Osburn Matrix 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 contemporary cast iron face that sits flush with your masonry fireplace. The Osburn Matrix is an EPA 2020 certified non-catalytic wood insert with a 2.4 cu ft firebox, a built-in blower up to 90 CFM, a wide 19-5/8" x 11-7/8" ceramic-glass view, a 6" flue outlet, 79% optimum efficiency and 2.3 g/h particulate emissions. It is $3,949 with its cast iron faceplate included — there is nothing else to choose — and carries Osburn's limited lifetime warranty on the firebox welds and cast iron door frame.
Choose the Matrix if you want an open masonry fireplace to look like a modern fireplace and heat like a stove: the faceplate finishes flush with the masonry, the 19-5/8" x 11-7/8" glass is the tallest of Osburn's 2.4 cu ft inserts, and the blower moves heat into the room on its own once the insert is hot. It takes the 16" logs most firewood is cut to (up to 20"), and it arrives with its faceplate, so there is no trim or overlay to pick.
It is not right for a factory-built fireplace, a mobile or manufactured home 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 23-3/8" high, 28-7/8" wide and 19-5/8" deep (17-5/8" or 15-5/8" with the projection kit). It is a zone heater rather than a furnace, and a conventional backup heating system is still recommended. In the United States it burns with the door closed: open-door burning behind a fire screen is not permitted, so if you want an open fire this is not the insert.
Specifications
The masonry opening must be at least 23-3/8" high, 28-7/8" wide and 19-5/8" deep — 17-5/8" or 15-5/8" is enough when the 2" or 4" projection kit brings the insert forward, and 4" more width is recommended if you add a fresh air intake. Across the cast iron faceplate the insert measures 36-1/8" wide and 25-1/8" high. 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 fireplace floor is raised more than 5"; on a lower floor the added protection needs an R-value of 1.00 or more and reaches 23" — section 9.2 on pages 35 and 36 of the installation manual shows how to work it out for your fireplace. 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 blower runs on 115 V from a 96" power cord.
How the Matrix compares to the 2000-I and Inspire 2000-I 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 comes down to the look and whether your fireplace opening is big enough for each one. The Matrix has a contemporary cast iron face that finishes flush with the masonry and a 19-5/8" x 11-7/8" view; it needs 19-5/8" of depth, or less with its projection kit. The 2000-I has the traditional cast iron door with a 17-1/8" x 10-1/4" view and needs only 15-3/4"; the Inspire 2000-I has a steel door with a 20-1/4" x 9-1/2" view and needs 20-3/4". The Matrix is $3,949, the 2000-I starts from $3,129 and the Inspire 2000-I from $3,574.
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
- Contemporary cast iron faceplate in the box, designed with the blower assembly to finish flush with your masonry fireplace
- Cast iron door with ceramic glass and a wide 19-5/8" x 11-7/8" view
- 2.4 cu ft firebox that takes 16" logs (up to 20") loaded east-west, with burn times up to 8 hours
- Built-in blower up to 90 CFM that starts on its own once the insert is hot and stops when it cools
- 6" flue outlet for a stainless steel chimney liner, with the liner brackets and leveling brackets in the box
Answers to common questions
What venting does the Matrix 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, with at least 15 ft from the floor under the insert to the top of the chimney, and extend 3 ft above the roof and 2 ft above anything within 10 ft; 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 Matrix fit my fireplace?
It fits a sound masonry fireplace with an opening at least 23-3/8" high, 28-7/8" wide and 19-5/8" deep — add 4" to the width if you plan a fresh air intake — and it is never installed in a factory-built fireplace. As standard it sits with no projection in front of the opening; if your fireplace is shallower, Osburn's 2" or 4" projection kit brings the insert forward so 17-5/8" or 15-5/8" of depth is enough, and that kit fastens to one of Osburn's faceplate backing plate kits, bought with it. The cast iron faceplate measures 36-1/8" wide and 25-1/8" high; for a larger opening, the sheet-metal backing plates — 29" x 44" or 29" x 50", with a matching 6" bottom plate — close the gap behind it. Both kits are sold below the cart. Leveling brackets on each side at the back let the installer set the insert level.
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 the fireplace floor is raised more than 5"; on a floor 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 35 and 36 of the installation manual shows how to check whether your fireplace needs more, including with the projection kit.
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: Contemporary cast iron faceplate (top, sides and bottom) that finishes flush with the masonry fireplace; Built-in blower up to 90 CFM with an automatic / off / continuous switch and a 96" power cord; Cast iron door with 4 mm ceramic glass, air-wash system and adjustable handle; Firebrick-lined firebox, C-Cast baffle and four stainless steel secondary air tubes; Ash lip, two leveling brackets, three liner fixation brackets with screws and a damper notice plate; 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: Venting - a 6" listed stainless steel chimney liner running continuously from the insert to the top of the chimney (see pg 33 in the installation manual); Masonry Fireplace - an existing masonry fireplace and chimney with an opening at least 23-3/8" high, 28-7/8" wide and 19-5/8" 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 fireplace floor is raised more than 5"; otherwise R 1.00 or better extending 23" in front; Electrical - a standard 115 V outlet within reach of the blower's 96" cord.
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Optional: The rigid fire screen, the 5" fresh air intake kit, register and insulated flex pipe, the offset liner adapter and the liner hook up system — and, for an unusual opening, Osburn's sheet-metal faceplate backing plates for a larger opening and its 2" or 4" projection kit for a shallower one; 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, 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 4" more width in the fireplace opening for it.
Can I burn it with the door open, like an open fireplace?
Not in the United States — the door stays closed while it burns. The insert was tested for open-door use with the rigid fire screen, but in the US, and in any Canadian province with a particulate emission limit, open-door burning behind a fire screen is prohibited. Where it is allowed, the screen must be secured in the door opening and the insert is never left unattended with the door open.
Does buying online affect my Osburn warranty?
No. The warranty is Osburn's and applies to the insert whoever sells it; 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 underneath the insert, behind the blower, when it is installed. 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 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 refractory bricks; lifetime items are limited to one replacement. It requires installation by an authorized qualified technician and covers the original purchaser only.
