Top 10 Best Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts of 2021 – Reviews

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One thing that homeowners can consider when they’re trying to revitalize an old fireplace is whether they will want to add a wood burning fireplace insert in it. Although some people never consider the possibility of using one of these inserts to breathe new life into an old firebox, the fact of the matter is that one of these units can improve a fireplace’s efficiency anywhere from 40-70%, which is a significant improvement.

There probably isn’t anything finer than cozying up with your loved one in front of a roaring fire, especially when the weather is cold. Wood burning fireplaces just seem to have a special place in our hearts and are simply the dream when you think about how to celebrate the holiday season, a winter snowfall, or even reading bedtime stories. Maybe it’s the smell of burning wood or the primal feeling we all receive from gathering around a fire. Regardless, these fireplaces are sure to add a little warmth not only to our homes but to our dispositions as well and can truly make a house into a home.

How Does Wood Burning Fireplace Insert Work?

You may be wondering how exactly a new wood burning fireplace insert would work in your existing fireplace.  How does it function, is it safe, messy? You’re bound to have a wide range of questions which is completely normal! We’ve talked about wood burning fireplace many times on our website before so if you’ve looked at any of those other posts, some of the information below may sound a little bit familiar to you. That being said, we think that when it comes to all things fireplaces and fire, that the more education about the subject the better! 

A wood burning fireplace insert features a metal firebox that’s inside your existing fireplace. The fuel for the fire is loaded into the firebox through a pair of foods that far towards the inside of the room. Oxygen from the fire is located throughout the vents below the doors or on the sides of the inserts to ensure that the fireplace has ample airflow.

Are They Worth the Money?

Fireplace inserts can be as much as 80% efficient and therefore you can save quite a bit when it comes to your energy bill if you opt for a fireplace insert as opposed to other fireplace options. Inserts work out to be a more efficient way to heat your home and mean less use of oil, gas, or electricity that’s needed to keep your home nice and warm even in the winter months.

Before we can enjoy all of the benefits afforded to us by one of these fireplaces, however, we must first find the best one available. And that usually takes a little bit of work to sort through all of the models being sold nowadays. Fortunately, we’ve eliminated a lot of this work by choosing what we feel are the best wood burning fireplaces available.

We encourage you to take a scroll through this post and truly find the perfect wood burning fireplace inserts for you and your fireplace needs.

Before a homeowner can procure the benefits of one of these inserts, they first have to find the correct model for their application. To help these homeowners out, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best inserts for wood burning stoves currently available. Any one of the following models is sure to resurrect any old fireplace and turn it back into the focal point of the home.

Best Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts, Reviews

#10 Magnum Classic Black Country Flame

Magnum Classic Country Flame Black Insert

 

The Magnum Classic Black Country Flame is a beautiful insert that’s unlike many of the other inserts in this category. That’s because it’s capable of not only burning wood pellets, but it’s also capable of burning many different biomass fuels, so the homeowner can use whatever is available in their part of the world.

This wood pellet burning fireplace insert is thermostat ready and has been approved for zero clearance boxes. Another thing that’s nice about this product is that it lights easily with an electric lighter, so the user doesn’t have to mess around with matches or other lighting methods.

#9 Napoleon 1402 Insert With Blower

Napoleon 1402 Insert With Blower

Old masonry fireplaces are not only inefficient, but they can also be inconvenient to maintain. Fortunately, this wood burning fireplace insert solves that power by giving homeowners the ability to update their old box. This EPA-rate insert features a large viewing area window which gives people facing the fireplace a great view of the action, and it has two quiet blowers which help to circulate heat around the room.

This product can easily heat homes up to 2,000 square feet and is capable of holding 16-inch wood logs quite easily. And it has nice looking flashing that fits in with most decorative styles.

#8 Stove Builder International CW2900 Insert

Stove Builder International CW2900 Wood Insert

This EPA-certified insert features a 2.4 cubic foot firebox that’s capable of delivering a blistering 75,000 BTU per hour. That’s enough heat for it to provide heat for a home anywhere from 500 square feet to 2,000 square feet in size. It’s large enough to fit logs up to 20-inches in size and provide a maximum burn of 8-hours.

And since it has a classic design and a deep black color, this insert can be used in just about anyone’s home. All things kept in mind, this insert is a decent model that has a maximum efficiency rate of 75% and does a great job of revitalizing old fireboxes.

#7 Napoleon EPI3C Oakdale Series

Napoleon EPI3C Oakdale Series

This heavy-duty cast iron insert not only looks nice but it has a durable feel to it that just inspires confidence. It has a 1.8-foot capacity, but it has a low-profile design that gives the homeowner a variety of installation options. This insert is approximately 21.31 by 26.5 by 17.3-inches in size and can produce up to 55,000 BTU of heat.

