Fireplace incerts

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My home has a standard stone fireplace. I replaced the woodburning incert with a vented gas log and a 500 gal. propane tank a couple of years ago. I gave away my wood burning incert and need to find a replacement. I have a couple of questions that I hope someone can help me out with. 1) Are all incerts the same size? 2) Are all incerts designed basically the same, or are some more efficient than others? 3) Will the heat output be comparative to my gas log? I think that these are questions that a few other people might be interested in.

-- John (...@...), September 24, 1999

Answers

No not the same size and no not all as efficient. For the most heat and cooking ability get a good airtight wood stove and set in front of fire place. Close up the fireplace with something that won't burn (where you buy stove will have the stuff) and put pipe through it and up through the chimney draw. There is no gas log made that will give out any where near the heat of an insert. There are also inserts that stick half way out the front of the fireplace that will give you a cooking surface.

Taz...who heated with wood and did a lot of cooking on wood stovefor most of her life.

-- Taz (Taz@aol.com), September 24, 1999.


I put in a "Quadrafire" insert (I believe it is steel.) It is attractive black with gold trim and glass windows. There is more than one size. I put in a separate double lined pipe up the chimney because the old chimney was way too large and inefficient. The front sticks out making a small flat surface on top. It is large enough for two cast iron kettles. (I use one for a hydrator.) The surface gets well above 400 degrees if ya really stoke the fire. I suppose you could cook on it in a pinch. It heats well, but a fan is really required to circulate the air. I put in a freestanding stove of the same brand downstairs and it is more efficient, has a large cooking surface and heats with less wood.

One thing to note is that the "cost" of the woodstove is deceptive. The stovepipe and cap can cost more than the stove itself.

Used the stoves for last year's heating and with the exception of closed off bedrooms and the addition of a small kerosene space heater, was able to heat my large two story house.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), September 25, 1999.


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