IHDiesel73L
ArboristSite Operative
I've spent a lot of time looking at various inserts and I may have found one, but I haven't really been able to find any real world reviews and I don't really have any dealers near me either so I would need to order online, which I'm fine with as I'll be installing it myself. Right now I'm heating with an old stove the kitchen that needs replacing, so I want to install the insert, get that going, and then look at replacing the kitchen stove later. I have a 2600SF house originally built about 1880 but added onto extensively in 1992. About half of my square footage is drafty old 1880s-most of the first floor, but new windows were installed in the 1990s. The second floor is all 1990s construction. The following is the criteria I was looking for in an insert:
This install is about what mine should look like-the Montlake 300 is 38 1/8" wide and my fireplace opening is 41 1/8" wide leaving me with only 1 1/2" on either side to cover. The flashing over the top would only need to be about 6". I like the plain all black styling and the understated design of the side vents. I would opt for the cast iron top. The glass area is nearly 200 square inches which is probably one of the largest out there. The 3.0 CF firebox is also about the biggest I've seen as well. I would like to be able to load in the morning before work (6:00 a.m.), in the afternoon when I get home (5:00 p.m) and just before bed (9-10:00 p.m.) as a general schedule. I'm not so concerned with not having the heat kick on at all as we have an old drafty house-I have plenty of wood available on my own land which costs me nothing more than my labor so any degree to which I can offset oil usage with it is great. As long as I have a good bed of coals to start with each time I'll be happy. Here is the fireplace:
- Classic/Traditional styling (vs. contemporary, etc...)
- Plain black finish as opposed to any kind of gold or other shiny trim
- 2.0 CF+ firebox
- Face of insert large enough to fill our fireplace opening with the least amount of trim on the top and sides possible (I have an install question related to that)
- Largest viewing window possible
- Insert protrudes into the room with a "shelf" of at least 8-9" for placing a kettle or a small dutch oven
This install is about what mine should look like-the Montlake 300 is 38 1/8" wide and my fireplace opening is 41 1/8" wide leaving me with only 1 1/2" on either side to cover. The flashing over the top would only need to be about 6". I like the plain all black styling and the understated design of the side vents. I would opt for the cast iron top. The glass area is nearly 200 square inches which is probably one of the largest out there. The 3.0 CF firebox is also about the biggest I've seen as well. I would like to be able to load in the morning before work (6:00 a.m.), in the afternoon when I get home (5:00 p.m) and just before bed (9-10:00 p.m.) as a general schedule. I'm not so concerned with not having the heat kick on at all as we have an old drafty house-I have plenty of wood available on my own land which costs me nothing more than my labor so any degree to which I can offset oil usage with it is great. As long as I have a good bed of coals to start with each time I'll be happy. Here is the fireplace:
