Heatilator fireplace inserts

[gsganzer]

The wife and I are finishing up the last of the details for our new addition. We plan to have two fireplaces on the end wall, one will face indoors, the second will be outside on the porch. The exterior one is just a simple rumford style fireplace for atmosphere and mood when relaxing on the porch.

I'd like to put an insert on the interior one, like a "heatilator" with a fan set up on a reostat or thermostat. Anyone have some experience or recommendations as to what to look for, construction etc.?

 

[cowboydoc]

We just put one in our addition. One side of it faces to our bedroom and the other side faces to the great room. You can't get any better than the Heatilator's.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Ditto what cowboydoc said. I have a heatilator in our family room, it has all sorts of controls that allow for heat output and flame control etc.

 

[gsganzer]

Dang, that was quick. Do you guys know what model heatilator you used? I'm looking at the "accelerator" series A42C or A36C, both are circulating.

 

[cowboydoc]

This is the one that we have. I think we paid $1600 for it.

 

[Chuck52]

Will your indoor fireplace be wood-burning, or gas? I have a see-through wood-burning fireplace I'd like to put an insert in, so I could actually gain heat instead of lose it when I have a fire, but I'm wondering if I would have to have some kind of vent to get air for the fire from someplace other than the heated room. If the fire is fed by air from your heated space, how much of a hit in heat gain/loss do you take? I actually could probably get air from my un-heated basement to feed the fire if that made sense to do. I also assume I'd have to install the special insulated and rather expensive stove pipe in my existing masonry chimney.

Chuck

 

[gsganzer]

I plan on having a wood burning insert. Whether you need outside combustion air or not is a function of how tight your house is. Even though my house is 35 years old and probably leaks like a sieve, I still plan to route outside air to it.
It's a lot easier to do it when you install the insert the first time, then try to do it after you find out you have a combustion problem and everythings installed.