Osburn Inspire 2000-I EPA 2020 Wood Insert
75,000 BTU/hr of heat from dry cordwood, 500 to 2,100 square feet of coverage and burn times up to 8 hours, behind a clean-lined steel door with a wide 20-1/4" x 9-1/2" ceramic-glass view. The Osburn Inspire 2000-I is an EPA 2020 certified non-catalytic wood insert with a 2.4 cu ft firebox, a factory-installed blower up to 176 CFM, a 6" flue outlet, 79% optimum efficiency and 2.3 g/h particulate emissions, for a masonry fireplace opening at least 29" wide, 24-5/8" high and 20-3/4" deep. It starts from $3,574 for the insert alone — the faceplate you choose above is required to complete it — and carries Osburn's limited lifetime warranty on the firebox welds and ceramic glass.
Choose the Inspire 2000-I if you want a contemporary look in an open masonry fireplace that is at least 20-3/4" deep: the steel door gives the widest view of the three Osburn inserts that share its firebox, it takes the 16" logs most firewood is cut to (up to 20"), and the blower moves heat into the room on its own once the insert is hot. Pick a narrow U-shaped or narrow 4-sided faceplate, or the 32" x 50" cuttable faceplate cut to the shape of your opening.
It is not right for a factory-built fireplace, a mobile or manufactured home, an alcove or a bedroom — it installs only inside a masonry fireplace with a masonry chimney, on its own 6" stainless steel liner, and the opening must be at least 24-5/8" high, 29" wide and 20-3/4" deep; a shallower fireplace needs a different insert. It is a zone heater rather than a furnace, and a conventional backup heating system is still recommended. It burns with the door closed only, so if you want an open fire this is not the insert.
Specifications
The masonry opening must be at least 24-5/8" high, 29" wide and 20-3/4" deep — add at least 4" to the width if you add a fresh air intake. Keep 16" from the insert to an adjacent side wall, 9" to a combustible side surround and 27" to a combustible top surround; a combustible mantel shelf up to 12" deep sits at least 27" above the insert. In front, non-combustible floor protection reaches 16" (18" in Canada) and 8" to the side when the hearth is raised more than 5"; on a lower hearth the added protection needs an R-value of 1.00 or more and reaches 23" — section 9.2 on pages 36 to 38 of the installation manual shows how to check whether your hearth extension already covers it. The venting is a continuous 6" stainless steel liner listed to UL 1777 from the insert to the top of a chimney at least 12 ft tall, 3 ft above the roof and 2 ft above anything within 10 ft. The insert weighs 380 lb, and the blower plugs in with a 6' power cord.
How the Inspire 2000-I compares to the 2000-I and Matrix inserts
All three share the 2.4 cu ft firebox, the 75,000 BTU/hr maximum and the 500 to 2,100 sq ft rating, so the choice is the look and the size of your fireplace. The Inspire 2000-I has a contemporary steel door with the widest view of the three, 20-1/4" x 9-1/2", and needs the deepest opening — 24-5/8" high, 29" wide and 20-3/4" deep. The 2000-I has a traditional cast iron door with arched glass and a 17-1/8" x 10-1/4" view and needs only 15-3/4" of depth; the Matrix has a cast iron face with a 19-5/8" x 11-7/8" view that finishes flush with the masonry and needs 19-5/8" (it varies with its projection kit). The Inspire 2000-I starts from $3,574, the 2000-I from $3,129 and the Matrix from $3,949.
Features
- EPA 2020 certified non-catalytic wood insert — 75,000 BTU/hr maximum on dry cordwood, 79% optimum efficiency and 2.3 g/h particulates, rated for 500 to 2,100 sq ft
- 2.4 cu ft firebox that takes 16" logs (up to 20") loaded east-west, with burn times up to 8 hours
- Blower up to 176 CFM installed at the factory — on automatic it starts when the insert is hot and stops when it cools
- Clean-lined steel door with a wide 20-1/4" x 9-1/2" ceramic-glass view and a self-cleaning glass system
- Fits a masonry fireplace opening at least 29" wide, 24-5/8" high and 20-3/4" deep, finished with a narrow U-shaped, narrow 4-sided or 32" x 50" cuttable faceplate
- 6" flue outlet for a stainless steel chimney liner, with the liner brackets and screws in the box
Answers to common questions
What venting does the Inspire 2000-I need, and is any of it included?
