Fireplace vs Insert

[Ironworker]

Insert is the way to go, here is our Lopi Freedom, this pic was just taken this morning, woke up to a cold house.

Here it is full for about 8-12 hour burn, and we only use the blower when it gets below 40.

 

[laynes69]

Be careful operating that fireplace like that. My sister and her boyfriend did the same thing, until one night they woke to a ball of fire underneath their bed. They were sleeping close to the fireplace to keep warm and framing around the brick got too hot and ignited. They almost lost the home. It was unfortunate because he had a stove to put in there, he was just too cheap and lazy. Almost cost their lives. Operating a fireplace consumes a huge amount of air from the home, you may feel some radiant heat but it pulls more heat than produced. There will be a huge improvement with a stove or insert in there, and much safer. Good luck!

 

[ri chevy]

Nice greyfox. I like it! That is really stoked up. LOPI is definitely the way to go. They are engineered very well.

 

[REJ2]

Done some research on this myself, insert for fireplace. The Osburn 2400 seems like a good unit with a great price, will heat a decent sized home as well. Advertised at 100,00 btu's, that might be optimistic though but thats what they claim. Howard 270 has one and he likes it.

 

[half]

heating

Go for a free standing woodburner. mine is a miser on wood and has a slow burn that smolders all night. I have a fan that is connected to a thermostat that blows the hot air from the lounge throughout the house. the thermo is about 3ft off the floor so the lounge is always heated first. mine puts out 66000 btus an hour or 19.5 KW. inserts put out about 5kw less than freestanders

 

[Fyrebug]

So here's what you need to do... measure your fireplace and get the largest insert that will fit in there. Remember this is a permanent installation and you are playing with fire. Cheapening out by buying a used insert is not necessarily the way to go.

You will then need to add to the cost a Stainless Steel liner with the same diameter of the flue of the insert (Typically 6") about $400 - $600. Do NOT cheapen out the installation by doing away with a liner. It will cause all sorts of drafting problems and creosote (potential chimney fires). Some will no doubt chime in and tell you their neighbour/brother/cousins etc.. did not need a liner. Dont pay attention. If the MFG puts it in the manual there is a good reason for it.

Finally, you will need a block off plate where your old cast iron damper was and possibly some insulation around the insert. If you need more help with this post your questions.

We make various brands of inserts for all budgets so ask away.

 

[ri chevy]

Definitely use a liner

So here's what you need to do... measure your fireplace and get the largest insert that will fit in there. Remember this is a permanent installation and you are playing with fire. Cheapening out by buying a used insert is not necessarily the way to go.

You will then need to add to the cost a Stainless Steel liner with the same diameter of the flue of the insert (Typically 6") about $400 - $600. Do NOT cheapen out the installation by doing away with a liner. It will cause all sorts of drafting problems and creosote (potential chimney fires). Some will no doubt chime in and tell you their neighbour/brother/cousins etc.. did not need a liner. Dont pay attention. If the MFG puts it in the manual there is a good reason for it.

Finally, you will need a block off plate where your old cast iron damper was and possibly some insulation around the insert. If you need more help with this post your questions.

We make various brands of inserts for all budgets so ask away.

Excellent information given by Fyrebug. I originally had my insert "Professionally" installed without the Stainless Steel liner. Dealer did not suggest it or recommend it. I had all sorts of draft problems for that year. The fireplace still worked, but not like it should have. I personally then bought the liner and installed it myself. Problem solved. The insert operates much better. I also packed a lot of insulation around the old flue setup. Just be sure to take the paper off the insulation before you use it. Use just the fiberglass part of the insulation.