Inexpensive new wood stove insert offerings?

[orionrogue]

Good afternoon all:

A thread passing by earlier today (Century CW2500) got me thinking about what inexpensive, EPA certified inserts are out there? The Englander NCI-13 won't fit in my particular masonry fireplace, stoves by Hearthstone, Avalon and Lopi seem just too expensive for me to be able to swing them, especially after you consider the relining/capping/block off plate/hearth extension.

If it helps, my goals are:
1) Heat a 1500 sq ft Cape Cod home, almost open layout
2) Long enough burn for overnight
3) EPA certified
4) Must fit a relatively small masonry fireplace (26"W at back, 37"W at front x 23.8"H x 18.5"D)
5) New or used ok, though the supply of stoves on CL seems to have all but dried up in the SE New England Area over the last 4 weeks.

I'm not picky, right?

Seriously though, the people who are pleased with Englander and the relatively positive review about the Century on this forum has me thinking about these other stoves now. I also tried looking up through past posts but did not come up with much, and my Google-fu has failed me.

If anyone has some suggestions that I should be looking at, I'd love to know. Thanks in advance!

 

[BrotherBart]

The Drolet insert only needs 13 3/8" depth to fit.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200325829_200325829

 

[FyreBug]

The Century & Drolet will fit the bill especially if you are on a budget. There are also a few other small inserts available in the market.

Just be aware that overnight burn time might be difficult for most small stoves and inserts. It depends on how you define burn time. It also depends on the type of wood you use, your draft etc... but on a smaller unit 4 to 6 hours is typical and even longer depending on those variables.

Hope it helps.

 

[orionrogue]

Thanks for the updates. Both the Drolet and Century would just make it, height-wise. Most inserts I've looked at, height clearance has been the issue, not width or depth. If it wasn't for the cost, I could actually fit a Clydesdale in there (now that's a serious stove!)

South of Boston, I have access to some oak and maple in a backwoods marsh behind my property that I'm scrounging. If I had to buy, most around here for sale is hardwood too. There's a lot of pine I could have but I'm not interested in it. So for long burns, it will be the right fuel. I'm just restricted by firebox size I suppose. I wonder if I'm better off holding out for a stove with a larger firebox than either the drolet or century. Any other thought?

 

[Jutt77]

Thanks for the updates. Both the Drolet and Century would just make it, height-wise. Most inserts I've looked at, height clearance has been the issue, not width or depth. If it wasn't for the cost, I could actually fit a Clydesdale in there (now that's a serious stove!)

South of Boston, I have access to some oak and maple in a backwoods marsh behind my property that I'm scrounging. If I had to buy, most around here for sale is hardwood too. There's a lot of pine I could have but I'm not interested in it. So for long burns, it will be the right fuel. I'm just restricted by firebox size I suppose. I wonder if I'm better off holding out for a stove with a larger firebox than either the drolet or century. Any other thought?

So far, I've been waking up to plenty of hot coals and ash after an overnight burn in my CW2500 with a stove temp around 100 degrees. This was by stuffing the crap out of it with as much pine as possible and shutting the damper to the lowest setting. Of course you'll get longer burn times with hardwood. But hot coals and ash dont exactly translate to an instant fire or a warm house in the morning as another poster mentioned.

 

[Stump_Branch]

The Century & Drolet will fit the bill especially if you are on a budget. There are also a few other small inserts available in the market.

Just be aware that overnight burn time might be difficult for most small stoves and inserts. It depends on how you define burn time. It also depends on the type of wood you use, your draft etc... but on a smaller unit 4 to 6 hours is typical and even longer depending on those variables.

Hope it helps.

spot on.

my sister was just in the market for a stove. i turned them away from both of those because of the similarity to mine. the size and shape of the box doesnt lend itself to long burns, even with primo wood. there just isnt much space. now it does put off the heat. if and when im home to keep it loaded it does great. but challenging to get the 8 hours they state, very little coals left by then. i have noticed they preform much better with north / south loading, but maybe that because you can put more wood in the box safely (without fear of a split rolling on the glass)

i will recomend the same thing. try to shop around and find one with a nice ample sized firebox. my sister and her husband ended up getting an englander 30-nc. its about a few hundred bucks more then the ones you mentioned (and mine) and in my opinion better quality. they are doing a hearth mount with the stove.

