Kozy Heat Osseo E-Series Built-In

Yes. The manual approves it as an insert in an existing wood-burning fireplace, with a shroud covering the rest of the opening, and it can also be recessed into a framed wall. For an insert install, there has to be an electrical connection inside the existing opening. The E29 measures 28-9/16 inches wide, 19-1/16 inches tall, and 11-1/2 inches deep, and the E34 is 32-5/16 by 22-7/8 by 11-1/2 inches; the manual doesn't list a separate minimum firebox size, so measure your opening against those numbers.

It's supplemental heat for one room, and Kozy Heat's figure is up to about 500 sq ft. Both sizes use the same heater: 750 watts on half power and 1,500 watts on full, rated at 5,000 BTU. The manual says it isn't intended to be a primary heat source, and for a fireplace that's meant to heat, Kozy Heat points to its Chaska gas inserts.

It depends on where it goes. As an insert in an existing fireplace, it uses the supplied power cord plugged into an outlet inside the opening; recessed into a framed wall, it must be hardwired by a licensed electrician. Either way it's rated at 120 volts and 1,500 watts on a dedicated 15-amp (or larger) breaker, and it should never run on an extension cord or power strip. Because it runs entirely on household power, it won't operate during an outage—the manual lists no battery backup for the fireplace.

Yes—the included remote is a thermostatic remote. You set a room temperature and the heater cycles on and off to hold it; the manual's example is a 70°F setting that starts the heater when the room drops to 66°F. Keep the remote in the same room, screen up, and away from the fireplace front or a sunny window so it reads the room correctly. A timer from 30 minutes to 8 hours shuts the whole unit off.

Yes. The heater button steps through half power, full power, and off, and the fire itself has its own on/off button on the control panel. The flame has four color settings and five brightness levels, the downlight has seven colors, and the floor (ember bed) lighting has thirteen, plus a red LED that pulses like glowing embers. There's also a wood-crackling sound with low, medium, high, and mute settings.

An insert install needs a shroud to cover the old opening, while a framed-wall install can take an optional rectangle surround or Chaska hanging bracket to cover the edge of the finishing material. Black one-piece shrouds come in 25x38, 27½x42, and 30x44 inches for the E29 and 27x40, 30x44, and 33x46 inches for the E34, plus a blank 3- or 4-piece shroud. Chaska screen fronts come in black, brushed stainless, antique copper overlay, black prairie, and vintage bronze arched mission, and the manual says they need the Chaska hanging bracket to hang on the Osseo.

Very close. A 12-inch combustible mantel can sit right at the top of the viewing area (0 inches), and a hearth can run right up to the bottom of it, but the wall bump-out, finishing material, and mantel together can't project more than 12 inches. The sides, back, and bottom need 0 inches to combustibles and the top of the unit needs 1 inch. Keep furniture and drapes 36 inches from the glass.

Smoked crushed glass comes in the box and spreads across the firebox floor over a reflective glass liner. Traditional and birch log sets are optional, and the brochure lists them as 12-piece sets. The traditional set's two large side logs are semi-transparent, so the flames glow through them.

Yes—the manual says it meets HUD construction and safety standards for manufactured homes when it's installed according to its instructions. Upkeep is light: With the power switched off, vacuum or wipe dust and pet hair from the air inlet and heater area regularly, and clean the glass with glass cleaner sprayed onto a cloth. Parts are covered for two years and labor reimbursement for one, and the warranty doesn't cover use outdoors, on porches, or in other damp places.