Advice please - Is a wood burning insert a good choice?

[granpajohn]

I imagine Little House on the Prairie to be a nice enough place.

But seriously....I note that most insert buyers that don't want the thing to "stick out" seem to flock to the Jotul. It's quite handsome. Give it a good look.
(I kinda like 'em to stick out a bit, myself.)

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum Go Blue!

Wait a minute! Go Blue! From Lansing? Are you a traitor? Go Spartans!

 

[zknowlto]

Visit some other dealers and read up a bit on VC before deciding. There are other choices like Hampton and Jotul that should be included in the looksee.

Agreed . . . do a search on Vermont Castings here and check out some of the stove reviews for the models you are considering. Personally, I would shy away from VC models right now . . .

Yikes! I know there was something going on with Vermont Castings, but I didn't realize the extent of it. So I guess VC is out. We were interested in the Jotul models, but no dealers were convenient. We're now seriously considering a PE Vista insert. Other than, maybe, being a little on the small side (though larger than the WW) and non-catlytic, is there any particularly obvious reason why this insert would be a poor choice?

 

[begreen]

If you are not constrained by fireplace size go for at least a 2 cu ft insert. You will really be glad you did when temps are in the teens.

 

[Hogwildz]

If you are not constrained by fireplace size go for at least a 2 cu ft insert. You will really be glad you did when temps are in the teens.

Ditto, you won't regret it. But you will regret getting to small a stove or insert.

 

[Skier76]

Very nice looking house!

We had that same glass on our fireplace when we first moved in. I grew up with a wood stove...and thought you could burn a fireplace the same way. I had about 3 ash logs roaring away...with the glas closed. That wasn't smart..."pop" went one pannel of tempered glass. Ooops! We've had a new glass surround or whatever it's called every since. Thinking of maybe getting a little Jotul wood stove to put in the firebox for a little extra heat.

 

[fredarm]

The Vista is a nice insert and heats well for what it is--a small insert. I installed one a year ago and really enjoyed it last winter. It's very easy to use, but it won't hold an overnight burn if that is important to you. I have a small fireplace, so was limited to the Vista. If you have the room, I'd go up one size to the Pacific (or whatever they're calling it now). I'm very impressed with the quality of the PE products, though--very solid.

 

[zknowlto]

Well, we finally had the PE guy out today and learned a couple things.

1) Our fireplace apparently begins tapering up much lower and more quickly than most. As a result, we don't have nearly the flexibility in choosing inserts as I initially expected. Only after measuring and re-measuring several times did the installer finally decide the Vista would fit the fireplace.

2) Something that never occurred to me was the the firebox would be to close to the bottom of the mantle. Basically, there isn't enough space, even with a heat shield. The installer was recommended that we hire a carpenter to remove some of the mantle facing and go from there, but I'm not so sure I want to endure the added time and expense of doing this. I'm now considering the Regency I200 because it seems to be shorter than the PE and has clearances that I think would work. Anyone have any experience with this box?

 

[allhandsworking]

I'm happy with the Vermont casting Montpelier i have writen some posts due to the fact that I was an early purchaser last fall. It is a gorgeous unit and I purchased it for occasion's use but ended up burning almost 24/7 Reduced my oil usage by more than 2/3s. Seasoned wood a must and splits less than 4" make the insert cook really nice!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW6bgkRrelM

 

[[email protected]]

I have a Vermont Castings Winter Warm Small Insert. My wife and I are very happy with our stove. I suspect poor chimneys, green wood and improper operation account for most of the problems people have. Our house is 1350 feet on one level. Our stove is on our first level. We used our fireplace a lot and decided it would be nice to get some heat. The stove surprised us and has become our primary source of heat. Our furnace does not come on unless we go out of town and we live in Minneapoliis.

Consider:
1. Mantel height - you have to be careful if you have a wood mantel - I chose the VC Winter Warm partly due to the lower clearance requirement
2. Insulate your firebox and seal the chimney well - Use ceramic insulation with foil face designed for this purpose - easy to install - use 3M spray glue to attach to back of fireplace
3. Outside air - I have this going into the stove
Catalytic Operation:
1. Catalytic stove takes a little getting used to but is very efficient - key is to burn very dry wood (I dry oak 3 years) - maple, ash, elm, boxelder all work well in this stove
2. Key to efficiency - avoid letting stove burn out - keep it loaded with a good bed of coals - this saved me about a cord of wood last year - startups are what people don't like about catalytics - avoid them and you will love the stove
3. If stove begins to draw poorly - check catalyst and clean out ash - vacuum or pipe cleaner - check chimney cap - some caps have small holes that can clog if you burn the stove too low
4. Stove produces beautiful blue flame with good wood and operation
What to expect:
1. With good wood and operation - burn times can meet or exceed 6 hour claim
2. Temperature control works great - we turn ours low once it is operating
3. This is a small stove - if your house gets cold - it will take a while to heat up - but, if you keep it going, it works great
4. Fan is noisy on this stove - biggest complaint - but we run on low - you can run stove without fan and it still puts out a lot of heat - we use the fan mostly when it is really cold outside
5. 18" wood that fills box is best when it is cold and when you want overnight burn
Hope this helps. You sound like you are very thorough so I'm sure you will be happy with whatever you choose. BTW - we get our wood from yard waste and I burned about 4.5 cords last winter

 

[Rudyjr]

Go Blue, Check out the Jotul Kennebec also I think it will fit your fireplace well. I was in the same position as you last year and was about to go with the VC also, decided better to have fire brick than refractory lining. We were very impressed with the Jotul and it has made a big difference in our heating bill even with just weekend use. This model is now available with a single door also, some people prefer this there are pictures of the install in my signature. I purchased mine through The Coal and Woodburner Shoppe in Toledo, they carry both inserts VC and jotul. Jeff and Jenny Spencer are very helpful and knowledgeable. There is a website for their shop with pricing on it, I do not remember tyhe address but a search will find it.

 

[fredarm]

Just be careful. If the Vista is a tight fit, I think the Jotul is a bit wider. Measure carefully!

 

[Joey]

I was just in this similar situation. Lookin for something to replace my old ugly gas fireplace. I went with a wood burning insert. I visited 3 of my local dealers and listened to all of them. I decided on the Napoleon 1402 insert. I has two blowers built right into the unit. most times,,,I dont need to turn on the blowers at all. The insert is only slightly recessed into the fireplace. Which means I get all the heat the radiates off the cast iron. I'm happy with the insert, the only thing I dont like about it is that it only takes 18 inch logs. Some of the other models, like the Avalon, took 22 inch logs. I'm hoping to save a lot on my heating bill this winter,,which is why I bought the stove. So far,,,,its fantastic. Good luck in your search.

 

[yanksforever]

Just make sure you measure to the top of that mantle. May be close or may need a heat shield. Kinda hard to tell.

 

[velvetfoot]

I like my Quad 2700i.
It's small, but I had a zero clearance prefab fireplace to put it in.
http://quadrafire.com/downloads/installManuals/man_2700i.pdf