hope that helps

 

[orionrogue]

try to shop around and find one with a nice ample sized firebox. my sister and her husband ended up getting an englander 30-nc. its about a few hundred bucks more then the ones you mentioned (and mine) and in my opinion better quality. they are doing a hearth mount with the stove.

hope that helps

@Stump_Branch, thank you for the info. I'm thinking that where I need that useful overnight burn (which is also a long day burn, since my MIL is at home watching the lil spawn and I don't want her needing to do much other than add a split or two at most), these inserts might be just shy of what I need. If I could hearth-mount a traditional stove, that would increase my options ten-fold. However, the dimensions of the existing hearth and low fireplace opening height (only 23.8") rules out almost any stove, only inserts. Even some inserts like the 13-NCI don't fit because of that height clearance problem. Hence my dilemma.

Here's the current list that I've considered, though none fit into my budget for this season:

Avalon Rainier 45
Hearthstone Clydesdale
Lopi Revere/Republic 1750i
Lopi Freedom
Osburn 1600
Osburn 2400
Regency H2100
Regency I2400

Every one of them other than the H2100 and the Osburn 1600 will require finesse to get it into the fireplace and make the positive flue connection. But it should be done, somehow. And all have larger fireboxes than the Drolet or the Century. Of course the downside: price.

If anyone thinks that I've missed a possible candidate, I'd love to hear more. Thanks for everyone's responses already.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I have a Pacific Energy Pacific insert (same as the Super) and I don't have a problem getting an overnight burn. I have a fire cranking around 9PM, damp it down and then 6AM in the morning throw a couple splits on it and it lights up within a minute or so. My fireplace was around your size and it fits fine.

 

[EJL923]

Ive been thinking about upgrading my Jotul C550 Rockland, but i wouldnt be interested in selling it until the winter is over. It throws a ton of heat, but i undersized it for my house. The specs say 1800 sq ft, my house is 2300 sq ft. When i bought it, i thought that the layout of my house wouldnt allow heat to escape upstairs, and i was completely wrong. A 1500 sq ft house sounds perfect for my stove. What a lot of people dont discuss about burn times is the stoves capacity to heat your home. I keep a pretty good bed of coals so i am loading every 3-4 hours. No, i havent overfired, just keeping a nice hot fire. In fact, i think its about impossible to overfire an insert due to the blowers keeping the exterior cool. This keeps the downstairs about 66-67 and upstairs about 63 when the weather is in the 20's. Insulation is so-so I also have a ton of draft which shortens the burn a little. With a 1500 sq ft house, i would suspect much longer burns which depend on usable heat and a temps of 72+.
If you are looking a for a stove for this winter, then this post is moot. But if you dont have a timeline, we can discuss buying after the season. I havent thought about price or anything like that. Its a beautiful stove, i just sized it incorrectly. With my 2300 sq ft house, i only used a 1/2 tank of oil last season and a little over 4 cords of wood.

 

[wood-fan-atic]

Drolet is made by SBI.....who also manufacture Osburn, Flame and Enerzone. Both Flame and Enerzone make a relatively inexpensive insert with a 2.3 cu.ft. firebox that would fit in your fireplace. Go to their websites and check out the specs. I have the Flame 2.3 (its called the 1.9-I) , and after some tweeking and 'getting-to-know-you-' time, shes heating up a 2 story 1400 sq.ft. ranch on Long Island nicely.

 

[Stump_Branch]

try to shop around and find one with a nice ample sized firebox. my sister and her husband ended up getting an englander 30-nc. its about a few hundred bucks more then the ones you mentioned (and mine) and in my opinion better quality. they are doing a hearth mount with the stove.

hope that helps

@Stump_Branch, thank you for the info. I'm thinking that where I need that useful overnight burn (which is also a long day burn, since my MIL is at home watching the lil spawn and I don't want her needing to do much other than add a split or two at most), these inserts might be just shy of what I need. If I could hearth-mount a traditional stove, that would increase my options ten-fold. However, the dimensions of the existing hearth and low fireplace opening height (only 23.8") rules out almost any stove, only inserts. Even some inserts like the 13-NCI don't fit because of that height clearance problem. Hence my dilemma.

