Heating comparison: wood stove vs insert

I’d hate to ask for anything scathing but rather just get an idea about inserts to stoves. The stoves are likely to heat better as that entity is not packed in an enclosed area so the heat will throw but how about anyone who burns in inserts compare how much the wood burning inserts throw heat to stoves? How much would I want to focus on closing up an existing fireplace “holes” as the liner doesn’t fill the flue? Ceramic blankets to cover or some other kind of baffling? Would it even make a difference?

 

Definitely.
You want to make a block-off plate out of sheet metal...totally cover that hole up! And seal it as airtight as possible. There can be a lot of heat lost to the chimney itself, even if the chimney/liner connection is sealed at the top...the heat can still get up between the liner and the masonry structure, then is absorbed by said masonry...doesn't do a darn thing to heat the house!

 

As you probably know FatBoy85 am new to wood burning with this being only my 2nd season burning so I don't have anything to compare my wood insert too as far as throwing heat.

But I can't help but agree 100% with brenndatomu as he helped guide my decision. I pondered if it was worth making a block off plate or not and in the end I opted to make one and glad I did. Anything you can do deflect that heat back down towards the home vs. up and out is going to help out. How much is completely debateable, but in the end it was such a minor cost and minor amount of work to make a simple block off plate. Hec if I could slap one together anyone could. Mine probably isn't perfect but hec its completely sealed off and has roxul stuffed above it. I feel confident and comfortable knowing little to no heat is escaping up the chimney.

 

ReelFaster, I’ve burned in a fine wood stove that blew heat and made terrific heat often it cooked me out of my house at the time. Situation has changed for me but a new insert will be put in and it’s slightly new territory. It’s a Lopi Medium Flush Hybrid-Fyre. Heat capacity up to 1200-2000 SF. It’s not my expectation for it to heat the whole house but to make things more comfortable. Thanks for your advice and yours as well brenndatomu! This will be installed likely Monday. Burning in an inefficient fireplace will be soon done and can move on to having longer lasting fires.

There are a few drafts, one that’s mainly coming from behind and some that aren’t yet able to be sealed up just yet so the living room gets quite cold. I don’t plan to have a fan on the insert but a small one pointed at it yes. Wood supply has indeed drained but I have probably a less than half cord of little bits of oak limbs so they will work of course. Probably burned somewhere around 2 cords... seriously if not more. (Wouldn’t it be great to have a btu counter that would measure how many had gone through?)

 

No fan? I've never seen an insert stove with no fan...I think you will want a fan...and at least run it on low.
If the fireplace itself has air leaks/drafts, you can insulate it with batts of Roxul around the insert...

 

Are you doing the install? If not, will the installers be making the block off plate?
Installers are notorious for talking people out of block off plates, just because they don't want to do it. They usually cram some ceramic insulation around the liner and say good enough...but it's not usually...

 

Free standing stove > insert. I started w a large insert and my smaller fireview makes the house feel a lot nicer. I'm sure the soapstone has a big hand in that though.

I made a metal block off plate for my insert. With the fireview I opted to just jam some rockwool insulation in the chimney around the liner. No complaints 3 years later.

 

At and extra $400+ the installers said try without it and move air around. Since temps rarely drop below freezing here for extended periods, it’s recommended to try to see How it feels first then if it’s necessary, go for it.

 

With a flush insert you'll want the blower.

 

We're in the same region, same weather, same wood species (mostly). Here's what I have.
1155sf house
Lopi 1250 insert (1.6cf)
Exterior brick fireplace & chimney at one end of the house
Uninsulated 15' liner
No block off plate
My blower is usually set at about 1/3 speed.

Would a block off plate help? Yes.
Does my insert heat my house well enough as is? Yes
My insert handles over 90% of my heating and the cold weather this week was no problem. 25° outside and I was wearing shorts inside. This thermometer is in the middle of my house.

 

Now that’s what I needed to hear. And what’s furthermore truth is you’re up more north than I and more cold funnels in your area. This should supply more heat. The house is heated via oil furnace. If I don’t get results with a fan,then I will opt for the blower. Trial runs first since it’s just going to help make it more comfortable on the ground level and test how the upstairs handles it. Luckily we don’t fall past 25 hardly ever in the Western part.

