Hi - I have narrowed down my search for a high-efficiency fireplace to these 2 units and I have some questions that I hope someone can clear up for me:
Sequoia:
1) if I am going to use the outside air kit, must both sides be used? is this because of some symmetry issue with the burning?
2) how can this be a high-efficiency unit if the air kits are optional?
3) the triple wall air-cooled pipe will spend about 20 of its 25' inside the house. the unit will be installed on an interior wall. i am in the Catskill Mtn's of NY which gets cold. will there be a draft issue? there will be some bends in the chimney. and i read in some posts that when the unit is not used, people can feel the cold air coming out of the unit. sometimes this is ascribed to a poorly insulated chase
4) since the unit does not have a gravity vent kit option, can i make use of the heated airspace above the unit for some sort of venting into another room? hard to believe that this space will not be warm enough to do this, but maybe its when the fireplace is not working this becomes a bad idea.
5) since this is an interior install, do i need to insulate the interior chase anyway?
6) does the unit put out enough heat?
7) what are the quality issues with VC and these units. I read about the recal, but assuming the unit i get is fixed, what other issues have people had? poor service, long part replacement times, or has the unit not functioned properly and it takes forever to figure it out?
BIS Tradition:
1) if i go with the air-cooled pipe, will i get the same issue as question 3 and 4 of the VC?
2) the efficiency of the unit is 63%, other high-efficiency units are in the mid 70's. why is this lower?
3) how do people like this unit?
Thx for giving this some thought. -Yurij
Sequoia:
1) if I am going to use the outside air kit, must both sides be used? is this because of some symmetry issue with the burning?
2) how can this be a high-efficiency unit if the air kits are optional?
3) the triple wall air-cooled pipe will spend about 20 of its 25' inside the house. the unit will be installed on an interior wall. i am in the Catskill Mtn's of NY which gets cold. will there be a draft issue? there will be some bends in the chimney. and i read in some posts that when the unit is not used, people can feel the cold air coming out of the unit. sometimes this is ascribed to a poorly insulated chase
4) since the unit does not have a gravity vent kit option, can i make use of the heated airspace above the unit for some sort of venting into another room? hard to believe that this space will not be warm enough to do this, but maybe its when the fireplace is not working this becomes a bad idea.
5) since this is an interior install, do i need to insulate the interior chase anyway?
6) does the unit put out enough heat?
7) what are the quality issues with VC and these units. I read about the recal, but assuming the unit i get is fixed, what other issues have people had? poor service, long part replacement times, or has the unit not functioned properly and it takes forever to figure it out?
BIS Tradition:
1) if i go with the air-cooled pipe, will i get the same issue as question 3 and 4 of the VC?
2) the efficiency of the unit is 63%, other high-efficiency units are in the mid 70's. why is this lower?
3) how do people like this unit?
Thx for giving this some thought. -Yurij
