I installed two Regency inserts three years ago. They are GREAT! I heat exclusively with wood, but our winters here in N. Calif. are milder than yours in the Northeast. FYI - inserts don't throw off much heat without the fan working - I have a small generator as a backup. A ruputable dealer is important for proper installation as well. Good Luck!

I also selected a Regency insert, but it had more to do with the dealer than the insert. If you want to read owner input on your list of inserts, try this link to Hearth.com:

http://hearth.com/ratings/search.php

Chispa
I just had a Hearthstone Clydesdale installed. I haven't used it yet (soon though), but from all the research I did before the big purchase, it seemed to suit my needs best and appears to be a solid, well built unit.

I looked at the VC Winter Warm Large (actually had my heart set on this unit, until I started doing a lot of research), very nice looking unit, but from all the negatives I heard about VC and their quality control issues, etc., I quickly crossed this off my list. Plus, the VC is a cat unit, another thing that I didn't like and heard all kinds of stories about.

I also looked at the Lopi Declaration, the Fireplace Xtrordinair Elite 33 Insert (both Lopi and FX are made by the same company, Travis Industries)and the Jotul Kennebec. The FX was a litle more pricey than the Hearthstone and had a much smaller fire box and a small viewing area. The Lopi and the Jotul both had small fireboxes and small viewing areas. I also wanted an insert that extended out onto the hearth, another reason why I choose the Hearthstone. The Hearthstone, at least out of all the units that I looked at, had the largest firebox (22" log length)and the largest viewing area. Check out chimneysweeponline.com, where you can compare the actual viewing area of several different units.

Another good feature with the Hearthstone is that it is lined with soapstone, which attributes to its' long burn times - up to 10 hours and heat life up to 12 hours, according to the specs.

Whatever you choose, make sure you have a stainless steel liner installed all the way to the top of your chimney. Don't let a stove shop tell you that you only need to run a liner up to the first flue tile in your chimney. I was told this from one shop and after hearing this, choose not to do business with them, since I knew that this was not the proper way to install an insert or wood stove.

I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the units you mentioned (except maybe the VC), mostly personal preference and what best suits your needs. Good luck and let us know how you make out and which unit you choose.

I've just about decided to go with the Clydsdale by Hearthstone. Have you used your Clydsdale yet? Is there any one else who could give additional info on the pros and cons of the clydsdale?

I've only used it a few times so far, so I really can't say much about it. It is real easy to operate, delivers alot of heat and delivers and retains the heat for a good while after the fire dies down. Also, when loading it with wood, no smoke comes into the room. I would recommend getting the blower unit.

Quadrafire 5100I is also one that you might consider..allthough the unit that I purchased is not installed yet it looks like it will be a good one..I will post when I use it a couple of times....

OP here. I ended up buying the Hampton HI300 wood insert. It is a more attractive/expensive version of the Regency stoves. They have them in stock, but due to installers being very busy they won't get here till third week in November. I will give an update/review in a couple of months. Thanks

Amcar: I'm in the process of ordering the clydesdale sight unseen. I'm wondering which color you selected - the matte back or the blue black procelain. As I'm unable to find a dealer near me who has either, I'd appreciate your ideas.

Amcar: I did some additional research on the net last night re the Clydesdale, and one owner said that the handle was flimsy. What's your experience with it?

Why is there a need to install a S.S. liner the full
length of the chimney?

Read the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Installing inserts

Beejayw
I ended up getting the Blue Black Porcelain.

Regarding the handle, it seems to be okay, but I really have nothing to compare it to. However, they probably could have designed a better latching system, maybe putting the latch mechanism inside the unit, like other inserts have.

When are you getting your unit?

Amcar:

I've ordered the Clydesdale but unfortunately when my dealer called up Hearthstone, she was told that the blue/back porcelain Clydedale won't be available until Dec. 19th for shipping. I'm going to order it anyway. The store I'm buying it at is about a 3 hour drive from my house. They'll deliver it to me. I'm able to have someone closer (about an hour away) do the installation work and I'm going to call them tomorrow to find out whether they can do the initial installation work (cleaning chimney, capping the chimney etc) in November so that when the unit arrives, it can easily be put in. Thanks for your input re the handle. Is the handle made of metal or wood? Is it hot on the hands to open? Does it latch easily?

