looking for insert, Fireplace is too large

[kingquad]

With 2500 sqft, I'd take a look at the new woodstock stove. Firebox is much bigger than the Heritage. The introductory price is very good too. Also, if you send woodstock a pic of your hearth or of the heritage your looking at, they can make you a stove that will match it. 6 month guarantee too.

 

[begreen]

My understanding it that the Heritage is better run as a side-loading stove. Do you intend to install the stove in front of the fp opening or in the fp? Can the Mansfield fit?

If the stove is going to be recessed in the fireplace opening, then yes, you'll want a blower. The more the stove can stick out of the opening the better it can naturally convect. But with the cathedral ceiling the heat is going to rise to the peak and stay there. A ceiling fan or two would help break up this heat stratification. In the winter, run it in reverse, blowing upward.

Another stove you might want to look at is the new Progress Hybrid stove by Woodstock, though that is also a side-loader.

 

[Dix]

I talked the wife into a wood stove. Now to find one that we like. We like the Hearthstone Heritage, but I'm open to any ideas....I like the heritage because I saw one that basically "matches" the stone on the fireplace. Do I need a blower with the stove? I'm pretty handy, Is it fairly easy to install myself? Thaks for all your help.

Yeah ! And here I was ready to say wood stove, too

 

[smitty79]

I plan on having only a couple inches of the stove inside the fireplace, and a front loading stove would be my first choice. I'm already working on the ceiling fan issue...

 

[begreen]

Check out the Mansfield for size then. It's a front loader with a nice big fire view and a workhorse. It would look great in there if it fits.

Width = 27" Height = 27" without the flue collar (31" to the top of the flue collar), Depth = 29"

In order to get the liner attached, it may be necessary to have the stove about 1/3 into the firebox. I would definitely install the liner with a block off plate set as low as possible to reduce heat trapping in the upper part of the fire place opening. The location will be easier to determine if you can post some close up shots of the fireplace and the damper area with the doors removed.

 

[smitty79]

pics

 

[VCBurner]

What about an Equinox?

 

[smitty79]

I BARELY talked my wife into a woodstove at all, The Equinox is way too big for her. Besides, I need to acually sit in this room. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm thinking a stove that large would make the room that it is in uncomfortably hot.

 

[begreen]

pics

Great, that helps. See the metal lintel? If a blockoff plate can be installed at that level it would be most effective.

Agreed that the Equinox would be overkill. I think the Mansfield is about right if it is a good fit and has wife approval.

 

[tickbitty]

Here's a few curved top fireplaces from folks at hearth.com... some of these are stoves and some are inserts (without the surrounds, but you could also put a surround on it and get the surround cut to set just inside your rounded opening.)

that's drdoct's setup.
(broken image removed)that's redguy's setup
(broken image removed)

(broken image removed)
random pics I found on the internet

Personally, I think a Jotul would look gorgeous in there. A white enameled one, or just a grey/black if you don't want it to attract attention.

 

[smitty79]

Thanks guys, What diameter liner am I going to need? If I put in a blockoff plate, I'm assuming I won't need a blower even if the stove is 1/3 into the fireplace. Right? I haven't measured it yet, but it looks like the damper isn't very large. Does the round liner need to fit through there? Any tips are appreciated, or if you can point me in the right direction here in the Forum....
Thanks again.

 

[begreen]

So far you are looking at a 6" liner. That damper throat does look narrow. Can you take a measurement. Some companies like duravent, make an oval to round section to fit through narrow damper throats.

As for the blower, I think you may want one, but there is no harm in trying it without it and seeing how well it works. It can be added later if you come to the conclusion it would be beneficial.

 

[VCBurner]

I BARELY talked my wife into a woodstove at all, The Equinox is way too big for her. Besides, I need to acually sit in this room. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm thinking a stove that large would make the room that it is in uncomfortably hot.

