Your experience with zero clearance wood-burn fireplaces

[Stann]

I'm wondering whether a zero clearance wood burning fireplace, with no electric blower used, will provide exceptable heat, in one's opinion.

I have a new construction and would like to get an idea how fast a standard 20 x 15 foot room, 8 foot high would heat in the morning, starting at 40 degrees F. For a fireplace unit designed for a 1500 sqft house, I'd like to get an idea of how fast it heats the fireplace's room.

It would use a heat circulating system where air is drawn from the room from a lower vent on the front of the fireplace, circulating around the back area of the fireplace unit, then drawn and pushed out a vent on the upper, front of the fireplace, no blower.

Anyone have experience with these? Any products to recommend? I'm not going with a free standing stove unit, at this time. I'm looking for a unit that fits a non-masonary fireplace area, to use as a wood burning heating source.

Thanks for your thoughts!!!

[Bat Farm]

We have a double sided insert. It is not as efficient as a one door unit, but we live in the south so it is plenty of heat for us, even last winter which was pretty cold for here.

Ours is from RSF - we are happy with the service and product so far (5 winters use). We do have a blower that can circulate the air from under the masonry wired in but we haven't gotten around to finishing the installation yet...

Our house never hit 40 last year but it would be around 55 to 60 in the am and when we got home from work. That's mostly the built tight house though. The fireplace holds a good ember for re-starting but doesn't put much heat out when no one is home to feed it. It would take about 30 minutes to start warming up the rooms it is in and a good hour to really feel warmer.

http://www.icc-rsf.com/en/rsf/rsf-fi...ing-fireplaces

[Stann]

Thanks, Bat Farm. That's really good info. Mine wouldn't be an insert, but go into a wood framed-in for the fireplace (so mine would be called a wood burning, zero clearance fireplace). I'm looking at a Vermont Castings, the Stratton, the Osburn wood fireplace, and Lennox, Brentwood, the QuadraFire, and the RSF. (I think I'll get whatever is cheapest).

I hear that I really need to use a fireplace blower to get the heated air to the other rooms. But, I don't want to do that. What I plan to do is to use the central air ducts' air blower to push the air around (my backup, a electric heater). That's because my "intake" for my "ducts" are way up high in the living room, the same room as the fireplace. (and happily where all the warm air rises to).

That should push the wood fireplace's warm living room air around the house using the ducts from the backup, electric heater. But, the electric heater will stay off. I'll only use it's blower... but I need to connect an additional thermostat on that blower switch.

I sure hope this will work the way I want it to.

[farmerscotty]

From what I have heard people tell me at Outdoor shows, these units don't put out as much heat as you think. They are made more for show? I would want to talk to someone that has one before I bought one.......You see a lot of these in new construction and used like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

[homstdr74]

I'm in agreement with farmerscotty's post above. I don't see how you're going to get adequate heat from a unit that's stuck in the wall. Our freestanding woodburning heaters (Fisher brand) and our Home Comfort wood stove are set directly in the middle of each room they are in, and provide plenty of heat for us even when the temperature outside is subzero.

[Yvonne's hubby]

Originally Posted by Stann

That's because my "intake" for my "ducts" are way up high in the living room, the same room as the fireplace. (and happily where all the warm air rises to).

I hope you are correct about this, but it sounds extremely unusual to me. Cold air returns are normally placed very low, and near the furnace. Quite often they will simply be a register with filter inside, located in the bottom half of the door to the furnace. check your air flow to be sure, or your entire idea will fizzle out due to having no air circulation to the other rooms.