Wood burning Fireplace insert

[rcowan]

I did a couple of searchs on this forum and didn't find the answer so here goes.

We are looking for a wood burning insert for our fireplace.

The wife wants one that has a fairly large glass door area so she can see the flames. Our fireplace is 32 across, 30 vertical and 24 inches deep at the slant in the back.

I want to use a full/out the top of the chimney stove pipe up the chimney not the little stubby one.
I need to stay under $1K total (well close).

Any help? I know zip about insert manufactures.

Thanks
Roland

 

[Tororider]

I don't know a lot about them other than my BIL is looking for one as well. Have you looked on craigslist to see if you can find one used. That would surely help on keeping the price down. I have seen them on CL for anywhere between $250-2000. Good luck.

 

[Egon]

Do a Goggle. You will find many different makes. From there you can get all the specifications for the insert.

For a new unit you may have to rethink the budget.

We have a Regency insert. All the information for this make is on line.

 

[ultrarunner]

Too bad you are so far away... the air district here is paying people to take out wood burners and replace with gas inserts...

Most are sold for scrap price...

 

[mbohuntr]

A friend put in a Quadrafire about 4 years ago that is about that size, Heats his whole house and burns really clean. I put in a Magnum ZC from American energy systems, not an insert, but if the insert is as good as the ZC, I'd buy one in a hurry.

 

[rcowan]

Those Regency's look great but they also look like they cost more than we paid for the ranch!!!

Do a Goggle. You will find many different makes. From there you can get all the specifications for the insert.

For a new unit you may have to rethink the budget.

We have a Regency insert. All the information for this make is on line.

 

[brianidaho]

I had the big Quadrafire insert (5100i I believe was the model number) in my old house, it heated the house well and generally worked very well, I'd recommend it. Hearthstone also makes a very nice stove, I have a Mansfield (freestanding) now, it's also been great. It's a soapstone stove, holds heat longer and emmits with less intensity than most steel stoves. They also make inserts. I don't know how you'll do as far as keeping it around $1k. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

Bri

 

[Sigarms]

For a new unit you may have to rethink the budget.

Only way you'll do it under 1k for a new unit is if you find someone who is going out of business and needs to unload it.

I was in the same boat, and decided to go for an LP insert instead of wood (used for back up heat on a heat pump system) because I couldn't justify the price for a new wood insert.

I have seen them on CL for anywhere between $250-2000. Good luck.

Best used price I found was from a buddy who owned a fireplace store in NC for $500. He had a buddy who had his for sale. Only problem was I had to drive to D.C to pick it up, and I could never get the EXACT measurements from him. Got the new LP insert for that price.

Can tell you that I have NO regrets getting that LP insert (vent free). Heats well, and if the house is without power, can still run it (less the blower of course).

 

[Nissan197]

My dad just sold his for $125.00. Had his furnace replaced and told the tech. about the insert and the guy bought it on the spot. Dad would still be using it, but he had a chimney fire a couple of years ago and did not want to have a chimney liner installed. It is an old fireplace and he was very lucky the house did not go up. I have a "Heat&Glo", "North Star" fireplace that is sure getting a workout tonight, and probably for the whole winter. It has been great. I even got a "Stihl" chainsaw with the purchase as a promotional gift Thankfully dad still has plenty of firewood that he did not use up . Most of the wood that I have cut has not properly dried.

 

[skidoo]

My Fireplace door was loose and stone was loose around the edges of the door resulting in excessive airflow. I could not easily slow down the burn rate. So, I was looking for an insert a couple of months ago. My Fireplace has a built-in heatilator type device which crosses the flu. To install, they would have to torch cut part of it to fit a re-liner chimney tube. Once that was done, there is no going back. Cost for insert and install came to about $5K. I chose to remove the door, clean it, tighten loose screws, patch masonry and stone, insulate where needed, and put it back in service. It is heating nicely as I write this, 72F inside and -5F outside...

 

[Airic]

Any welders out there build their own or does code not allow? The previous owner of our house built one and it is great. Also one of the biggest ones I've seen but, I've not been around much. Had a chimney guy come out to clean and inspect and he said it one of the nicest stoves he's seen. It's about 3 1/2 foot deep x 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 and has a steal cavity built around the box that a squirle cage moter pushes the air through. The only down fall is that is in the basement and I need to figure out to deliver the heat upstares more, gets really hot down there. I'm on propane so it supliments quite nice.

 

[mbohuntr]

Home made is a big no-no with your insurance company

 

[Highbeam]

You won't find anything for a total price of 1000$. Just the liner that runs up you chimney cost 500$ plus the install will be 1000$ total. I had it done two years ago.

The modern EPA stoves, which is all that you can generally install legally, all cost more than 1000$. You can put your hands on some nice freestanders from Lowes or HD in the spring for under 1000$ and probably 1000$ more for pipe can get you a stove somewhere else in the home.

Raise your budget to 4000$ and you can get the run of the mill Lopi or quadrafire plate steel inserts.

I like burning wood and am glad to see folks get into the world of efficient wood heating but you need to know that the price of entry is not low.

 

[smfcpacfp]

I have one that is about 28 years old, and it does put out some pretty good heat, but are you really going to use it? It seems we use it once a year to burn Christmas paper.

 

[rcowan]

We use the fireplace 24-7. I break my neck getting out of bed when the furnace kicks on. An insert would be much more efficient and the fan/blower would get the heat out into more of the house.

I have one that is about 28 years old, and it does put out some pretty good heat, but are you really going to use it? It seems we use it once a year to burn Christmas paper.

 

[rcowan]

I remember a house my brother lived in a long time ago that had holes with grills in the floor to allow heat to radiate up into the bedrooms.

The only down fall is that is in the basement and I need to figure out to deliver the heat upstares more, gets really hot down there. I'm on propane so it supliments quite nice.