Osburn Everest III EPA 2020 Wood Burning Fireplace
Retractable cast-iron double doors on a clean-burning firebox. The Osburn Everest III (OB04017) is an EPA 2020-certified non-catalytic wood fireplace rated 85,000 BTU/hr maximum on dry cordwood at 71.6% optimum efficiency and 1.9 g/h, for 750 to 2,500 square feet. It frames 41-7/8" wide by 49-5/8" high by 24-1/2" deep with zero clearance to the enclosure, vents through a 6-inch listed chimney, takes 20-inch logs, and ships with its 176 CFM blower. Choose the black or brushed nickel door overlay and the Traditional or Modern faceplate above, both priced on top; from $5,399 for the fireplace alone.
Choose the Everest III if you want a certified heater that still looks like a fireplace: the cast-iron double doors are retractable, the blower is already in the box, and the same 8-inch and 6-inch openings take a gravity kit or a forced air kit when you want to move heat to another room. Pick the faceplate to suit the room — Traditional with horizontal louvers, or Modern with a paneled grille — and the overlay in black or brushed nickel.
It is not right for an open-door fire in the United States: burning with the doors open behind a rigid firescreen is prohibited wherever a particulate limit applies. It is not for a manufactured home in the USA (mobile homes are approved in Canada only) and not for an alcove. It needs a full 6-inch listed chimney at least 15 feet tall, an 80-inch ceiling above its base, and 16 inches of non-combustible floor in front. And it is a zone heater, not a furnace — keep a conventional heating system as the primary source.
Specifications
Frame the enclosure 41-7/8" wide, 49-5/8" high to the first header and 24-1/2" deep, add the thickness of any finishing material inside it, and leave the space above the fireplace empty to 80" from its base; with the fresh air intake plan on 60-3/4" of width and with a forced air kit 72-3/4". The back, sides and floor of the enclosure are zero clearance; the chimney keeps 2". A combustible side mantel may be up to 3" deep and sits at least 8" to the side of the door opening; a combustible side wall stays 21" from the opening; the wall in front stays 36" away. With the Traditional faceplate a combustible shelf sits 48" up for a 6" shelf and 54" for a 12" shelf; with the Modern faceplate the same heights need a metal heat shield 5" below the shelf. Floor protection is 16" deep and 36-3/4" wide, R 1.00 unless the fireplace stands on a base of 4" or more. The chimney is a 6" ULC-S629 / UL 103 HT system from the approved list — at least 15 feet from the base to the cap, at most two offsets, and one support at least. The 176 CFM blower is wired by an electrician; nothing else is electrical.
How the Everest III compares to the Horizon and Stratford II
The Everest III sits in the middle of Osburn's zero-clearance wood fireplaces. The Horizon is the big one — 95,000 BTU/hr, 1,000 to 2,800 sq ft, a 4.28 cu ft firebox that takes 25-inch logs for up to 11 hours, on an 8-inch flue; the Stratford II is the compact one at 80,000 BTU/hr for 750 to 2,200 sq ft with a 2.5 cu ft firebox. The Everest III gives you 85,000 BTU/hr and 750 to 2,500 sq ft on a 6-inch chimney, behind retractable cast-iron doors. The Everest III starts from $5,399; the Horizon from $5,824.
Features
- EPA 2020-certified non-catalytic firebox: 85,000 BTU/hr maximum output, 71.6% optimum efficiency, 1.9 g/h emissions and up to 8 hours per load
- Retractable cast-iron double doors with air-wash ceramic glass
- 176 CFM blower with rheostat and AUTO / MANUAL switch comes installed — no blower kit to buy
- Takes 20-inch logs (16-inch recommended) east-west in a 2.61 cu ft usable firebox, rated for 750 to 2,500 sq ft
- Zero clearance to the enclosure at the back, sides and floor; frames 41-7/8" wide x 49-5/8" high x 24-1/2" deep
- Ready for a traditional gravity kit through its two 8" top openings and a forced air kit through the 6" side or back opening; the fresh-air adapter and hatch ship in the box
Answers to common questions
What chimney does the Everest III need, and is any of it included?
None of the chimney is in the box. The fireplace vents through a 6-inch factory-built chimney listed to ULC-S629 / UL 103 HT (2100 °F) from the approved list (see Table 1 on page 19 of the installation manual) — DuraVent Dura Tech, Dura Tech Premium, DuraPlus HTC and Dura Plus AC; Selkirk Ultimate Plus, CF Sentinel, Super Pro 2100 and Super Vent 2100; Security Chimney ASHT and S-2100+; Olympia Chimney / SBI Ventis, Nexvent, Champion and Rockford; Metal Fab Temp Guard; American Metal HS and HSS — starting with a 6-inch anchor plate on the fireplace. Plan on at least 15 feet from the base of the fireplace to the cap (17 feet with four elbows), no more than two offsets, at least one support, 2 inches of clearance around the pipe, and 3 feet above the roof. Some brands add a ventilated roof flashing or an attic radiation shield. A masonry chimney works through an insulated liner.
