This is my first post on this website although I am no stranger to inserts, both wood burning and gas. Over the years and in different homes I've had seven of them installed - all Travis. In my current home, built in 1796, I have a Lopi Cape Cod wood insert downstairs and a Travis gas unit upstairs (common chimney, two liners).
Anyway, I have purchased a vacation home in the Pocono mountains in the northern part of the state and for the first time I find myself dealing with a zero clearance Marco fireplace installed as an original installation in 1991. I've had to pop rivet the hinges on the glass doors and the blower isn't worth much compared to the Lopi here or in my last home, or for that matter the Lopi that I had in a previous home in the Poconos that I am selling.
I want to get rid of the thing and replace it. The problem is that the builder of the home had a really good stonemason build a very well constructed interior stone wall around the face of the zero clearance insert. I'm not worried about the chase which is rotten at the bottom anyway and needs to be replaced, at least a lot of it. I bought the house as a fixer upper and I'm willing to spend some cash to get what I want. The problem is that I'm working with a Marco unit that by the installation manual is supposed to have a face that is 37 & 3/16" high and 41" wide. By actual measurement I have 33 & 1/2" high and 43 & 3/8" exposed face including a generous application of cement all around the face.
I've been spending time looking all over the internet trying to find a zero clearance that will fit. The Fireplace Xtrodinaire 42" Apex has a 33" X 38" face that is too narrow and a really snug fit height wise. One installer is trying to steer me to a Ventis HE250R which appears to be way too tall at 40 & 5/8" X 36 & 3/4". Besides, I never heard of Ventis.
I think that I have a solution with the Heat N Glo Pioneer II which has a 31 & 3/8" X 33 & 1/4 face. I'll have gaps on the sides which I can fill with 1/4" sheet aluminum painted black. This is no big deal since I had to have custom surrounds made for the installations in my 1796 house.
I'm looking for opinions on the Heat N Glo Pioneer II and I'm open to suggestions with respect to other manufacturers to check out. Also, Travis makes a BIG deal of their $3000.00 tax credit while I can't find it even mentioned on the Heat N Glo website. Is it for real?
![[Hearth.com] Replacing A Marco Zero Clearance Fireplace](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/screenshotfireplace-close-up-webp.336773/ "[Hearth.com] Replacing A Marco Zero Clearance Fireplace")
Anyway, I have purchased a vacation home in the Pocono mountains in the northern part of the state and for the first time I find myself dealing with a zero clearance Marco fireplace installed as an original installation in 1991. I've had to pop rivet the hinges on the glass doors and the blower isn't worth much compared to the Lopi here or in my last home, or for that matter the Lopi that I had in a previous home in the Poconos that I am selling.
I want to get rid of the thing and replace it. The problem is that the builder of the home had a really good stonemason build a very well constructed interior stone wall around the face of the zero clearance insert. I'm not worried about the chase which is rotten at the bottom anyway and needs to be replaced, at least a lot of it. I bought the house as a fixer upper and I'm willing to spend some cash to get what I want. The problem is that I'm working with a Marco unit that by the installation manual is supposed to have a face that is 37 & 3/16" high and 41" wide. By actual measurement I have 33 & 1/2" high and 43 & 3/8" exposed face including a generous application of cement all around the face.
I've been spending time looking all over the internet trying to find a zero clearance that will fit. The Fireplace Xtrodinaire 42" Apex has a 33" X 38" face that is too narrow and a really snug fit height wise. One installer is trying to steer me to a Ventis HE250R which appears to be way too tall at 40 & 5/8" X 36 & 3/4". Besides, I never heard of Ventis.
I think that I have a solution with the Heat N Glo Pioneer II which has a 31 & 3/8" X 33 & 1/4 face. I'll have gaps on the sides which I can fill with 1/4" sheet aluminum painted black. This is no big deal since I had to have custom surrounds made for the installations in my 1796 house.
I'm looking for opinions on the Heat N Glo Pioneer II and I'm open to suggestions with respect to other manufacturers to check out. Also, Travis makes a BIG deal of their $3000.00 tax credit while I can't find it even mentioned on the Heat N Glo website. Is it for real?