INSERT COMPONENTS: When you buy a wood insert there are 3 main components to the purchase:

INSERT BODY – This is the “engine”, if you will, of the wood insert. They range in size from 1.0 cubic feet to a little  over 3.0 cubic feet.

INSERT SHROUD – This is the surround panel that attaches to the insert to cover the fireplace opening. They come in different sizes to accommodate different fireplaces and, upon request, we can have a custom surround panel made to fit your fireplace opening… NOTE: we only make custom surrounds for our customers, not for other brands.

INSERT LINER PIPE – Some wood inserts require a 6″ or 8″ pipe to be connected from the top of the insert body all the way to the chimney, while with others it is optional. In certain circumstances, depending on the age and condition of the chimney, it is necessary to put a liner on a wood insert, but the basic rule of thumb is that is is ALWAYS better to put a pipe on a wood insert because of:

• Efficiency – A wood insert will always perform better with a liner – it will produce more heat
• Safety – a properly installed liner will prevent heat and spark from penetrating through the chimney to combustible structures surrounding the chimney
• Performance – There will be a noticeible difference in how well the stove drafts, which will affect how long your wood will last as well as how clean the glass stays
• Cleaning – It’s much easier to clean a wood insert that has a liner on it. All that has to be done is remove the cap on top of the chimney, slide a brush down the pipe, and clean out the firebox. Without a pipe the insert has to be removed and reinstalled every time a cleaning is done which is more time consuming and expensive if you have this done by a chimney sweep.

As people shop in our store, we get asked almost every day, “How much will this heat?” There are several questions that need to be answered before that question can be answered. Factors that determine how much area a hearth product can heat are:

• The size of the firebox / how much wood you can put in it
• How the insert itself is designed and engineered
• Layout of the home
• Location of the fireplace in relation to the rest of the other rooms in the house
• How well the home is insulated
• How tall the ceilings are
  How well air in the home can be transferred from where the fireplace is to other rooms

All stove brochures give an estimate of how many square feet a hearth appliance can heat. But this is a bit of a misnomer because we are not heating “square feet” in a home… we are heating air space, which is measured in cubic feet. Add to that the fact that there are 7 climactic zones in the U.S., and it would be impossible for any company to give an accurate measurement of how much area any hearth appliance could heat any particular home.

So the best advice is to rely on of of the experts at the Spa Doctor Spa & Stove Center to determine what size is best for you. Call us at 209-545-5224.