Advice on Purchasing a Wood Burning Fireplace Insert
 

Greetings

Wife is interested on getting a wood burning insert for the fireplace.
We're regular users of our fireplace and easily keep a supply of
inexpensive hardwoods around and, with upcoming increases in electricity
costs around here, thought is was about time that we sunk the $4-5K into a
wood burning insert.

We've been looking at the following brands:

Regency, Jotel, Napoleon, and QuadraFire

Costs look like they fall into the following three categories:

* the insert
* fixing up the flue
* labor for installation

We would be immensely grateful to hear any advice and experiences folks
have had regarding the various insert brands, dealers, service, and
performance of individual units.

Also, FWIW, we live near Baltimore.

TIA.

Regards,

Dr. Webb

Advice on Purchasing a Wood Burning Fireplace Insert
 

Dr Webb wrote:
Greetings

Wife is interested on getting a wood burning insert for the
fireplace. We're regular users of our fireplace and easily keep a
supply of inexpensive hardwoods around and, with upcoming increases
in electricity costs around here, thought is was about time that we
sunk the $4-5K into a wood burning insert.

We've been looking at the following brands:

Regency, Jotel, Napoleon, and QuadraFire

Costs look like they fall into the following three categories:

* the insert
* fixing up the flue
* labor for installation

We would be immensely grateful to hear any advice and experiences
folks have had regarding the various insert brands, dealers,
service, and performance of individual units.

No advice & I don't recall the brand of ours (not a cheapo) but the
cost - installed - was $600 10 years ago. There was no real
"installation" as the house was being built...set the insert on
concrete blocks, hook up to pipe in chimney chase, put cap on top of
chase. Gas guy installed valve for the gas for the starter.

--

dadiOH
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Advice on Purchasing a Wood Burning Fireplace Insert
 

Dr Webb
Since your goal is to save money on heat and you mention your concern
on electrical prices...I have to assume your home is now heated by
electrical heat. Is that correct?

Well, if your goal is to save heat and therefore save money I would
probubly point you in an entirely different direction. First of all
stop using the fireplace for heat. Due to the stack effect in your
home and the draw of combustion and rising air from the fire you are
loosing more heat than you are creating. Fireplaces are notoriously
inefficient. The Department of Energy estimates using a fireplace
raises your heat energy costs by 10% on average. The best thing you
can do is plug the flue with a chimney balloon and look for other
options.

Your other installed option, electric heat, is the second most
inefficient type of standard heating. So i would also stear you from
using that.

You could go with a fireplace insert and have the hassle of consuming
wood, the maintenance of maintaining a clean flue and chimney, the
constant feeding of the fire and the increased home insurance rates.
With this option you can get an average 60% efficiency for your
labors.

Or, you could go a more traditional route by appling your money to a
direct vent gas furnace and ducting that will give you a 90%
effieciency. Granted this may cost you more since duct work has to be
laid, but it will be less laborous and costly than any other option in
the long run. You wont need a chimney either since it can be vented
easily throughthe side of the house in a minimally invasive way.

I considered the very question you were pondering about 4 years ago
when i had an aged furnace and an open fireplace. I decided to plug
the fireplace tightly with a chimney balloon to stop the heat loss
through the bad damper and flue and upgrade the furnace to a direct
vent 90% efficient. I have been so happy with this decision, and I
would do the exact same thing again if i had the choice. I hope you
find this input/testimony helpful.

GJ