Here's the current list that I've considered, though none fit into my budget for this season:

Avalon Rainier 45
Hearthstone Clydesdale
Lopi Revere/Republic 1750i
Lopi Freedom
Osburn 1600
Osburn 2400
Regency H2100
Regency I2400

Every one of them other than the H2100 and the Osburn 1600 will require finesse to get it into the fireplace and make the positive flue connection. But it should be done, somehow. And all have larger fireboxes than the Drolet or the Century. Of course the downside: price.

If anyone thinks that I've missed a possible candidate, I'd love to hear more. Thanks for everyone's responses already.

My comment on the 30nc was about they were able to do a hearth mount, (it does come as an insert) kinda a close to the story.
Im sorry to hear about the low fireplace. are you able to remove some of that at all? maybe gain some height? if not start a stove fund and save for a good one. (the ones you listed are nice stoves so we can see your doing your research well!)

if not My only suggestion is that you try and find the largest firebox you can for the money with out having to sacrafice so much quality. sounds like you want this thing to cruise for some time, only real way to make that happen is a sizable box. just my expirence

good luck

 

[mellow]

I am on my 2nd season with the SBI Flame XTD 1.5. It is the about the same as the Drolet that was posted earlier. It should fit in your space with no problem. I get about 4 hours of useful heat out it per load with oak. I stuff it at 10pm and have plenty of hot coals for an easy reload at 8am. I am heating about 800 sq ft of my 2 story 1200 sq ft poorly insulated home with it.

 

[KarlP]

Ive been thinking about upgrading my Jotul C550 Rockland... This keeps the downstairs about 66-67 and upstairs about 63 when the weather is in the 20's.

Have you considered adding a second stove elsewhere in the house? I just installed a C550 (rated 65k BTU) in my fireplace because it was the right physical size for my fireplace in the coldest room of the house. Its way overkill for my heating needs because I've got a VC Madison (rated 40k BTU) at the other end of the 2000sqft house in the room at the bottom of the stairway to the 2nd floor. I can easily overheat the house with either when the temp is in the 30s. Even with pretty poor insulation (repainting rooms over the years has first involved removing the sheetrock and reinsulating), both should be enough for me at any temperature likely to be found in MA.

 

[jjs777_fzr]

Installed the Century insert in my parents house (Winthrop) and they are quite happy with it so far. They are mixing the loads with splits and a biobrick or two and its heating their ranch style house quite nicely.
The smallish firebox is actually quite nice where you don't go through your wood pile as fast.
I personally don't think you can beat the price - paid $749 and $100 for the surround plus $300 for ss liner kit.
Prior to this insert I had installed a Upland Model 17 so they've been burning wood consistently since this cold season started.
Best of all - they are still on their tank of oil they bought in June - which they can't believe.
My parents are retired and on limited income - their rediscovery of wood is as close to the parting of the red sea as one can get.
It's about 21F now and the stove is keeping two average size bedrooms, a living room, dining room and kitchen warm and cozy.
The house is an uninsulated ranch built in 1930 (well the attic has insulation but not the walls).

 

[kingquad]

try to shop around and find one with a nice ample sized firebox. my sister and her husband ended up getting an englander 30-nc. its about a few hundred bucks more then the ones you mentioned (and mine) and in my opinion better quality. they are doing a hearth mount with the stove.

hope that helps

@Stump_Branch, thank you for the info. I'm thinking that where I need that useful overnight burn (which is also a long day burn, since my MIL is at home watching the lil spawn and I don't want her needing to do much other than add a split or two at most), these inserts might be just shy of what I need. If I could hearth-mount a traditional stove, that would increase my options ten-fold. However, the dimensions of the existing hearth and low fireplace opening height (only 23.8") rules out almost any stove, only inserts. Even some inserts like the 13-NCI don't fit because of that height clearance problem. Hence my dilemma.

Here's the current list that I've considered, though none fit into my budget for this season:

Avalon Rainier 45
Hearthstone Clydesdale
Lopi Revere/Republic 1750i
Lopi Freedom
Osburn 1600
Osburn 2400
Regency H2100
Regency I2400

Every one of them other than the H2100 and the Osburn 1600 will require finesse to get it into the fireplace and make the positive flue connection. But it should be done, somehow. And all have larger fireboxes than the Drolet or the Century. Of course the downside: price.

If anyone thinks that I've missed a possible candidate, I'd love to hear more. Thanks for everyone's responses already.

What is your budget?