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Least expensive air tight fireplace inserts

Henry0Reilly
Thread says it all. I moved into this place in the middle of winter - figured it was too late to mess with wood heat then.

This year I'd like to supplement the gas furnace with wood but I understand a fireplace is not very efficient.

Recommendations?
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • Dakota308
    round here we have Watsons that sells fireplace inserts for about 1500 starting they also sell pool tables, home movie theaters, kitchen bars, poker tables ect type of store

    hope this helps
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  • HandgunHTR52
    These look pretty good. Free shipping too!

    Should pay for itself in a couple of years.

    Edit: It helps if I put the link in.

    http://www.elitedeals.com/wobufiin.html
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  • 11b6r
    Used a Fisher for 3 years- worked very well. An open fireplace is LOUSY for heating- you suck so much air up the chimney, you MAY have a net LOSS of heat. Check local trading post type paper for used ones- folk move, and may not want to move a few hundred pounds of steel. DO check on proper installation- they DON'T just slide into the fireplace. Need connection from outlet on insert to the flue opening in fireplace. And take the damper plate out of fireplace.
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  • Captplaid
    Air tight fireplace insert...That's funny. Biggest regret I have in building this house was allowing my wife to have a gas fireplace. Dang thing is a draft machine.
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  • spasmcreek
    had a couple of friends that heated their houses by inexpensive wood setups...burnt both places down ... i had parlor stove for 2 years...never again wood heat unless by far outside unit with heat exchanger...probably best bang for buck is high efficiency gas (propane or natural) direct vent or no vent unit 99%...will buy a 30k btu with oxygen sensor & thermo on sale for around $250 & would use it to supplement central heat in cabin....set it higher & main unit lower to save main use at about 40% efficiency gain...plug off fireplace
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  • 320090T
    Have you considered a small wood stove, like a Fisher Baby Bear, to set in front of the fireplace? Block off the FPL opening and place the wood stove pipe through it?
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  • gjshaw
    http://www.vermontcastings.com/
    These are top of the line and somewhat costly but you get what you pay for.
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  • allen griggs
    I have a beautiful stone fireplace, which I built myself. It is the best heating fireplace I have ever seen. At temps down to forty degrees, it will heat the entire downstairs, about 700 square feet. Doesn't do anything for the upstairs.
    I also have a nice wood stove. The wood stove uses about one sixth of the wood of the fireplace, and it heats the upstairs as well.
    I have heated with wood for a total of 22 years, in five different houses. Never burnt one down. My neighbor's house burnt down due to a faulty wood stove installation.

    I urge you to google up this book:
    "Solid Fuels Encyclopedia" by Jay Shelton. It has the best info about using wood stoves and fireplaces that I have ever seen. It has great details about how to install a wood stove, or insert, in accordance with the national code, to make sure you won't burn your house down.
    I bought a spare copy of this book, it was brand new, for fifteen bucks. I gave it to my neighbor a year before his house burned up, the dumb ass never read it.

    I don't know anything about fireplace inserts, but you could stick a nice wood stove on the hearth, and run the stove pipe up the chimney, like someone else said.
    The best wood stove in the world today is the Jotul. DO NOT get a stove with a catalytic converter. Jotul used to use them, they converted their entire line so that they no longer use the cats, several years ago.
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  • RUGERGUNZ
    How about an outdoor wood furnace? You don't get the nice fireplace effect but they are efficient and easier to keep clean.

    I plan to buy one when I get rich. I have tons of wood but no money for the furnace.

    I like these ones

    www.centralboiler.com
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  • tomahawk
    henry please don't skimp when dealing with wood heat, iv'e used it all my life and it will come back on you if not done right. buy the best you can afford and make sure it is installed with no gaps between it and the flue or they will catch fire.... be careful and make sure
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