Changing from gas fireplace to a wood stove insert - City Girl who doesn't know anything about fireplaces!

[LoraxGirl]

We moved to Connecticut and bought a 25 year old house last summer.
Our hope is to make a lot of green changes, but the big one my husband is pushing for first is to replace the gas fireplace with a wood stove insert. He wanted to get this done in January so it would be cold enough to really test it's heating ability (in case of long-term power outages), and I dropped the ball on my research.

We went to a local shop who showed us a Lopi Medium Flush Wood NexGen-Hybrid Arch Insert that we really liked, but I was hoping for more than one option.

I have so many questions.... is Lopi the best wood stove insert, or should I check out any other brands? I was interested in Vermont Castings until I read about their sale and moving production out of the country...

Do we order one from the manufacturer, or buy online, and then who do we hire for the install, or should we get everything done from one local shop?

We also need to hire someone to mount our tv above the fireplace mantle... would that be a mason or some other kind of expert?

I know I am coming here with all questions and no... substance, so please think of this thread as a place to recommend your favorite inserts, and tell me why, and give any other advice you want.

Thank you!
Krista

 

[NickW]

First, start getting ahead on your wood supply. Dealers don't sell seasoned wood regardless of what they claim.

If it isn't a project you are comfortable doing yourselves, I would assume that installers would want to supply the materials.

Depending on what your heating needs are and how much ambiance you desire would influence whether you want to look at catalyst or secondary combustion inserts...

 

[bholler]

We moved to Connecticut and bought a 25 year old house last summer.
Our hope is to make a lot of green changes, but the big one my husband is pushing for first is to replace the gas fireplace with a wood stove insert. He wanted to get this done in January so it would be cold enough to really test it's heating ability (in case of long-term power outages), and I dropped the ball on my research.

We went to a local shop who showed us a Lopi Medium Flush Wood NexGen-Hybrid Arch Insert that we really liked, but I was hoping for more than one option.

I have so many questions.... is Lopi the best wood stove insert, or should I check out any other brands? I was interested in Vermont Castings until I read about their sale and moving production out of the country...

Do we order one from the manufacturer, or buy online, and then who do we hire for the install, or should we get everything done from one local shop?

We also need to hire someone to mount our tv above the fireplace mantle... would that be a mason or some other kind of expert?

I know I am coming here with all questions and no... substance, so please think of this thread as a place to recommend your favorite inserts, and tell me why, and give any other advice you want.

Thank you!
Krista

First question that needs answered is what type of gas fireplace is it? Is it a regular open fireplace with gas logs in it? Or is it an enclosed unit?

 

[Turbo89]

Just to add on to what the others are saying, if you’re not handy and/or willing to get on the roof you’ll want to hire someone. A local chimney sweeping service will probably have recommendations, and I would check FB marketplace too.

With regards to the conversion, here a few other things to think about:
- does the current fireplace location work to heat the majority of the house, or is it going to overheat that room and potentially not heat the house?
- does a basement wood stove make sense? If possible, would it be better to keep the pipes and house warm during a power outage?
- would keeping the gas stove and adding a second wood stove in a different location better achieve your goals?
- does the insert require a blower to push the heat around / out, and will you have a means of doing that in an extended power outage?


Anyways, just some additional things to think about before you make a large investment.

 

[Murray01]

Our gas appliances (furnace, hot water tank and dryer) have a smaller flue than our wood stove. How about yours?

 

[LoraxGirl]

First question that needs answered is what type of gas fireplace is it? Is it a regular open fireplace with gas logs in it? Or is it an enclosed unit?

It's a regular open fireplace with gas logs, thanks!

 

[LoraxGirl]

Just to add on to what the others are saying, if you’re not handy and/or willing to get on the roof you’ll want to hire someone. A local chimney sweeping service will probably have recommendations, and I would check FB marketplace too.

With regards to the conversion, here a few other things to think about:
- does the current fireplace location work to heat the majority of the house, or is it going to overheat that room and potentially not heat the house?
- does a basement wood stove make sense? If possible, would it be better to keep the pipes and house warm during a power outage?
- would keeping the gas stove and adding a second wood stove in a different location better achieve your goals?
- does the insert require a blower to push the heat around / out, and will you have a means of doing that in an extended power outage?


Anyways, just some additional things to think about before you make a large investment.

oh wow, I have no idea... my husband is in charge of the mechanical stuff for the house, I already have enough on my plate!
Sounds like I should make him be the one hosting this thread LOL

All very good questions, and I will pass them on to him. My area is web research, reaching out to local services and scheduling everything ;p

Thank you!

