From my limited research 6000 seems really high. How did you get that number?

A friend of mine got an estimate for a Jotul insert... this number was installed.

One nice feature to look for is a unit whose air supply is vented in from outside (cold air), rather than drawing already-heated air out of your living space to send up the chimney. In an older retrofit, though, finding a path to run the required intake duct from the outside could be a challenge.

The biggest factor to keep in mind is the actual size of the existing fireplace. There aren't many "standard" fireplace sizes, so make sure to accurately measure your fireplace before you fall in love with a particular model. The spot that limits fireplace selection the most is the upper rear area of the fireplace, and how much that angles toward the flue. A unit might fit the floor area, but not be able to clear the actual space. It's a tricky issue. Most people won't sell you a unit till they come on site and check your fireplace opening, but you can check yourself with the dimensions on the websites.

We like the Morso, Wittus, Jotul and Scan a lot. They all have good burn ratings.

Watch out for the blower units many manufacturers are putting on stoves, the Scandinavian manufacturers think it's crazy. US buyers seem to have a tendency to buy a stove with the biggest blower they can find, which can actually cool down the firebox too much for clean combustion.

Jotul tech told me that outside venting isn't necessary if you have balanced ventilation in your house (HRV / ERV), and that outside air intakes can at times reverse the combustion path if there is a strong pressure differential (weather inversion). In your average leaky house, isn't a big deal, but for a well sealed modern house, some way to get combustion air to the unit is necessary.

I remember the actual amount of air needed by a sealed EPA unit to only be about 5 CFM, which is a tiny number if my memory is correct. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Jesse makes some good points and I would agree with the other poster that $6000 seems very high even installed. Where you live may dictate that. I might pay half that in the midwest for the same thing. What type of pipe are they using? Exhaust pipe I mean. is it triple wall? I know first hand how fast that exhaust pipe can add up. Does that include any masonry work or anything of the like or is that just for the insert and pipe installed?

Hearth.com is a very large and helpful resource for wood burning. Go to the "Hearth
Room" bulletin board and search for "fireplace insert." Pour a cup of coffee first. I got 33 pages of results. Consider setting a stove set in the hearth as a more efficient alternative to an insert. Hearth.com is also great to gather info on models and prices.

Thanks for the responses... it looks like I'll have to do quite a bit more research before I ask more questions :o)

I removed the damper in my fireplace. Put a 6" stainless steel rigid flue, except the bottom 4' is flex, with a stiff fiberglass baffle around it at the top and bottom. For a "insert" I used a high efficiency wood stove without the legs on and slide it in the opening. It has been heating my home for 15 years, in Minnesota. I can heat my 2400sf house without using the furnace if I keep wood in it.

Hi all,

I must agreed with all of you point, and also agreed that 6 k is an high amount, how did you find the same, as well you need to search more about the same, we all are here to help you an any manner, as there is an lots of professional.

Thanks!

$6K is on the high end for an installed price in my neighborhood but still realistic- it really depends on how much flue work they need to do. I'm doubtful that it can be done as cheaply a $3K except as a DIY (which may affect it's eligibility for subsidies.) A first-floor fireplace in a 2 story house with a 12:12 roof can need quite a bit of liner, and more than just a 25' extension ladder to install it. A single story ranch with a 4:12 roof will have an entirely different installation picture.

I too prefer mini-stoves to inserts for a variety of reasons, but inserts tend to be more space-efficient- as a rule stoves will stick out into the room a bit more.

It's also important to look at the steady-state & min BTU numbers for the unit compared to the heat load of the room it's in. It's great to have something you can heat your whole house with if it's in a large open area, but in smaller or partially enclosed spaces you risk it becoming a sauna even at minimum fire. (I recently saw an ~80K-max/27K-steady-state unit installed in a ~175 sq. den with a 5' wide archway into the adjoining space. I'm sure it'll be great when it's -5F out, but I dunno... The heat load on the whole house on design-day is probably only 50K.) When in doubt, go smaller, and look at the steady-state number more closely than the max if you like to keep the fire going for more than an hour or two at a time. (SS is typically about a third of the max, if it's not otherwise stated.)

I've been shopping for wood-burning inserts. My 1320 sqft home is best handled with a small model, which run about $1900 +/- A special flue insert is about $450, plus $450 install, so $2800 total.

Anybody have one of these historical cast iron "combination" fireplaces? They are like an insert. I imagine it would put out a lot of heat with just a tiny fire.

www.woodheat.org

more than you ever wanted to know about heating with wood!

My wife and I installed our own insert. The way I read it, it doesn't affect your ability to claim your 30% credit, provided the manufacturer got EPA approval and has a certificate for you to print out. We got our whole kit for $2k, including the SHORTEST SS flex liner kit available (single story, flat roof). YMMV, obviously, but 6 grand sounds pricey for an insert. Most inserts we ran across were relatively small, due to obvious space constraints. You can only cram so much firebox, brick & blower into a small space. The hardest part of our install was cutting out the old damper plate with a grinder. - climb into chimney from bottom, reach up & position grinder at pin edge, look down to avoid getting soot/sparks in eyes, cut. If you're relatively handy, I say save the money. Have it inspected by someone who knows what they're doing, obviously, but I tend to be all about sweat equity.

Sort of the "lower end" fireplace manufacturers we found were Pacific and Napoleon. Both are welded-steel construction and most of the inserts have blowers.

good luck!
charlie

Thanks for all the feedback.

While the combination fireplaces look really nice, I don't know how much heat they really throw and I don't think that they are eligible for the 30%. I do appreciate you sharing the link though because they are nice.

I believe we're going to do our next year instead of this year. I have found less expensive options than my original post of $6K. I'm glad that wasn't the norm.