Wood stove insert recommendation - flush front

[AlexainMD]

Hi everyone!

We have an existing masonry fireplace that we’ve used in previous years, but have been told we need to fix the lining and the chimney or install a wood stove insert (and still fix the chimney). We’ve never considered a wood stove insert before, so I’m deep in the world of trying to find out more about them.

The chimney company we expect to use is recommending the Regency i2450 - I know it’s a good company, but they’re also recommending it because they mainly install Regency. The problem is, we hate the footprint - we have an 18” hearth and aren’t interested in extending the hearth significantly and definitely don’t want the whole thing to be jutting out from the bricks by many inches. Ideally, we’d like something flush - I’ve seen the term “zero clearance” and although it’s not the same thing (based on my limited knowledge), the concept and the look is what we want. Big viewing area is important - that’s part of the aesthetic we don’t want to lose out on by moving from the masonry fireplace.

We want something that has a fan/blower that does not HAVE to be on (or that we can turn off when we’re watching a movie or something if it’s a little noisy) so we can use it even if the power goes out. This would not be the main heating for the house, either - the fireplace is in a bonus room off to the side and there are no rooms above, but it is the room we spend the most time in and it’s pretty chilly. I’d say it’s about 500

The fireplace measures about 40” wide x 29” high x 22” deep. We do not have an electrical plug in the fireplace, so any plug would connect to the wall to the side of the fireplace. I lost a house to a house fire growing up, so I’m hyper aware of / concerned about the potential for fire hazards.

We do not anticipate leaving it to burn all night - too nervous about unattended fires. I intend to have someone service it annually and I’ll do some maintenance, but I’d prefer something simpler, so probably non-cat?

Our neighbor has a BIS Última and recommended that, but it’s not manufactured anymore because it doesn’t meet EPA standards. I did like the look of it.

Any suggestions? Price wise, we’re open to midrange - quality is more important. I’m just overwhelmed with options and hoping to narrow it down.

Thank you! Pictures of existing fireplace included. Don’t @ me about that brass face - it came with the house and we’re excited to dump it!

 

[begreen]

The BIS Última is a zero-clearance fireplace, not an insert.
For Regency inserts, the ci2700, i1500, and i3000 are flush inserts. A Lopi Medium or Large Flush insert is also worth considering.

Wood Fireplace Inserts | Regency Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts

Seal drafty open fireplaces while maintaining the ambiance created by a real wood burning fire with Regency wood fireplace inserts

www.regency-fire.com

 

[AlexainMD]

That's very helpful, thank you! Every time I search, I see Osburn as an option as well. Is that worth considering, too?

 

[begreen]

Yes, Osburn and Pacific Energy also make flush inserts.

 

[AlexainMD]

Do you recommend one brand over another? Sorry for all the questions!

 

[begreen]

They each have their strengths. In non-cat, the Osburn Matrix 2700 or the PE Neo 2.5 are both good stove. I like the Lopis in hybrid inserts.

 

[FPX Dude]

Glad you have electricity in the box so you won't have ugly wires laying in front and can have it installed nice and clean. As for the blower, interesting that you mention the noise, yes was my concern too as those squirrel cages would just drive me nuts, ha pun intended , so check out your options for a remotely located one.

 

[AlexainMD]

Glad you have electricity in the box so you won't have ugly wires laying in front and can have it installed nice and clean. As for the blower, interesting that you mention the noise, yes was my concern too as those squirrel cages would just drive me nuts, ha pun intended , so check out your options for a remotely located one.

I didn't even know they could be remotely located -- thank you for that tidbit! Which one did you end up choosing?

 

[bholler]

I didn't even know they could be remotely located -- thank you for that tidbit! Which one did you end up choosing?

They cannot be remotely located for an insert there is no where else for them to be

 

[AlexainMD]

They cannot be remotely located for an insert there is no where else for them to be

Aha. That makes sense. Oddly enough, there is another dimension to all of this.

We have 2 fireplaces on the first floor, and one freestanding woodburning stove in the basement that I've never used. The 8" flue for the woodstove goes up the masonry chimney that is connected to the masonry fireplace we have never used. We spend a lot of time in one larger room that is ALWAYS cold - we encapsulated the crawl space underneath, but that hasn't done much. But we have to keep it shut (because pets), which is why I've been on the fence about putting an insert in, since it wouldn't be of much use to the rest of the house.

Both chimneys have cracks and need repairs, but it's too expensive to fix both, so we've opted to focus on the one for the room we use (plus, fixing the other won't help how cold this room is, since we have to keep it shut). This means we have 2 choices:

• Put in a flush wood insert, but figure out how to have it only burn for 5-6 hours (when we're home in the evening and before we go to bed)
• Fix the masonry fireplace (with stainless steel and new terracotta lining inside the chimney) and figure out if there are some kind of better doors that can help distribute at least some warm air into the room. We do have a vent we can open in the floor of the firebox to help draw air in (at least, that's my understanding of what that's for)

Some pictures - the second fireplace that we don't use, the freestanding Hearthstone I woodstove that we also don't use (and the guy who assessed our chimneys says I can't use it because to fix its liner would require too much space in the existing chimney -- 10" instead of 9.5"); the chimney attached to the fireplace we do use, and the chimney attached to both the fireplace we don't use and the freestanding woodstove.

This is such a mess in my brain that I'm not sure what to do, but we've hated not even having the ambiance of a fire so far this year, so I want to make a decision soon.

 

[spudman99]

Don't be so quick to rule out 12 hour burns for fear of worry. These stoves are engineered, manufactured and texted by high level professionals. They can and are safe for extended burns without fear of fire (so long as they are operated correctly). One advantage of a constant burn is that you need not go thru a start up procedure all the time, saving kindling, paper, time and potential smoke backfeed.

In my case I load my blaze king at 8am and it burns easily for 12 hours. Reload at 8pm when we are watching tv. Rinse and repeat each day. Constant low heat helps keep the heat pump from running and the family room is warm whenever I am there.

 

[uforia]

I have a Lopi large insert and love it! My masonry fireplace had a HUGE opening hence the large steel plate (which is only draw back) but this unit is simple to operate, looks great, has a large glass door for viewing fire and is non Cat although i am hearing the new ones come with a Cat. Mine is from 2021. I am enclosing a picture.....

 

[begreen]

The 8" flue for the woodstove goes up the masonry chimney that is connected to the masonry fireplace we have never used.

If the stove is sharing a chimney liner with a fireplace, that is against code. Would replacing the Hearthstone I with a modern stove requiring a 6" liner be a solution?