 

[Raddler]

When I was first getting started I learned a lot from this forum and woodheat.org. I would say, don't rush it and don't get hung up on the particular stove you will buy. Start with the wood supply. As others have said and will say going forward, you'll need to have the wood split and stacked for 2-3 years before it's ready to burn...assuming you're burning typical north east hardwoods.

For what it's worth, I had a local shop supply the stove and do the install. Many here do installs themselves but I do not enjoy working the roof. And, my massive tv is one of my prized possessions, I don't think I would want it hanging above my fireplace exposed to all that heat. Good luck!

 

[Manly]

One additional question; why CT?

 

[moresnow]

It's a regular open fireplace with gas logs, thanks!

Post some detailed pics of your current fireplace setup. This will help with recommendations.

 

[stovelark]

Firstly, welcome to CT and onboard here. So, sounds like you're removing a log set from a masonry fireplace/chimney. If so, you'll probably want an installer doing the liner and insert. Lopi is very good MFR, but plenty of others too. Depends on how many bags of money you can spend. Shop around numerous hearth stores if you can, get several opinions and what you might want too. Someone mentioned dry wood and that is key, good dry seasoned wood, get it as soon as possible. Stay warm.

 

[LoraxGirl]

One additional question; why CT?

My husband grew up in Western Mass. We met in Denver, and after about 7 years together he said he wanted to move back to New England to be closer to his parents. Summer of 2023 he had 3 job interviews in MA and 1 in CT. The CT job made him a great offer, has tons of career/growth opportunities, and even paid for the whole relocation...

Everything is very different from Colorado!

 

[LoraxGirl]

Post some detailed pics of your current fireplace setup. This will help with recommendations.

As I understand it, we are upgrading to heat pumps and solar, and already have a generator for short power outages. Hub is in charge of house mechanicals, like the furnace and well and so on, which includes the heating plans. I am in charge of the garden and bird feeders, trail cams and pool (never had a pool of my own, so a big learning curve!)

The main room is very open, with big windows, so not a lot of options for where the tv goes. The plan is to mount the tv above the fireplace, and we'd really only use the fireplace in case of multi-day power outages or zombie apocalypse.

We did have a gas fireplace in Colorado, and I would turn it on for the cats, but we never used it for house heating... I have always thought they were inefficient for actual heating.

Pictures below:

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Wood burning for heat is good way to save money and provides a nice heat and ambiance. If it’s your husband that will be doing this mostly, I would just make sure he is all in. Like anything else, there are pros and cons.
Pros are pretty straightforward, but cons include it’s a lot of time and effort getting wood supply stacked covered and all of that. It can be deceiving. I’ve been doing wood for more than 10 yrs now but still have to deal with things like the random woodstack tipping over or tin roof cover blowing off in the wind. I truly love processing wood, but completely hate if I have too restack it if it tips. The love it keeps me going but if someone is “eh” about it, it could get old really quick.
I may have skipped over it but are you guys going to be buying wood or cutting off of your property? I ask bc either way, I’d get that wood ASAP. If buying, I’d buy 2 yrs worth ahead of time. It is never dry when you buy it from someone else but will dry out nicely in time. If processing it yourselves, I’d start yesterday on that.
Not trying to be gloomy about it but want to make sure that your husband is game for all this, given that he is not the one asking the questions on the forum.

 

[gthomas785]

Agree with everything that has been said, and I will just add that a lot of people get a wood stove/insert thinking that it will only be for occasional or emergency use, but find that they love the warmth and ambiance from it so much that they start to burn pretty much 24/7. At least that was the case for me. Modern stoves are not like the old ones that you had to tend every 1-2 hours. Pretty much any decent new insert will give you an 8 hour burn easily, and some will go 24 hours or more - which makes it that much easier to keep running constantly while you're attending to other matters.
So as others have said, get your wood supply started ASAP. If you buy a few cords of "seasoned" wood now, stack and cover it, it might be marginally ready to burn by next winter. If you have time on your hands, buy two years' worth. And that might be more wood than you think, depending how hooked you get on the wood burning lifestyle.
For the install, I don't care what insert you get but you should insist on an *insulated* stainless steel liner with a block off plate above the insert to keep all the heat from being drawn up the flue.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Good point about insulated liner mentioned above. OP-I’m in CT as well- feel free to send me a message about possible installers you learn about in the area. I may be able to give you some recommendations ( or warnings) about different chimney sweeps I’ve worked with.