Another innovation found on this insert is that it has a combustion air wash system that helps to keep combustion consistent and helps to keep the glass doors on it clean. All of these features come together to make this one efficient insert.

#6 Comfort Flame B36L-M Insert

Comfort Flame B36L-M Insert

Everything that’s needed to turn an obsolete fireplace into something serviceable can be found on this system. It uses an 8-inch chimney pipe and has a front width of 36-inches. This product also has a steel log grate and a mesh safety screen. If desired, the homeowner can also equip this insert with optional bi-fold glass doors, but those have to be purchased separately from it.

It’s also a fairly inexpensive insert that should provide the homeowner with many fires. Another feature that can be found on this insert is a refractory concrete liner that helps the heat produced by the fire radiate out from the fireplace.

#5 Napoleon Oakdale Series EPI-1101M

Napoleon Oakdale Series EPI-1101M

There are a number of things to like about the EPI-1101M. It’s a 45-inch wood burning fireplace insert that can generate up to 55,000 BTU of heat and uses a 6-inch flue. This unit has a large viewing area that really gives the homeowner a great look at this fireplace’s flames, and it has an arched cast iron door that gives it a classic look.

Included with this insert is a circulating blower that helps to circulate heat out from the fireplace and to circulate cool air into it. And since it has a single burn control, this product produces a clean burn by mixing just the right amount of air into it for combustion.

#4 Flame XTD 1.5-I Woodburning Insert

Flame XTD 15-I Woodburning Insert

A good woodburning insert should be easy to use and should be able to heat up a room nicely. This insert can satisfy both of those conditions and look good while doing it. It can produce up to 60,000 BTUs of heat, which is enough to warm up a home up to 1,600 square feet in size.

Its exterior dimensions are 27-inches by 20-inches by 23.5-inches deep, and it’s designed to fit into a fireplace with a minimum width of 29-inches and a minimum depth of 14-inches. Once installed, this EPA-approved product will burn nice and hot and do it while using only a fraction of the wood that a conventional fireplace needs.

#3 Drolet Escape Fireplace Insert

Drolet Escape Fireplace Insert

The main reason anyone wants to upgrade their fireplace to an insert is so that they can take advantage of energy efficiency features that have been placed into the newer models. And this model burns wood cleaner and more efficiently than old masonry fireplaces.

It’s 28-inches wide and can produce a BTU output of 60,000 BTUs. It has a built-in blower that can take all of that energy and use it to heat up a home up to 1,600 square feet in size. Inside of the firebox is a firebrick lining covering that helps to protect the steel of the firebox and promote even heat distribution.

#2 Napoleon EPI-1402P Insert

EPI-1402P Napoleon Insert

This fireplace insert is designed to be used as a replacement for an old and efficient masonry fireplace. All that has to be done is to retrofit the old model with the Napoleon 1402-P and experience warmth as you’d never expect your fireplace to produce. It has a 6-inch flue that doesn’t allow too much heat to escape.

This product is 44-inches wide and 32-inches high and can produce up to 70,000 BTU of heat. And since it has a fully lined firebox, it can maintain a high enough internal temperature to produce very low emissions and produce a more complete level of combustion.

#1 Timberwolf Economizer Fireplace Insert

Timberwolf Economizer EPA Fireplace Insert

Designed to fit into a fireplace with a minimum opening of 25-7/8-inch, this insert can be installed into a number of different masonry fireplaces. Once it’s been properly installed, this product can produce up to 65,000 BTUs of heat, which is enough to heat up to 2,000 square feet of a home.

This product uses a top vent flue with a 6-inch diameter and comes with two 55 cubic-foot-per-minute blowers to circulate air. This insert also comes with surround flashing and a door. However, the best thing about this product is that it’s easy to install and is easy to maintain.

How to Install a Wood-Burning Fireplace Insert

The idea of installing a wood burning fireplace insert blower may sound a little bit intimidating. The team at This Old House does a great job at making it simplified and definitely doable in their How to Install a Wood-Burning Fireplace Insert | This Old House YouTube video tutorial. 

We definitely recommend you watch the video below to get an idea of how it works and see if it’s something that you think you’re capable of doing yourself. 

Overall Thoughts

We hope that you found this post helpful when it comes to finding the wood burning fireplace inserts for your home whether you’re looking for wood burning fireplace inserts or wood burning fireplace insert blower. Fireplaces truly make your house feel like a home and sometimes, especially if you’re rennovating a property, you fireplace needs a major upgrade to get it up to standard. Wood burning fireplace inserts are just the solution to get your fireplace up to date without spending an arm and a leg replacing the whole fireplace. 

We hope that this post not only gave you important insight into things you should consider when searching for your perfect wood burning fireplace insert but with many options on the market today, we believe that if you go with any of the top-rated options above, we’re sure you’ll be thrilled with the experience and absolutely fall in love with your wood burning fireplace insert for years to follow.


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