I have the Clydesdale, got it in painted stove black. That was a mistake, you'll know what I mean when you get it, it is EXTREMELY rugged. With enamel you wipe it down and it's like the day you got it. Now that I realize the Clydesdale is of very high quality and built so rugged it's going to last probably much longer than my house. I wish I'd gotten the enamel so I can avoid painting it. The blowers, are a must. Without the blowers I can heat my room. With the blowers I can heat my house. The blowers make so much difference I think I'm getting a battery power pack so they can work when the power is out. They do make noise when they run.

The liner is very important and that it's not pinched in any way. My installers accidentally pulled the unit out while the liner was still attached and crimped my flex liner at the block off plate (damper area). Now that the liner is crimped it smokes when I load it. If yours smokes when you load it, there's something wrong with your liner.

The latch is simple. It's very easy to operate and move, no it doesn't get hot. It's easy to accidentally open it I think is what they're referring to. If you close the latch and your cat walks under it they may accidentally pop the door open, likewise a child may find it easy enough as well. No problem to figure out how to make your own latch lock. Talking about latches and doors the seal is fantastic. When I close and latch my door, there's no air leak at all, common problem with some units. I can shut my door, close the air control down, and my flames will go out.

It's strange on how it works. It's not a normal stove/insert, consider it like a battery. It's so heavy and the soapstone you charge it with heat, and then it discharges that heat over time. The principle is simple enough, make fast hot fires to charge it up, which are more efficient than fires extended over time and have it release that stored heat. Supposedly means less wood and more heat. When I fill it half full of wood and burn it at full air, it's 9-10 hours later that the fans shut off. Packing the unit full of wood it's about 12-16 hours before the fans shut off, I think that principle of quick hot fires and mass to extend seems to work. It heats forever and I find it strange 3 hours after the fire has gone out the fans are still blowing heat.

It puts out a lot of heat by the way. It's a space heater, but I've found it can heat my entire house easily. Because it's main form of heat is hot air, I use a fan to blow it where I need it. On 30 degree nights, I wake up hot and that's in my bedroom on the other side of my house. It helps if you have registers in each room to distribute the heat and you can control how much where.

The one thing I don't understand is why it is so much better than my wood stove. To heat my house with my stove I needed to load it with sixteen 18" logs a day. After getting the Clydesdale I need seven a day to do better than my stove ever did. Either my stove was that bad, or the Clydesdale and it's principle of short hot fires is that good. Anyone else notice the Clydesdale puts out more heat when pulled out the full 5"? Was that in the manual? Make sure you have the Clydesdale pulled out as far as it can go when it's installed.

Piedmont: I really appreciate all the info that you have provided on the Clydesdale. As I was reading what you'd written, I could feel the excitement grow in me - you've confirmed that I've made the right choice, and now, I can't wait for it arrive and be installed! I have another question - you mentioned that you could hear the fan - how noisy is it? Have you been keeping it on high or ?

Beejayw
The handle is made out of metal and it has a sleeve on the end of it, which appears to be wooden. This part of the handle does not get hot.

As far as the fan goes, it is noisy, but you will probably get used to it after a while. When I first turned mine on, it seemed loud, so I took it apart the following day and made sure that everything was tightened up good. Seemed to be a little less nosiy after that.

Its amazing how this unit burns so little wood, when compared to an open fireplace. When I used to use the fireplace, I was always feeding it wood, all the time. With the insert, a couple of logs will burn for a while, even with the air control on high and like Piedmont said, the fans run for a while after the fire has gone out.

Piedmont
Nice to see that someone else has this same insert as well. How long have you had yours?

Mine is installed 5" out of the fireplace. I'm sure this makes a difference with the unit putting out more heat.

What do you have for a hearth and what do you have in front of your hearth?

Posted by: jerence02 (jerence02@yahoo.com) on Sun, Oct 23, 05 at 11:41

Quadrafire 5100I is also one that you might consider..allthough the unit that I purchased is not installed yet it looks like it will be a good one..I will post when I use it a couple of times....

After finally getting my Quad 5100I installed I'm extremly happy with the amount of heat this thing puts out.My house is a 2 story colonial 2900 Sq. Ft.. It heats home to 69 to 70° in no time at all..With the upstairs being incredibly comfortable and warm... Love this unit,cant beleive these things work so well.Only drawbacks that I can see is small glass windows on left and right sides of unit are hard to keep clean and blower noise is a little annoying at times but you get used to it. I dont actually know if there is a Insert out there with a completely noise free blower.Take care my freinds and have a joyous and happy holiday season....

