Osburn 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, in a masonry fireplace opening as small as 28-7/8" wide, 23-3/8" high and 15-3/4" deep. The Osburn 2000-I is an EPA 2020 certified non-catalytic wood insert with a 2.4 cu ft firebox, a heat-activated blower up to 144 CFM in the box, a 17-1/8" x 10-1/4" ceramic-glass view, a 6" flue outlet, 79% optimum efficiency and 2.3 g/h particulate emissions. It starts from $3,129 for the insert alone — the door overlay and faceplate you choose above are required to complete it — and carries Osburn's limited lifetime warranty on the firebox welds and cast iron door frame.
Choose the 2000-I if you want to turn an open masonry fireplace into a real heater without rebuilding it: it needs only 15-3/4" of depth, 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 the regular 29" x 44" faceplate or the large one that covers up to 32" high and 50" wide, in black or brushed nickel trim, and match it with a black or brushed nickel door overlay.
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 23-3/8" high, 28-7/8" wide and 15-3/4" deep. 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 15-3/4" deep — add 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, or 21" with the optional heat shield. 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 8.4 on pages 33 and 34 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 blower runs on 115 V from a 96" power cord.
How the 2000-I compares to the Inspire 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 comes down to the look and whether your fireplace opening is big enough for each one. The 2000-I has the traditional cast iron door with arched glass and a 17-1/8" x 10-1/4" view, and it needs the shallowest opening of the three — 15-3/4", against 19-5/8" for the Matrix (it varies with its projection kit) and 20-3/4" for the Inspire 2000-I. The Inspire 2000-I has a steel door with a wider 20-1/4" x 9-1/2" view; the Matrix has a contemporary cast iron face with a 19-5/8" x 11-7/8" view that finishes flush with the masonry. The 2000-I starts from $3,129, the Inspire 2000-I from $3,574 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
- Heat-activated blower up to 144 CFM included — it starts when the insert is hot and stops when it cools, with a low and high speed setting
- Cast iron door with arched ceramic glass and a 17-1/8" x 10-1/4" view, finished with a black or brushed nickel door overlay
- Fits a masonry fireplace opening as small as 28-7/8" wide, 23-3/8" high and only 15-3/4" deep, framed by a regular 29" x 44" or large 32" x 50" 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 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 2000-I fit my fireplace?
It fits any sound masonry fireplace with an opening at least 23-3/8" high, 28-7/8" wide and 15-3/4" deep — add 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 — the regular size is 29" x 44" and the large one covers up to 32" high and 50" wide — and a faceplate extension ships in the box for most hearths. For an irregular opening such as fieldstone, Osburn makes an 18-gauge 32" x 50" faceplate you cut to shape. Leveling bolts on each side let the installer set the insert so the faceplate sits on the hearth.
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; the optional heat shield, which mounts on the faceplate, lowers both the mantel shelf and top surround clearance to 21". 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 8.4 on pages 33 and 34 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?
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Included in the box: Heat-activated blower up to 144 CFM with an OFF / LO / HI speed control and a 96" power cord, plus the ash lip it mounts under; Cast iron door with arched 4 mm ceramic glass, air-wash system and adjustable handle; Firebrick-lined firebox, C-Cast baffle and four stainless steel secondary air tubes; Faceplate extension, three liner fixation brackets with screws, leveling bolts 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: Door Overlay - the black or brushed nickel trim that finishes the insert's cast iron door frame (choose above); the insert ships without one; Faceplate - the regular (29" x 44") or large (32" x 50") faceplate with its matching trim, which closes the gap between the insert and your fireplace opening (choose above); Venting - a 6" listed stainless steel chimney liner running continuously from the insert to the top of the chimney (see pg 31 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 15-3/4" 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 - a standard 115 V outlet within reach of the blower's 96" cord.
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Optional: The rigid fire screen, the heat shield that lowers mantel and top-surround clearances to 21", the cuttable faceplate for an irregular opening, 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 overlay and 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 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, whichever overlay or faceplate you choose. 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 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 air jacket 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.