 

You are getting a flush insert you need a blower no question

 

I’d need a better reason than just that because I hadn’t planned on getting it until I had tested it’s heating capabilities. What am I missing that the blower does that a fan directed the insert doesn’t? The glass is the heating surface correct?

 

Well, ultimately you'll need to find out how the insert heats with no blower. I have a feeling that this being a flush insert, that you'll want a blower. My semi flush insert, ( the bow front probably helps too) does well, but usually late am the furnace will kick on, as I have the t stat at 67°. As a matter of fact the furnace just kicked in after taking the pups out, with the patio door being opened 4 times, then walking around the house spreading cooler air around. My natural gas bills are pretty low, but we have a NG water heater, ng furnace, ng clothes drier, and ng cook stove that gets a lot of use. It's 33° out now and was only upper 20's last night. It was windy though, and this is the first year with better insulation under the new roof and siding, and windows. I rechooch the insert in the am, but it takes a little while to recover the heat, as there's just coals, and usually a good amount of them.

I run our blower all the time on our insert when it's got a fire in it. I did a semi block off plate when I installed the insert, and my chimney isn't fully insulated, just roxul right at the throat of the chimney from the stove opening, and some at the top by the cap, held up by wire. I think I'd get better efficiency if I did a proper Block off and full insulation on the SS liner. I can also say that my original blower for the insert had bearings get loud, and I swapped in an aftermarket blower. For a while I used small fans to move the air around in the house, and the fans were not as effective as the built in blower. I was pleased when I got anew squirrel cage blower back in the insert.

Can you post pics of the insert, and where the factory blower goes? I can tell you that the factory blowers are pricey. Way overpriced as a matter of fact. You might be able to mount an aftermarket one in there and save $250+.

 

Is this the insert? And is this the surround you got? If so, you should be able to easily add an aftermarket blower like the one I bought.




Fireplace Blower - 150 cfm

 

A small part of it, yes.
Just as with any other stove, the body of the stove is the main heating surface area, especially the top...but that is buried in the fireplace behind the surround trim panel, and encapsulated in an air jacket...just like a furnace. And as I'm sure you know, if your furnace blower dies, no heat to the house. Now you will still get some heat from this insert with no blower no doubt, you have radiant heat from the front of it, and you will get some natural gravity air flow through the air jacket as it draws cool air in the bottom vents and around the stove body, rising out the top vents...which is exactly how the air flows with a blower in place, just in much higher volumes.
My unprofessional opinion is that you will lose 2/3 of your heat with no blower...this is based on having run a free standing stove inside my fireplace (no surround panel on) with and without a fan to blow the cool air into the fireplace under the stove and out the top...made a huge difference with/without the fan...and like I said, that is without having a surround panel on it sealing the heat in...

 

Thanks Tom!
Yeah that’s actually the Catalytic version while mine is the Arched. I’m just leery of buying a 400 dollar fan when I had hoped that the heat would be radiant enough to heat what is probably a 1000 sf downstairs. The upstairs is easily more comfortable as everything rises up well. Kitchen is probably the “worst” spot as a lot of cold areas exist especially the basement. I’m not going to assume it will work but are most blowers generally compatible from an electrical standpoint? I’m not wanting much you know, just enough for heat to get circulated and helps “dry out” the downstairs as the cold makes it feel really humid which in turn contributes to uncomfortable it can seem.

 

If you scroll on the options, you can get the built in snap disc thermostatic switch, and the rheostat to adjust the amount of air movement. The electrical portion is all separate and plug and play. Just need to tuck the wires away and keep it from vibrating, as that is annoying. If you can fit a pair of soda cans end to end , and on their sides, then these fans will fit. Typically inserts use this type of fan. What I found was that this particular fan, while slightly different than the factory fan on mine, was the same form factor and fits.

 

I don’t know if this is certain but the manual states that cleaning the blowers could be on the top or bottom. On the bottom left corner the cord for the outlet plug exits and the blower internal connectors are literally a snap.

 

Does the insert have to be pulled out to install the blower if it is not installed initially? That would stick if so.
Most insert blowers go on the front and are external, so install/maintenance is easy, but not sure on this one...