Anyone know if the models discussed here meet Federal air quality standards? I know CA is starting to consider banning many wood stoves and would hate to invest thousands to find I can't use my insert in a couple years. I live in Northern NJ and can't seem to find a dealer for anything but Lodi so I guess the Declaration and Freedom Bay are ones I'm most interested in.

As long as the unit is EPA CERTIFIED it is fine for now and the future.

Do not confuse it with EPA EXEMPT. That is a different thing and is an item that is banned in many parts.

Here is a post for folks considering a Regency fireplace insert. If you have a fine eye for quality and well-made things, you may want to look elsewhere. My actual experience as a new Regency owner is that it is a crudely wrought affair backed by an unresponsive company.

I read this website, read the raves about Regency and bought one. We had the Regency I3100 installed four months ago(the large insert model). I give the unit and company a C- overall. Some issues:

- First, the sheet metal surround was 5/8" taller than specified, so that my new tile grout lines didn't align as planned. Regency was EXTREMELY slow to respond or fix the problem (not to mention surly, unhelpful, and challenging).

While the company literature talks about service and quality, my experience was being ignored and dealing with a mis-sized unit. Their error was eventually fixed, after hours of correspondence (all inititiated on my end - about 50 emails, photos, and phone calls). It turns out that Regency just makes the surrrounds to a different size than the published specifications (tough luck for those of us who follow specifications for design purposes). The process took over a month.

- The unit "howls" intermittantly when the blower is turned on, which makes doing anything else in the room pretty challenging, unless you are deaf. Regency sort of shrugged their corporate shoulders on that one, too.

- Air seals around the door are crude, allowing some smoke to escape from time to time. Not great for health reasons...

- They caution against "overfiring" and tell you that it voids the warranty, but dont tell you how to avoid it. By the time you have "overfired," it is too late and your warranty is no good any more.

- Overall fabrication quality is rough, at best. The gas-combustion tubes at the top of the unit require routine fiddling to keep them in place. The door hangs at an angle, with no adjustment possible. The hinges squeak pretty annoyingly when the door opens, every time. Graphite helps temporarily.

- While the unit does belt out some heat, the burn times are pretty wildly exaggerated. Fully loaded up with split cordwood, the unit will NOT maintain a fire for eight or even six hours. After that time you will have some embers, but that is all.

- Regency's BTU output claims also seem pretty extravagantly exaggerated. Perhaps if you are burning tires or Sterno you could achieve the 75,000BTU they claim. Seems like it is more like around 45 or 50K.

If I had to do it again, I would NOT buy Regency.

Morsoe just came out with a lovely insert, which a friend has and loves. While I will use the Regency until it rusts/wears out, I emphatically will not get another. It is a crudely wrought affair backed by an unresponsive company, in my experience.

Here is a post for folks considering a Regency fireplace insert. If you have a fine eye for quality and well-made things, you may want to look elsewhere. My actual experience as a new Regency owner is that it is a crudely wrought affair backed by an unresponsive company.

I read this website, read the raves about Regency and bought one. We had the Regency I3100 installed four months ago (the large insert model). I give the unit and company a C-/D+ overall. Some issues:

- First, the sheet metal surround was 5/8" taller than specified, so that my new tile grout lines didn't align as planned. Regency was EXTREMELY slow to respond or fix the problem (not to mention surly, unhelpful, and challenging).

While the company literature talks about service and quality, my experience was being ignored and dealing with a mis-sized unit. Their error was eventually fixed, after hours of correspondence (all inititiated on my end - about 50 emails, photos, and phone calls). It turns out that Regency just makes the surrrounds to a different size than the published specifications (tough luck for those of us who follow specifications for design purposes). The process took over a month.

- The unit "howls" intermittantly when the blower is turned on, which makes doing anything else in the room pretty challenging, unless you are deaf. Regency sort of shrugged their corporate shoulders on that one, too.

- Air seals around the door are crude, allowing some smoke to escape from time to time. Not great for health reasons...

