New guy here, I’m suffering from information overload….just want to check my conclusions and get some feedback on some specific questions.
I grew up with a wood stove in the house back in the 70’s and my dad still heats with his original Nasau installed in the corner of the living room. I built a house about 10 years ago but didn’t install one since energy was cheaper then and I have a busy profession.
I did some research summer before last (see my join date) on installing a fireplace insert but the math then showed the payback to be about 5 years if I remember correctly since I was looking at about $5K for an installed cost. But with increased energy prices plus the $1500 tax rebate this year I’m looking at this again.
Below is a key plan of the house, it’s pretty big, almost 3500 square feet not including the basement, which is another 1800, there’s also a stand up attic that’s not shown and is just used for storage and is closed off, that’s another 800, 9 foot ceiling throughout the house even in the basement. It’s a fairly open plan with no walls between the family room, sun room or kitchen….living room and dining room also open but not used much. Air flow to the second floor should be good since the foyer is open to the second floor and there’s a second back stair case to the second floor just to the side of the fireplace in the family room. There are masonry fireplaces in the family room and in the basement (one on top of the other and the one in the basement has never been used). There is also a gas fireplace in the master suite. There are ceiling fans in the family room, the sun room, and in the master suite upstairs. There are lots of windows and not just in the sun room (wife went a little crazy and almost every wall on the first floor has windows). Current heat is 2 zone heat pump with gas backup (2nd floor one zone, first floor and basement on another zone (with thermostat on the first floor). Air flow and or exchange between the basement and the rest of the house seem to be restrictive since it’s only by way of a stair case with a 90 degree turn.
Wood supply is no problem; I live on 12 acres, 10 of which are wooded and from what I remember from previous research that’s large enough for it to provide a sustainable wood supply.
Given the size of the house I was looking at a Quadra-Fire 5100i or Napoleon 1402 placed in the family room (pic below to show brick mass, it goes all the way to the ceiling and the fireplace in the basement does the same)…….any other recommendations brands and models?
My wife has argued for placing the insert in the basement and leaving the family room as a regular fireplace (she likes the atmosphere). While that would be fine for the basement I don’t think it would do much for the rest of the house. My plan was to just install in the family room and let it do as much for the first and second floor as it can.
My worry is about the basement, it’s on the same zone as the first floor. With an insert heating the first floor and the thermostat on the first floor I see it getting cold down there and since I telecommute from home a lot I spend a lot of time down there. When I had priced an insert the year before last the salesman was trying to sell me on a second smaller insert for the basement since I spent so much time down there…thoughts anyone?
But if I pop for two can I use the tax rebate twice?
I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan and not back for a few more months, wasn't really planning on buying and installing until after the winter is over and I'm back.....my reasoning being that during the off season I should get better prices....thoughts on that?
I grew up with a wood stove in the house back in the 70’s and my dad still heats with his original Nasau installed in the corner of the living room. I built a house about 10 years ago but didn’t install one since energy was cheaper then and I have a busy profession.
I did some research summer before last (see my join date) on installing a fireplace insert but the math then showed the payback to be about 5 years if I remember correctly since I was looking at about $5K for an installed cost. But with increased energy prices plus the $1500 tax rebate this year I’m looking at this again.
Below is a key plan of the house, it’s pretty big, almost 3500 square feet not including the basement, which is another 1800, there’s also a stand up attic that’s not shown and is just used for storage and is closed off, that’s another 800, 9 foot ceiling throughout the house even in the basement. It’s a fairly open plan with no walls between the family room, sun room or kitchen….living room and dining room also open but not used much. Air flow to the second floor should be good since the foyer is open to the second floor and there’s a second back stair case to the second floor just to the side of the fireplace in the family room. There are masonry fireplaces in the family room and in the basement (one on top of the other and the one in the basement has never been used). There is also a gas fireplace in the master suite. There are ceiling fans in the family room, the sun room, and in the master suite upstairs. There are lots of windows and not just in the sun room (wife went a little crazy and almost every wall on the first floor has windows). Current heat is 2 zone heat pump with gas backup (2nd floor one zone, first floor and basement on another zone (with thermostat on the first floor). Air flow and or exchange between the basement and the rest of the house seem to be restrictive since it’s only by way of a stair case with a 90 degree turn.
Wood supply is no problem; I live on 12 acres, 10 of which are wooded and from what I remember from previous research that’s large enough for it to provide a sustainable wood supply.
Given the size of the house I was looking at a Quadra-Fire 5100i or Napoleon 1402 placed in the family room (pic below to show brick mass, it goes all the way to the ceiling and the fireplace in the basement does the same)…….any other recommendations brands and models?
My wife has argued for placing the insert in the basement and leaving the family room as a regular fireplace (she likes the atmosphere). While that would be fine for the basement I don’t think it would do much for the rest of the house. My plan was to just install in the family room and let it do as much for the first and second floor as it can.
My worry is about the basement, it’s on the same zone as the first floor. With an insert heating the first floor and the thermostat on the first floor I see it getting cold down there and since I telecommute from home a lot I spend a lot of time down there. When I had priced an insert the year before last the salesman was trying to sell me on a second smaller insert for the basement since I spent so much time down there…thoughts anyone?
But if I pop for two can I use the tax rebate twice?
I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan and not back for a few more months, wasn't really planning on buying and installing until after the winter is over and I'm back.....my reasoning being that during the off season I should get better prices....thoughts on that?