a great sale going on right now.
The Clydesdale in black is $3399
the stainless steel liner system $599 (for a one story home)
cerawool insulation 100
$4098
less discount factory sale (300)
$3798 & tax
local installation approx. 699
misc materials 45
& permit
Total approx $ 4875

The C550 would be about $250 more

- - - Updated - - -

Here is a quote I got from Heat & Sweep in Lansing. I about sh't my pants when I read it....I guess I didn't realize how expensive these were.

Thank you for your interest in our wood burning inserts. You picked 2 of my favorites. . The Clydesdale has a great sale going on right now.
The Clydesdale in black is $3399
the stainless steel liner system $599 (for a one story home)
cerawool insulation 100
$4098
less discount factory sale (300)
$3798 & tax
local installation approx. 699
misc materials 45
& permit
Total approx $ 4875

The C550 would be about $250 more
 
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jcjohnston

New member
Around 5K is what my Lopi Freedom Bay insert cost 5 years ago, would have been less if I did the install myself, but the wife would not let me. The whole worried about burning the house down thing. Anyways we love it, holds enough wood for easy 10 hour burns when its 20 degrees or better outside. But really cold and you need to crank the heat out looking at 5 hours max burn, but the upside is first floor is 75 degrees always. Second floor just bedrooms will be 65 though, which we love for sleeping. Best spot to research for anything wood heating wise is hearth.com check it out. More things there then you would ever care to know about stoves.
 
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cyguy

New member
We have an Avalon, with a blower, and love it. Learing to manipulate the choke and coals helps conserve wood. Also, running our "fan" on the thermostat, to draw the warm through the vents makes a huge difference. Ours has paid for itself!
 
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tedsnotdead

New member
cyguy, what kind of Avalon do you have, I am suppose to be putting an Avalon in my basement tomorrow. They seem to be a solid unit from reviews I have been reading. The one I am getting is four years old that an older fella has but doesn't want to cut wood anymore so he is putting a pellet stove in instead. With myself and buddy taking it out, I am getting to unit and pipe for $450.00. Hoping this is a wise investment, but time will tell.
 
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cooker

New member
The Enerzone 2.5ZC we had installed cost about $7,000 but included all new dry stack stone floor to ceiling, new mantel and raised hearth stone. They had to remove all the old brick that went half way up. We looked at alot of different brands but liked that it has 2 doors rather than 1 and you can put a screen in front if you want to leave the doors open. Well worth the price compared to the old insert that burned fine but sucked all the heat out of the rest of the house.
 
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anonomoose

New member
tedsnotdead said:
cyguy, what kind of Avalon do you have, I am suppose to be putting an Avalon in my basement tomorrow. They seem to be a solid unit from reviews I have been reading. The one I am getting is four years old that an older fella has but doesn't want to cut wood anymore so he is putting a pellet stove in instead. With myself and buddy taking it out, I am getting to unit and pipe for $450.00. Hoping this is a wise investment, but time will tell.
Click to expand...

Obviously, you didn't read about what it cost for 100 gallons of propane. If you have all you need to re-install, you will pay for the unit in one winter. Each winter after that you will save $450 or more.....still question the investment?
 
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tedsnotdead

New member
I am very fortunate to have a house on 36 acres in the country and still had the capabilities to hook into natural gas so I lucked out there last year. I guess I should have worded it a bit different, I just hope for the $450 this unit is going to work as I hope it will. Meaning I hope I don't p*** the money away and find that its not what it is cracked up to be. My original thoughts were to go with the biggest insert I can find, but I have been talked out of that, due to the fire place is in the basement where my bar, display case, and tv are going to be. Some input that I had is that if I put too big of a unit in, it will be damn near un bearable to hang out in the bar area when I have the wood burning. I guess I am open to suggestions, but at this point for the price I can get Avalon for, I am probably just going to install tomorrow and the worse case scenario I don't like it and in the spring or summer I can more than likely sell it for as much if not more than I am going to pay for it. This unit also comes with a new blower!
 
C

cooker

New member
The unit we have is in our den and we have to vent the heat through the basement to the furnace vents for the bedrooms (3) and bathroom so the den does not get so hot that you can't be in there. We do not even have to have the blower on in the den to keep it toastie. The unit is rated at 75,000 BTU. Depending on your basement square footage it should work fine.
 
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m8man

Moderator
polarisxcsp said:
Thanks guys, sounds like the insert would be a good investment! Esp after I just got 104 gallons of propane for $3.259 a gallon! (max delivery per house was 100 gallons)
Click to expand...

If I could get it for that price I'd buy a 1,000 gallons right now. It's now 7.00/gallon here. My last call it was 5.51/gal this crap is nutzo. The gov and our local rep's are supposedly calling for an investigation into propane but that doesn't do a damn thing for me. It surely won't help pay my bill....... alternative source is the solution, wood stove, etc.

m8man
 
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