 

[stovelark]

Love the stone fireplace- a nice wood insert will look right at home there. So looks like a gas log set is in fireplace now, so you'll need that removed. Ideally, the gas line should be removed as well, as most installers will not put an insert in a fireplace with gas line there. As minimum, the line should be pulled down from below (hopefully unfin basement) and hole filled in up in fireplace. X everyone else, get dry seasoned firewood going now, so less frustration later. I agree too, if its a pleasant experience in burning wood, most people will want to do it more than they originally thought. You can save some money on heating, you're paying yourself for your efforts (cutting, splitting, stacking, bringing it in and burning... Get a couple of install estimates, some installers are better than others, or will give you more things to think about and choose from. If this is a summer project too, you may get a better deal doing it when its out of season. Good luck, stay warm.

 

[LoraxGirl]

My husband is on board with everything above, i.e. our plans for how much we use the fireplace. It was all pretty much his idea.

I keep sending him things from here and getting his response on the questions.. I would LOVE to get him on this forum because I hate being the middle man, but he's currently in the middle of a major project push, and also just had midterms for his 2nd masters this week. He gets upset if I suggest he handle this (come on this forum to talk and make online friends), and I guess I understand. My life isn't nearly as busy right now.

I do love a wood fireplace, even though I don't have a lot of experience with it, but it wasn't important enough to me for me to go against the hub's decisions. He's the stoic Yankee Eagle Scout.... I grew up in Florida and Texas, with a decade in California as well. If I get cold, I bundle up in sweats, and if I am still cold, I start talking about getting another cat LOL.

The previous owners had the living room set up as a formal living room, with the fireplace and the big windows as the focal point. They had a tv room in a small room near the front entrance. We earmarked that room as an office and want the tv in the big room, because we want to spend most of our home-and-awake time there, enjoying those big windows with the gorgeous view. He is intrigued by the wood stove in the basement idea... it's about 2/3rds unfinished, with a ton of storage space and his partially set up woodworking shop.

We have been to one shop so far, the guy walked us through everything, including the insulated liner, and I have notes for all of that. My concern was I didn't want to walk into one place, that showed us 2 options, both from the same manufacturer, with a hefty price tag, and then just say yes. I like to get information from multiple experts/professionals/shops, and learn more about the products and have options.

Half the internet says Lopi is the best, but the other half seems to be concerned about parts being made in China since 2020... I tell this to my husband, and he says either find out more information or just pull the trigger. Apparently I dither a lot, while he will make a snap decision and have already bought a replacement off amazon before I can finish telling him I have a backup in a drawer!

He focuses so much at his work that he doesn't want to think when he's at home... I don't have that excuse because I don't have a job yet. I handled our cross-country move, selling the old house, buying the new house, services, appliance installs, learning about septic and wells and I am still only half unpacked. Once I get this fireplace thing settled, I can prioritize my job search! Leaving the house and exploring Connecticut would be nice, too! Also, I hear great things about the Hudson Valley... and we have been in CT for almost a year and I still haven't gone down to the coast!

Anyway, sorry for the rambling life story... thank you all so much for the various advice and tips on wood burning fireplaces... I am saving it all for reference!

Krista

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Glad to hear he’s on board- yes sounds like a busy busy person.
Good plan to shop around and not make a snap decision. There are a number of good brands out there like Jotul, Lopi, Regency, Blaze King to name just a few. It will probably come down to size of insert for your living space and then aesthetics. Each brand has a certain look. If you like Lopi stoves, Fireworks stove store in East Haddam carried Lopi when I stopped in about 5 yrs ago

 

[Turbo89]

Great update! I can’t comment on insert brands, as I’ve only used fire placed and stand alone stoves.

If I were looking at a basement wood stove option (I am, but I’m 3-5yrs out, waiting for my heating system to be updated). I’d be looking at Blaze King (princess), Jotul and Drolet if the previous two fell out of the budget.

Also, if you’re open to it; keep your eyes open to used stoves. I’ve seen some really good deals come up on 1 or 2yr old stoves… but you need to be ready to act when they come up, because they seems to go quick.

 

[MRD1985]

I really like my Drolet 1800i. Hard to beat for the cost. Self installed with insulated liner and block off plate was just over $3K. Also received 30% tax credit on my taxes this year.

 

[BKVP]

What is the length of the chimney? Most inserts these days prefer 15+ but less than 25'. That doesn't mean you can't have an insert, just may need to consider venting options for longer chimneys.

As for LOPI, they are a superb manufacturer have an incredible team of engineers. As a competitor, they create a very constant, exciting and challenging environment for product innovation and design.

BKVP