How close can a mantel, a shelf or a side wall be?
The mantel rule here is for a side mantel beside the door opening — up to 3 inches deep, at least 8 inches to the side of the opening. A combustible side wall stays 21 inches from the door opening, and the wall facing the fireplace stays 36 inches away in the USA. Above the fireplace it depends on the faceplate. With the Traditional faceplate a combustible shelf goes 48 inches up for a 6-inch shelf, 50 for 8, 52 for 10 and 54 for 12 (add 42 inches to any other depth). With the Modern faceplate a non-combustible shelf 6 to 12 inches deep goes 48 inches up, and a combustible shelf needs a metal heat shield 5 inches below it at those same heights. The ceiling is never lower than 80 inches from the base. Send us your shelf depth if you want it checked — we're here to help!
What goes on the floor in front of it?
A continuous non-combustible surface at least 16 inches deep and 36-3/4 inches wide — 8 inches past each side of the door opening — such as ceramic on a non-combustible panel, concrete board or brick, never over carpet. When the fireplace sits on the floor or on a base under 4 inches, that surface needs an R-value of 1.00 (4 inches of brick plus 1 inch of Durock gets you 1.32); on a base of 4 inches or more no R-value is required. A folded metal strip at least 2 inches wide covers the joint between the floor protection and the fireplace, and it is not supplied.
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: The fireplace with moulded refractory panels, C-Cast baffle and secondary air tubes; 176 CFM blower with rheostat and AUTO / MANUAL switch, mounted under the firebox; Retractable cast-iron double doors with air-wash ceramic glass; Log retainers, Kindling Ignition Enhancer, top / side / back standoffs and the faceplate springs; 4-inch fresh-air adapter, air intake plate, screws and the intake hatch (for the optional outside-air connection); EPA 2020 certification, UL 127 / ULC S610 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 frames; it ships in a separate box; Faceplate - the Traditional or Modern faceplate that closes the front of the enclosure; a faceplate must be installed and it ships in a separate box; Venting - a 6" listed factory-built chimney from the approved list (see pg 19 in the installation manual) or a lined masonry chimney; Floor Protection - a continuous non-combustible surface 16 inches deep and 36-3/4 inches wide in front of the fireplace (R 1.00 unless the fireplace sits on a base of 4 inches or more) with a 2-inch folded metal strip at the joint; Electrical - a house circuit for the included blower, wired by a qualified electrician with the ground on the fireplace frame.
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Optional: The traditional gravity kit, the forced air kit and its 6-inch insulated flex pipe, the 4-inch fresh-air intake register with airtight damper and 4-inch insulated intake pipe, the firescreen door, NightFlame door glass and carrying handles — the fireplace burns and heats without any of them.
Is the blower included, and does the fireplace need electricity?
The 176 CFM blower is included, already mounted under the firebox with its rheostat and AUTO / MANUAL switch. It needs a house circuit run by a qualified electrician, with the ground attached to the fireplace frame. Nothing else on the fireplace is electrical — it burns and drafts on its own in a power outage; only the blower stops.
Can I burn it with the doors open?
Not in the United States. Osburn sells a firescreen door (AC01226) that hangs in the opening, but in the US, and in any Canadian province with a particulate emissions limit, running the fireplace open with a rigid firescreen is prohibited, and it is never allowed in a mobile home. Where it is permitted, never leave the fire unattended with the screen in. With the doors closed the Everest III runs as the certified heater it was tested to be.
Do I need an outside air kit?
It is optional — room air is the most reliable combustion supply, and outside air matters mainly in a tight house or one with a powerful kitchen exhaust. The fireplace ships with the 4-inch adapter, intake plate, screws and the hatch that closes the inlet when the fire is out; to connect outside air you add the 4-inch fresh-air intake register with its airtight damper and insulated 4-inch HVAC-class duct at least 10 feet long (at most 30, with a P-trap loop against condensation), on the right or left side. The outside end goes no more than 10 feet above or 3 feet below the base of the fireplace, above the snow line, and never draws from an attic, basement or garage.
Does buying from The Torch Guys affect my Osburn warranty?
No. The Osburn limited lifetime warranty applies to every Everest III on this page; it runs from your dated purchase invoice, so keep it and register the fireplace online at osburn-mfg.com with the serial number from the nameplate on the back. The Torch Guys will help you with any claim. The combustion-chamber welds and cast-iron door frame are covered for life on parts (5 years labour), the ceramic glass for life, the C-Cast baffle and secondary air tubes 7 years, the handle, glass retainers and air control 5 years, the blower and its controls 2 years, and paint, gaskets and refractory bricks 1 year. It covers the original purchaser, requires installation by a qualified technician, and is void if anything but cordwood is burned.