It needs a 6" stainless steel chimney liner listed to UL 1777, running continuously from the insert's 6" flue outlet to the top of your masonry chimney, and the liner itself is not included — our team puts the venting package together for your chimney. The insert ships with the three brackets and screws that fasten the liner's starter adapter to the flue outlet, and Osburn also makes a liner hook up system and an offset liner adapter; the offset adapter is a last resort for a liner that does not line up, used only where the fireplace and chimney total at least 20 ft. The chimney must be at least 12 ft tall, extend 3 ft above the roof and 2 ft above anything within 10 ft, and a 12" length of rigid liner at the top is strongly recommended. The fireplace damper is locked open or removed, the liner may not connect straight into the clay tile, and the flue may serve no other appliance.
Will the Inspire 2000-I fit my fireplace?
It fits a sound masonry fireplace with an opening at least 24-5/8" high, 29" wide and 20-3/4" deep — add at least 4" to the width if you plan a fresh air intake — and it is never installed in a factory-built fireplace. The faceplate you choose above covers the gap around it and clips onto the insert; pick a narrow U-shaped or narrow 4-sided faceplate, or the 16-gauge 32" x 50" cuttable faceplate that is cut to the size of your opening. Levelling bolts on each side let the installer set the insert in place.
How close can a mantel, wall or surround be, and what goes on the floor?
Keep 16" from the insert to an adjacent side wall, 9" to a combustible side surround and 27" to a combustible top surround. A combustible mantel shelf can be up to 12" deep and must sit at least 27" above the insert. In front, non-combustible floor protection reaches at least 16" (18" in Canada) and 8" to the side when your hearth is raised more than 5"; on a hearth raised 5" or less the added protection needs an R-value of 1.00 or more and reaches 23" in front. Section 9.2 on pages 36 to 38 of the installation manual shows how to check whether your existing hearth extension already covers it.
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
-
Included in the box: Factory-installed blower up to 176 CFM with an automatic / manual / off switch, plus its 6' power cord; Steel-frame door with 4 mm ceramic glass, self-cleaning glass system, adjustable handle and cold hand door opener; Firebrick-lined firebox, C-Cast baffle and four stainless steel secondary air tubes; Three liner fixation brackets with screws, levelling bolts and a damper notice plate; EPA 2020 certification, UL 1482 / UL 737 safety listing, and the Osburn limited lifetime warranty.
-
Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Faceplate - the narrow U-shaped, narrow 4-sided or 32" x 50" cuttable faceplate that closes the gap between the insert and your fireplace opening; the insert ships without one; Venting - a 6" listed stainless steel chimney liner running continuously from the insert to the top of the chimney (see pg 34 in the installation manual); Masonry Fireplace - an existing masonry fireplace and chimney with an opening at least 24-5/8" high, 29" wide and 20-3/4" deep; it cannot go in a factory-built fireplace; Floor Protection - non-combustible protection 16" in front of the insert and 8" to the side when the hearth is raised more than 5"; otherwise R 1.00 or better extending 23" in front; Electrical - an outlet within reach of the blower's 6' power cord.
-
Optional: The NightFlame semi-transparent black door glass, the 5" fresh air intake kit, register and insulated flex pipe, the offset liner adapter and the liner hook up system — the insert burns and heats without any of them.
Does it need an outside air supply?
Not by default — room air is the safest and most reliable combustion supply, whichever faceplate you choose, and the fresh air intake is optional. It matters in a house where a powerful exhaust such as a kitchen range hood can pull the pressure negative. The 5" fresh air intake kit fits on the right or left side and connects to an outside wall termination through insulated HVAC pipe (ULC S110 / UL 181, class 0 or 1); allow at least 4" more width in the fireplace opening for it.
What is NightFlame glass?
It is an optional semi-transparent black ceramic glass that replaces the clear glass in the Inspire 2000-I door, whichever faceplate you choose. You still see the fire through it while it burns; when the fire is out, it hides the inside of the firebox and the ash and residue in it, so the insert reads as a clean black panel.
Does buying online affect my Osburn warranty?
No. The warranty is Osburn's and applies to every configuration on this page; it runs from your dated purchase invoice, so keep it and register the insert online at osburn-mfg.com, noting the serial number from the label on the side of the insert when it is installed. The Torch Guys will help you with any claim. Coverage is a limited lifetime on the combustion chamber welds (5 years labour) and on the ceramic glass, 7 years on surrounds, trims, baffle and air tubes, 5 years on the handle and air control, 2 years on the blower and controls, and 1 year on paint, gaskets and other options; lifetime items are limited to one replacement. It requires installation by an authorized qualified technician and covers the original purchaser only.