- They caution against "overfiring" and tell you that it voids the warranty, but dont tell you how to avoid it. By the time you have "overfired," it is too late and your warranty is no good any more.

- Overall fabrication quality is rough, at best. The gas-combustion tubes at the top of the unit require routine fiddling to keep them in place. The door hangs at an angle, with no adjustment possible. The hinges squeak pretty annoyingly when the door opens, every time. Graphite helps temporarily.

- While the unit does belt out some heat, the burn times are pretty wildly exaggerated. Fully loaded up with split cordwood, the unit will NOT maintain a fire for eight or even six hours. After that time you will have some embers, but that is all.

- Regency's BTU output claims also seem pretty extravagantly exaggerated. Perhaps if you are burning tires or Sterno you could achieve the 75,000BTU they claim. Seems like it is more like around 45 or 50K.

If I had to do it again, I would NOT buy Regency.

Morsoe just came out with a lovely insert, which a friend has and loves. While I will use the Regency until it rusts/wears out, I emphatically will not get another.

As a product, I would describe it as analogous to a Ford F150 - big, cheaply made, and crude. If you are more of a Toyota, Saab, or BMW person, appreciating well-made things, you may want to look elsewhere.

Here is a post for folks considering a Regency fireplace insert. If you have a fine eye for quality and well-made things, you may want to look elsewhere. My actual experience as a new Regency owner is that it is a crudely wrought affair backed by an unresponsive company.

I read this website, read the raves about Regency and bought one. We had the Regency I3100 installed four months ago (the large insert model). I give the unit and company a C-/D+ overall. Some issues:

- First, the sheet metal surround was 5/8" taller than specified, so that my new tile grout lines didn't align as planned. Regency was EXTREMELY slow to respond or fix the problem (not to mention surly, unhelpful, and challenging).

While the company literature talks about service and quality, my experience was being ignored and dealing with a mis-sized unit. Their error was eventually fixed, after hours of correspondence (all inititiated on my end - about 50 emails, photos, and phone calls). It turns out that Regency just makes the surrrounds to a different size than the published specifications (tough luck for those of us who follow specifications for design purposes). The process took over a month.

- The unit "howls" intermittantly when the blower is turned on, which makes doing anything else in the room pretty challenging, unless you are deaf. Regency sort of shrugged their corporate shoulders on that one, too.

- Air seals around the door are crude, allowing some smoke to escape from time to time. Not great for health reasons...

- They caution against "overfiring" and tell you that it voids the warranty, but dont tell you how to avoid it. By the time you have "overfired," it is too late and your warranty is no good any more.

- Overall fabrication quality is rough, at best. The gas-combustion tubes at the top of the unit require routine fiddling to keep them in place. The door hangs at an angle, with no adjustment possible. The hinges squeak pretty annoyingly when the door opens, every time. Graphite helps temporarily.

- While the unit does belt out some heat, the burn times are pretty wildly exaggerated. Fully loaded up with split cordwood, the unit will NOT maintain a fire for eight or even six hours. After that time you will have some embers, but that is all.

- Regency's BTU output claims also seem pretty extravagantly exaggerated. Perhaps if you are burning tires or Sterno you could achieve the 75,000BTU they claim. Seems like it is more like around 45 or 50K.

If I had to do it again, I would NOT buy Regency.

Morsoe just came out with a lovely insert, which a friend has and loves. While I will use the Regency until it rusts/wears out, I emphatically will not get another.

As a product, I would describe it as analogous to a Ford F150 - big, cheaply made, and crude. If you are more of a Toyota, Saab, or BMW person, appreciating well-made things, you may want to look elsewhere.

Eric! way to slag Ford trucks! Sadly, off topic, I am sorry your experience with F-150's is sub par. I own a 2007 F150 Lariat which I chose after nine months of extensive research. I have no preference to any particular brand (I'm not a Ford man or a GM fanatic) I just look for the best bang for the buck. I do believe that Regency are not up to the standards of other units discussed here, but after your Ford F150 analogy, I question your criteria. How much did you pay for the unit? Was it a clearance item? Local company? I will definitely keep an eye out for other negative feedback on this make/model, but considering your comments, I will not totally discount it. Being an insert "newbie", I have lots of research to do.

