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#1
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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 |
#2
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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 ____________________________ dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico |
#3
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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 |
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