Osburn Matrix 1900 Wood Burning Fireplace Insert
45,000 BTU/hr of wood heat from a small masonry fireplace. The Osburn Matrix 1900 is an EPA 2020 certified non-catalytic tapered insert rated for 250 to 1,200 square feet at 82% optimum efficiency and just 1.5 g/h of particulates, with a 1.1 cu ft firebox for 16" logs, a 90 CFM blower built in, its cast-iron faceplate already installed, a 19" x 26" x 15-1/2" minimum fireplace opening and a 6" flue outlet, from $3,239 for the insert alone — the door overlay you choose above is required to complete it and is priced on top — and a limited lifetime warranty on the firebox welds and door frame.
Choose the Matrix 1900 if you have a smaller masonry fireplace that loses more heat than it gives and you want a real wood fire for a cabin, a family room or a small home — burns of up to 7 hours on 16" logs behind a wide closed ceramic-glass door, with the blower moving warm air into the room. It is the smallest Osburn insert: its tapered top and sides fit openings the larger inserts cannot, and its cast-iron faceplate comes on the insert, so the only part you add to complete it is the door overlay.
It is not for a factory-built (prefab metal) fireplace — it goes only into a masonry fireplace and chimney built for wood, and that fireplace has to pass a Level II inspection first. It is not approved for a mobile or manufactured home, an alcove or a bedroom, it cannot connect straight into the clay tile of a masonry chimney, and it needs a 6" stainless liner running all the way to the top of the chimney. It is sized for 250 to 1,200 sq ft, so for a large open floor plan look at a bigger insert. In the United States it burns with the door closed, so if you want an open fire this is not the insert.
Specifications
The masonry fireplace opening must be at least 19" high, 26" wide and 15-1/2" deep (Osburn recommends at least 4" more width with a fresh air intake), and the insert slides in until its air jacket is flush with the fireplace facing. The insert body is 28-1/4" wide and 20-1/4" high, the cast-iron faceplate in front of it 36" wide and 23-7/8" high, and the whole unit 21" deep. Keep 16" to an adjacent side wall and 1" from the faceplate to a combustible side or top surround; the combustible mantel shelf clearance is shown in Figure 7 on page 11 of the installation manual. In the United States, floor protection reaches at least 16" in front of the door opening, and the depth of your existing hearth extension counts toward it — Tables 1 and 2 on page 12 give the full footprint. Venting is a listed 6" stainless steel liner running from the insert to the top of the chimney, at least 12 ft of liner and 15 ft of total system height. The blower plugs into a 115 V outlet.
How the Matrix 1900 compares to the Osburn 1700 and Matrix 2700 inserts
The Osburn 1700 insert is the next size up — 65,000 BTU/hr, 500 to 1,800 sq ft and a 1.86 cu ft firebox for logs up to 18" — from $2,789. The Matrix 2700 is the large tapered insert at 80,000 BTU/hr for 750 to 2,200 sq ft with a 2.5 cu ft firebox for logs up to 20", from $4,619. The Matrix 1900 is the compact choice at 45,000 BTU/hr and 250 to 1,200 sq ft, from $3,239.
Features
- EPA 2020 certified non-catalytic wood insert — 45,000 BTU/hr maximum on dry cordwood, 82% optimum efficiency and just 1.5 g/h particulates, rated for 250 to 1,200 sq ft
- Tapered top and sides fit smaller masonry fireplaces — the opening can be as small as 19" high x 26" wide x 15-1/2" deep
- Cast-iron faceplate with a patterned upper louver and columns, already installed, and a wide arched ceramic-glass door finished with a black or brushed nickel overlay
- 90 CFM blower built in flush with the front, with a variable-speed control and a heat sensor that starts and stops it on its own
- 1.1 cu ft firebox for 16" logs east-west (17" maximum) and burns of up to 7 hours, with a deep ash bed that stretches the time between cleanings
Answers to common questions
What venting does the Matrix 1900 need, and is any of it included?
It needs a listed 6" stainless steel chimney liner for solid fuel — UL 1777 in the United States — running continuously from the insert's flue collar to the top of the chimney, and the liner itself is not included. What ships with the insert is the liner fixation bracket in the manual kit that secures the liner's starter adapter to the flue outlet; the optional liner hook-up system and offset liner adapter are sold below. The liner must be at least 12 ft long, the whole system at least 15 ft from the floor to the top of the chimney, and the chimney must rise 3 ft above the roof and 2 ft above anything within 10 ft; a 12" length of rigid liner above the masonry to the rain cap is strongly recommended. The insert cannot connect straight into the clay tile of a masonry chimney, and the flue can serve no other appliance. Our team can build the liner package for your chimney.