BTW, I also own a BMW and have had my share of Toyota's as well. It is apparent that you have never ridden in a new "big, cheaply made and crude" Ford Lariat F150 ;~) They do however, make small cheaply made Ranger models ;`) I fondly remeber my last Toyota..a Supra Turbo...smooth and fast...an I needed to remortgage my house to get an oil change or tune up LOL!

Si in a nutshell Eric, I am guessing you would assume that I do not care for, nor have an eye for the finer things in life. Well made things are not for Ford owners, as we do not appreciate them...so maybe one of the alleged sub par Regency stoves is for me...heck you bought one ;~)

Just ribbin' ya Eric! :)

Just for the record Erics posts are old (2007). On everypoint my I3100l Regency wood insert has exceeded my expectations. I have experienced none of what Eric posted above. Im not going to cover it line item by line item, but maybe the dealer should have stepped up more - who knows, since its about 2 years ago.

It was fun reading Eric's post. I had a minor problem with my Regency stove nad did NOT contact the company. I contacted the DEALER who installed it. They came out within 2 days (as they are in the next state) and fixed the problem at no charge. That's why I always suggest having a professional do the installation. Sounds like Eric pulled a DIY. If he had it professionally installed by a dealer, he would have been able to talk to "Larry" or "Bill" each time.

Im also under the impression you cant buy direct from Regency, you must go through a dealer. Its sounds like he went through a dealer, who did a hack job and banged up/bent the unit. Im here to say that its a well made unit - burns at the BTU rating when temps hit 500 or more degrees and heats the sq footage as advertised easily.
We know better, it would appear :)

I purchased a Quadra-Fire 4100-I and it works OK. Takes some wood to get it up to temperature and for the fan to kick in...it does have a manual fan switch. I purchased it 10/05 and the fan is now starting to labor...it looks like I may need to replace the fan motor...the dealer says $225 for the blower motor...I am wondering if I could buy a motor myself and use that instead of the one from the dealer/mfr? This Insert is made of steel, not cast-iron also-if that makes any difference.

I'm a compulsive shopper. I way way way way way overthink any purchase of more than $100, and I live in terror of not getting the best deal possible. I have been known to waste $5 in gas to save $1 in groceries. So when, like many homeowners, I was caught last Winter with my pants down and heating oil $4/gallon, I started wishing I had something else. We don't have a good spot for a stove, which would have been my 1st choice, but we did have a wonderful masonary fireplace/air conditioner so we decided to go that route.

So I started to do my homework to pick the "best" insert for my fireplace. I wanted ease of install, plain black w/ no frills, STEEL FIREBOX, the most glass. I narrowed it down to two: PE Summit and Lopi Freedom (I found the Regency dealer too late). After figuring the demensions and installation constraints I realized the Summit wasn't going to fit easily, and that I'd have to do som major demo to get it to fit. I wanted the biggest firebox I could get. I also wanted the option to completely flush mount the unit, and that was something the Lopi would allow me to do. I went with the Freedom,(not the bay I swear those things look so gawdy in the pictures). It was more when factored on a price/cubic ft of firebox but I really wanted the largest firebox I could get.

Larger firebox=more heat right? Well, yes and no. You can get more heat but you may not want it. My insert is in a room about 300sqft, and at a perpetual 80 degrees. The rest of the main floor of the home fluctuates between 65 and 72, depending on how long I'm burning hot and how many fans I have blowing. I expected this. I think I could've easily gone with a smaller insert, because save for 1 overnight burn I'm tending the fire every 2 hours anyway, so I could just as easily toss in more wood at that time. Also, I did the survey/install myself. An experienced dealer may have known from experience whether a larger Regency (in hindsight my fist pic) or PE Summit would have fit, but I was hung up on flush-mounting the stove into the hearth.

I love the stove. Its a quality/lifetime item. The large glass is great, and I don't miss the hearth at all. It stays clean with dry wood, and if I choke it down and it gets dirty I run it hot the next morning and it burns right off. I'm buring my own wood from my land. If you have to buy wood I'd suggest you get a pellet stove.

This being said, to do it again I'd get the mid-size Regency or PE. Afte all the concern of wanting to flush-mount the insert (little ones) we mounted it forward, so we could have a stovetop. It was the right decision, and when the power went out for 7 days it was a really really good decision.

