Is Jotul C 550 Insert too big for my room/house?

[quigleybmd]

I'm considering getting a Jotul C 550 wood insert. My house is fairly small (about 1700 sq ft, single story),
but the existing fireplace is big enough for the 550. And my wife wants the maximum glass
size we can get. The room that the fireplace is in is about 400 sq ft. Will the 550 provide too much
heat for the room? Could we burn smaller fires, and not run the blower (does burning smaller
fires cause the glass to soot up, or create more creosote)?

Also, my existing fireplace doesn't draft well at all. It's not blocked or anything - but we get smoke
into the house, even with seasoned wood, etc.. I think it's a combination of the existing fireplace size,
and the size of the flue and height on the chimney. Is it reasonable to assume that a wood insert would
work better? Thanks for any comments/advice.

 

[Todd]

Most people here say going a little bigger is better and yes you can build smaller fires in a large stove to reduce the heat output. Manufactures heating numbers are for ideal conditions and it's more realistic to cut them down 20-30%. If you go with the insert reline the whole chimney with 6" stainless liner and it should draft much better than your fireplace.

 

[begreen]

This would depend on how open the fireplace room is to the rest of the house. If it is closed off, with one small door, then it would be overkill.

The chimney issue should be understood or it might continue to be an issue. How tall is it? Are there any taller buildings, hillside or trees nearby?

 

[quigleybmd]

The room with the fireplace is not closed off. It opens up to other rooms through 2 hallways, and 2 other doors.

The chimney is 18 feet high, from the floor of the fireplace. It goes through the middle of the house. It extends 3 ft. about the top ridge of the house.
And the flue is retangular (7" x 9" or 7" x 10", I forget which). There are no taller buildings or hills nearby. There are several taller trees surrounding the
house - a couple of large oaks and a couple of maples. But they are each 30' or so away from the house/chimney

 

[begreen]

Sounds like it might work out then. You'll burn smaller fires in fall and spring, but come the dead of winter you will be able to use the stove fully. It may take a simple fan or two to help circulate the heat, but that usually is not a big deal.

The flue seems like it will work fine out for a 6" liner if this is the ID measurement. Go for it.

 

[BrotherBart]

With an insert if it is too warm, turn the blower down or off. When it gets colder turn it up. I burn my stove inside a fireplace at the same temp all of the time and control the heat in the house with the blower.

 

[EJL923]

The 550 will be perfect for that setup. You can put that stove in a closet without the blowers on.

 

[Clarkbar2311]

I found this thread really helpful as I have nearly the exact situation. Thanks.

 

[bagpiper]

I have the Jotul 350 and the 550, and if I had a choice of only one stove, it would be the 550. The Jotul 550 gets hotter faster, longer, and throws off alot of heat.

The 350 is great but is really limited to a smaller room and on a cold day you can feel the temperature drop rapidly the further you are from the stove.

The 550 heats the rest of my home that the 350 barely touches.

 

[Clarkbar2311]

are you using it as an insert or freestanding?

 

[bagpiper]

Both are inserts, I have my homes floor plan and photos of the inserts in some of my posts

 

[Clarkbar2311]

I have to post a few pictures as I have a challenging situation. My masonry fireplace is quite large but the mantel placement is weird and the dingdong previous owners painted some of the fascia.