[iron]

yes, fireplace. not insert. not stove. fireplace. currently down to these three options, but open to other ideas: http://napoleonfireplaces.com/products/high-country-3000-wood-fireplace/ http://www.icc-rsf.com/en/opel-3-fireplace http://www.pacificenergy.net/products/wood/fireplaces/fp30/ our current zero clearance fireplace sits on the main floor. on that floor are 3 beds, 2 baths, kitchen, living. below the fireplace, in the basement, is a living area, bedroom and bath. i would really really like to be able to vent down to the basement from the main floor, hence the final 3 fireplaces selected. it seems like this should be pretty simple, but for some reason (based on the people i've chatted with) it isn't as common as i would think. so, i'm looking for opinions. i know there have to be some NWH members that have EPA wood burning fireplaces out there. in lieu of the direct venting (from main floor to basement), i would consider a regular EPA fireplace. i am curious if anyone has this kind of setup and how their heat gets to the basement or lower levels of their house. i will also take opinions on catalyst vs hybrid vs normal burn options. we're north of seattle, so i know inversions and things like that can wreak havoc on fireplaces. total house SF = 2300sf. i know hearth.com exists, but there's almost too much info there and folks aren't as responsive as the NWH community! thanks!

[Schroder]

I had a 1996 version of a Fireplace Xtrordinair with a catalytic converter, similar to that Napolean. It was on the lower floor of our house and easily heated the entire house. It was a little temperamental to get started but once you got a good flame in it, it was fine. It also came with gas connections if you wanted to go multi-fuel. Got it at Rich's in Lynnwood.

[iron]

yeah, i just looked at the FPX36 yesterday at rich's in lynnwood. i generally like it. but, no direct venting - just the blower. also, a little deterred by the WA state lifetime warranty (7 or 9 years?). would be kind of nice to buy a locally made fireplace though...

[treeswarper]

How expensive is firewood up there? Or will you cut your own?

[iron]

i'm a craigslist scrounger for my firewood supply (keep in mind, i'm brand new to this world of fireplaces). after the wind storm a month ago, i've picked up and split probably 2 cords worth. kind of a fun little side hobby.

[treeswarper]

[wolffie]

Might I politely suggest a pellet stove? Back in the '80s and early 90s, I almost quit running. I ran by the wind and weather. My wife said she could smell the smoke in my hair when I came back in. I could see brown crud in my phlegm. Our neighbor's chimney set off our smoke alarm once when I made the mistake of opening a window. Although the legislation was emasculated by the stove lobby (a burn ban can only be declared after the air quality is bad enough to cause a measurable increase in ER pediatric asthma visits, according to the UW guy who studied this), it made a difference, a difference I noted later in Snohomish county when it followed suit. Still, every autumn, when I smell that first chimney, my heart sinks. And I know all the principal chimneys in my neighboirhood. They are aquite obvious. When we burn stuff, others share the cost.

[iron]

new fireplaces are far more efficient and less polluting than days of yore. will be getting this one: http://www.heatnglo.com/products/north-star-wood-fireplace.aspx pellets = manufacturing + shipping + $$$ wood = scrounging craigslist + manual labor

[treeswarper]

Yup. I finally had my chimney cleaned this year. 4 years of burning and the sweep said it was pretty clean and to keep on doing like I've been doing. Once the stove is going, you can't see any smoke so I bet it is the same consistency as a pellet stove.

[iron]

4 years! eek. supposed to be every year....

[Kat]

That's a nice looking choice. We put in a cheap Superior-brand wood burning fireplace many yrs ago in the LR (looks similar to Heat & Glo's "royal hearth" model with the glass bifold doors.) Added the optional fan which helped push the heat into the room but was just a tad noisy. Didn't use the FP a lot but the firebrick cracked in the back and bottom, which we replaced. Ended up installing a Jotul wood stove in the fam room which kicks out more heat - and only use the fireplace now on holidays or long power outages in the winter (along with the stove). We burn fall-spring, fire going right now.

[iron]

awesome. would love to see your wood storage shelter/system. right now, i just have a single row of stacked stuff all along our yard's perimeter fence with the neighbors. not super convenient when it comes time to burning. need to devise a system...

[Kat]

ahem, well it is pretty embarrassing really from a visual standpoint. Scrounged free pallets form the base of rows, cover with (preferably brown) tarp over the top, but allow air movement thru sides. Pallets do eventually rot. Started off the first year with about 9+ cord which we get ourselves, now we lay in about 4 cord a year, for the following year. Finally broke down and got the cheap electric log splitter from Harbor Freight. Always wanted to try to make one of those round stacks... Edit: forgot to add, just wheelbarrow to front door. Have canvas sack to carry wood inside with, and built a 4' tall wood rack by wood stove inside using those prebuilt black metal kits they sell at the big box stores. Have a canvas bottom to the indoor rack so it doesn't get stuff (bark, etc) all over the floor.

[iron]

yeah, the round stacks are pretty cool looking. nice if you have space. how's the electric splitter working? i think i've hand-split maybe 4 cords this fall. fun stuff. stacking is much less fun (for me)

[Kat]

Electric splitter is working great, 3 years now. You can split some pretty big stuff by rolling it up there on a car ramp.