I can't move all the heat this stove puts out, and the other ones are just as good and cheaper. The regency is close to the same insert, and the blower is standard on their unit. My friend has the mid-size Regency, and he saved $500 over what I paid, which is like getting free installation. DO NOT BOTHER WITH AN INSERT IF YOU DON'T GET THE BLOWER. Trust me, you'll be disappointed and you're wasting your money.

has any comments been posted on achieving good fire burning on a supreme volcano plus wood burning fireplace insert

It is almost two years since anyone has posted on this topic...is Eric still upset about his Regency? Does Regency care? And what about Ford...have they cried their eyes out over the slight they suffered?

All of this aside, I'd like to get an insert but am fighting the battle with my husband who likes to play with the fire or at least claims he does. Interestingly enough, I'm the one who sits by the fire and really spends time with it and would be the one who would miss it if we were to convert but, alas! practicality is my middle name, and I want a warmer house without spending a fortune. Scratch that - I want our odd house - where the thermostat is by the bedroom and where we like it cool at night - heated during the day by something other than my dreams of an island cruise.

Seriously, I believe our home is ideal for an insert. We live in a large older home where the fireplace/fire box could heat us nicely during the day and we could just keep the gas furnace down low, low, low for night time. My husband sees how this makes sense, how we can't afford to keep going how we're going, and blah blah blah, but he won't commit (rather like how our courtship went).

He also thinks inserts are ugly. Unlike our courtship. He always had the good sense to think I was pretty.

On top of all this, we have the oddest shaped/sized firebox you ever saw. It would end up having to take a really small insert because it is only like 15 or 16 inches deep and while it is fairly long on one side it kind of curves so it doesn't count -- not making sense here - but the point is that you are only supposed to count the smallest measurements when measuring so we're not going to do well on this end.

What I need help with is this: besides advice on what inserts are good quality, can anyone tell me about ones that are small and good? I know to get the blower. My husband would much prefer one that is flush - his biggest objection is that they jut out. He just doesn't like that look. He would maybe get over that if it had a lot of viewing area.

Why any of this should matter when the man is constantly playing computer games and I'm the one who sits by the fire is anyone's guess but it does matter so I've got to let him have his way on something and he's standing his ground deciding this is the thing he wants to well, stand his ground on!

When he sees the bills from the gas company he will really feel the burn and give in though, I think. Appreciate your help - Sootfoot5

Disappointed in Valor and their customer service

- Recently had a Valor 3.5 insert installed - after a few days it failed to turn on - it would make noise attempt to turn on but it failed - in addition the glass got foggy (the foggyness may or may not be normal it goes after 15-25 minutes..valor customer service said it was NOT normal, VALOR regional manager said it could be normal, installer once said it is normal another time said it is not, so who knows what's normal?) But the fireplace failing to turn on, meaning the ignition part failing to ignite that is the definitely not normal

- We sent videos and pictures to Valor as well as the company that installed it .. neither of them was helpful, Valor was even worse, we kept calling they said they would call us back they did not, after 4 weeks Valor finally called us back (meantime we were asking our installer if we could return it)

- so overall i am very disappoinrted in valor customer service, and also one of our friends had the valor 3.0 fireplace insert installed and that failed to turn on too and they had to get it fixed! we are talking about valor fireplaces that are a few days old, i also doubt that this was installer's fault, i think valor is over-rated and their quality control sucks, their customer service is TERRIBLE, BEWARE!

- finally after 2 months of arguing and threatening legal action our dysfunctional fireplace was replaced with a new one - our installer said he is sending our old fireplace to valor for quality control checks and thus installed new ones, so beware your valor fireplace might fail to turn on! and this is not normal - our installer said that this would not happen if we keep the pilot on always but this is NOT required by valor or in their operating manual - overall I amd disappointed with valor quality, I think their quality is not good at all as people say, and their customer service is more garbage than Rogers or Bell customer service, I warn you they will LEAVE you in the cold, they will not call u back and will not give you the info of the regional manager - I had to find that myself using certain avenues and I am glad to share it here: John McGovern - jmcgovern@valorflame.com
Only after a few weeks when I got this email and I emailed john did things start flowing, their own customer service never does anything for you, and John will "pretend" the valor customer service never told him of any problems..so beware with Valor..

- Oh and forgot to say that we are glad that we got the fan, despite the fact that valor fireplace is still sort of good without it, we feel its much better with the fan...