New Wood Burning Guy - Insert Suggestions and Ideas

[USMC80]

Oh man, now you're speaking my language. Walking Dead on Sunday nights with beer and a blazing inferno in my Oz. Those are some of my favorite moments. Glad you're enjoying your new insert. Cheers!

That's pretty much my sunday nights

 

[raybonz]

I’m very happy with my stove – granted, I plan on insulating around the stove inside the fireplace hearth, behind the front faceplate, as well as creating a new block-off plate that is better than the one we have now.
All in all, this stove cooks us out of the upstairs.. It was cold the other night and I had to turn the ceiling fan on high upstairs because it was so darn hot!

Besides that, I can get 2 smaller, and 2 good sized logs in there, get the damper down near closed, and get 8 hour burn times.

As for the heat shield, I didn’t get one. My stove sticks out further than my TV and with this stove design, it doesn’t allow the heat to travel straight up with the heat shields that are already in place. It more a less radiates straight out and to the sides!

Pretty amazed how you progressed from no stove and no wood to an installed insert and seasoned wood! This has to be the fastest I have ever seen this pulled off! Great work and you did it right too.. Keep us posted Jeff..

Ray

 

[fireberd350]

Jeff,

Great story, thanks for posting progress along the way. I live in SE PA and have a split level and am looking to put an insert in the same spot as you. This thread was very relevant for me I'm curious how you made out last winter seeing as it was one of the coldest, worst winters I can recall. My brother in law put the smaller Century in his house last year and it has paid for itself almost in one winter, it works in impressive fashion and can't beat the price. I'm leaning towards the bigger model you chose for the longer burns.

 

[JeffStinson]

Jeff,

Great story, thanks for posting progress along the way. I live in SE PA and have a split level and am looking to put an insert in the same spot as you. This thread was very relevant for me I'm curious how you made out last winter seeing as it was one of the coldest, worst winters I can recall. My brother in law put the smaller Century in his house last year and it has paid for itself almost in one winter, it works in impressive fashion and can't beat the price. I'm leaning towards the bigger model you chose for the longer burns.

I actually had a great season with it. I have also since added a new 14 seer heat pump unit to the home, so I will be using both the insert and efficient heat-pump to help maintain a better temperature.

As for last season, i burned 2 seasoned cords, and 1 and 1/2 of semi-seasoned cord wood, with ZERO oil burned.

Did i have some cold moments, certainly, but if you consider i spent about $600 on wood and only 1600 on the stove & liner/accessories, plus the $300 tax credit i got back, i would say it was wise investment to now supplement with my efficient heat pump!

As for the heating, if i got the stove going, it would definitely keep us toasty.

On the cold nights I would get up around 3am and load her back up, and it was still mid-70's in our house when i woke up.

Coldest night was around zero-4 degrees with the windchill, and even with a bead of coals in the am, the house never got below 55 degrees.
I would say that the stove definitely kept us warm - I did have to put our bedroom ceiling fan on to keep us from sweating too! lol