What kind of fireplace can it go into, and how much room does it need?
A masonry fireplace and chimney built for wood, and nothing else — it is not for a factory-built (prefab metal) fireplace. Before installation the fireplace and chimney need a Level II inspection, and any damage has to be repaired first. The opening must be at least 19" high, 26" wide and 15-1/2" deep (Osburn recommends at least 4" more width with a fresh air intake). Keep 16" to an adjacent side wall and 1" from the faceplate to a combustible side or top surround; the mantel shelf clearance is shown in Figure 7 on page 11 of the installation manual — send us your mantel height and depth and we will check it with you. In the United States, floor protection reaches at least 16" in front of the door opening, counting your existing hearth extension; the full footprint is Tables 1 and 2 on page 12. It is not approved for a bedroom, an alcove or a mobile home.
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: Cast-iron faceplate, installed on the insert, with its decorative panel; 90 CFM blower with variable-speed control, on/off switch and heat sensor, with its 96" power cord; Single door with a cast-iron frame and arched 5/32" ceramic glass; Refractory brick, C-Cast baffle and stainless secondary air tubes; Removable air control handle with its holder; Manual kit with liner fixation bracket, fresh air intake cover plate and blower wiring parts; EPA 2020 certification, UL 1482 / UL 737 safety listing, and the Osburn limited lifetime warranty.
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Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Door Overlay - the black or brushed nickel overlay that finishes the cast-iron door (choose above); the insert does not come with one; Venting - a listed 6" stainless steel chimney liner (UL 1777), continuous from the insert to the top of the masonry chimney; Masonry Fireplace - an existing masonry fireplace and chimney built for solid fuel that passes a Level II inspection before installation; it cannot go into a factory-built fireplace; Floor Protection - non-combustible floor protection reaching 16" in front of the door opening (US), counting your existing hearth extension (see Tables 1 and 2 on page 12 of the installation manual); Electrical - a 115 V household outlet within reach of the blower's 96" power cord.
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Optional: The rigid firescreen, the 5" fresh air intake kit with its register and insulated flex pipe, the 32" x 44" cuttable faceplate, the offset liner adapter and the liner hook-up system — the insert installs and heats without any of them.
My fireplace opening is bigger than the faceplate. What do I use?
The optional 32" x 44" cuttable faceplate. It covers a fireplace opening larger than the insert's own cast-iron faceplate, and it is cut to size and either screwed to the insert's faceplate or clamped between the insert and the masonry. Measure the face of your fireplace around the opening before you order; if you are not sure, send us your measurements and we will help you choose.
Does it need an outside air supply?
Not by default — room air is the most reliable combustion air for a wood insert, and the fresh air intake is optional. It helps in a tight house or one with a powerful kitchen exhaust that can pull the house negative. The 5" fresh air intake kit fits either end of the insert, with the supplied plate closing the unused side, and runs through insulated HVAC flex pipe to a termination on an outside wall; plan on a fireplace opening at least 4" wider if you add it.
Can I burn it with the door open, like an open fireplace?
Not in the United States — the Matrix 1900 runs with its door fully closed and opens only to light or reload, with the blower switched off before you open the door fully to add wood. A rigid firescreen is offered for open-door use, but in the US, and in provinces with a particulate emissions limit, burning with the door open behind a rigid firescreen is prohibited. Where it is allowed, the insert is never left unattended with the screen in use, the blower stays off, and the screen is not used with the offset liner adapter.
Does buying online affect my Osburn warranty?
No. The warranty is Osburn's and it runs from your dated purchase invoice, so keep it and register the insert online at osburn-mfg.com with the model and serial number from its certification plate. The Torch Guys will help you with any claim. Coverage is a limited lifetime on the combustion chamber welds and cast-iron door frame (5 years labour) and on the ceramic glass, 7 years on the baffle, air tubes, surrounds and trims, 5 years on the handle, glass retainers and air control, 2 years on the blower and controls, and 1 year on paint, gaskets and other options. It covers the original purchaser only and requires installation by an authorized qualified technician.