Well, a soapstone stove, no matter the size will have softer heat than any other large cast iron or steel stove. The house is 2500 sq ft and with that huge room and tall ceiling it's more like over 3000 sq ft you're trying to heat. So what I'm trying to say is you need something with some major heating power. Most stove specs are based on average temperatures, you see a whole lot of Winter days in NH with below average temperatures. Any stove rated to heat 2000 sq ft will struggle to heat your house out of that big room. In my opinion, that is a perfect setting for an Equinox. I've never owned a soapstone stove, I came close to buying a Hearthstone. I went to look at it, the thing had some wonderful heat coming off the stone, 12 hours after the last load went in! I didn't buy it because it was an older cat model and the parts were hard to come by. I was really tempted though.

(broken link removed to http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/wood-stoves/stove-details?product_id=1#stove_information)

 

[tickbitty]

Yeah that will look nice if the stone matches
(broken image removed)
fun with photoshop

 

[begreen]

Any stove rated to heat 2000 sq ft will struggle to heat your house out of that big room. In my opinion, that is a perfect setting for an Equinox.

The Mansfield at 3.2 cu ft is a big stove and it has a 6" flue collar. The Equinox is 8". I wouldn't want to try and thread an 8" liner past that narrow damper throat.

 

[BrowningBAR]

My understanding it that the Heritage is better run as a side-loading stove.

This is true. The stove is quite messy when used as a front loader.

 

[smitty79]

Nice work with the photoshop Tickbitty, The wife is really going to like that. Is that the Heritage?

I measured the throat, it's 5 1/2", but there is a bracket right in the center of it that sticks out about 2". I think I'll have to offset the Liner somehow or route it around the bracket.

My goal isn't to heat the entire house with the woodstove. We spend most of our time in the room that the stove will be in. It's not worth it to me to be sweating in that room just to be able to heat the entire house. I think the Equinox is too much stove for me.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Nice work with the photoshop Tickbitty, The wife is really going to like that. Is that the Heritage?

I measured the throat, it's 5 1/2", but there is a bracket right in the center of it that sticks out about 2". I think I'll have to offset the Liner somehow or route it around the bracket.

My goal isn't to heat the entire house with the woodstove. We spend most of our time in the room that the stove will be in. It's not worth it to me to be sweating in that room just to be able to heat the entire house. I think the Equinox is too much stove for me.

That's the Mansfield.

 

[VCBurner]

What ever you end up with, it'll look great in that setting!

 

[dafattkidd]

What ever you end up with, it'll look great in that setting!

That's what I was thinking exactly. A white enamel stand alone with a large firebox sitting in that beautiful fireplace would look incredible. Well, good luck with it. It's good that your wife ok'd the woodstove. We were all looking at that fireplace and thinking it's the perfect candidate for that of set up. I can appreciate you being sensitive to your wife's opinion on this issue. That is wise of you.

 

[Soundchasm]

Just for aesthetics, a nice fresh coat of black paint in the void will really dress that up and put the focus on the stove. It might make the fireplace disappear.

Are there any recommended brands of paint for such a job concerning temps and flammability?
Thanks,
Greg

 

[jeromehdmc]

Don't worry about cooking yourself out of the room. I was worried about the same thing, but leave it up to the fine folks here I learned something. You just put a fan in the outer parts of the house and blow the cool air to the hot room. Works great. Also convection stoves give you nice even heat not the run you out the room heat like some of the older stoves.

 

[smitty79]

Wow, just went to a local stove shop, the Mansfield is a little more money than I expected. Everything came to about $4,000 if I install it. Do these numbers look reasonable?

 

[BrowningBAR]

Wow, just went to a local stove shop, the Mansfield is a little more money than I expected. Everything came to about $4,000 if I install it. Do these numbers look reasonable?

That's a great price on the Mansfield. Usually starts at $3400 for the matte black.

 

[tickbitty]

What ever you end up with, it'll look great in that setting!

That's what I was thinking exactly. A white enamel stand alone with a large firebox sitting in that beautiful fireplace would look incredible. Well, good luck with it. It's good that your wife ok'd the woodstove. We were all looking at that fireplace and thinking it's the perfect candidate for that of set up. I can appreciate you being sensitive to your wife's opinion on this issue. That is wise of you.

Yeah that's what I was thinking too... maybe another photoshop? LOL.