I definitely think that antss comments are worth paying heed to. I have a Bosch DW - some sort of 500 series that is now 4 years old. It is brilliant. I like it very much. It cleans spotlessly despite that it has to clean things that have been put into it 3-4 days prior, it dries excellently; the only "smell" I've ever had out of it was when we had a blocked discharge line that produced the DW smell and then - most noticeably - backed into the kitchen sink (upon clearing that blockage, no more DW smell either); it is quiet, water consumption low, looks good, has been very reliable and truly handles *everything*. So, my experience has been manifestly excellent. But I've always wondered about the complaints I've read here - some misplaced but surely not all! So I've been gravitating to just about the same conclusion that Antss espoused here that while they make good stuff (my DW experience couldn't have been *such* a fluke! I'm never that lucky), the high noise/complaint level does indicate that they can't quite take care of their clientele, selling through every tom-dick-and-harry (HD, Lowes, Best Buy etc) generates volumes of sales but before going down that route, it is imperative that the process for generating that volume of sales AND the after-market support must also be present. The squawk sheet to me would indicate that perhaps it isn't locked down quite so well. Antss has inside or at least more direct knowledge; my observations are anecdotal. Still, I believe his assessment because my speculations were leading me entirely that way. I continue to be delightedly happy with my DW. It truly handles everything - and usually 3-4 day old eveything, to boot. However, I'm getting increasingly anxious should the day arrive when it needs some tending to. Parts do fail - it happens. But you want the company to be responsive & provide the support for when that does happen. I'm going to cross my fingers, but the security that at least thus far you can expect from Miele is manifestly more reassuring than having to rely upon crossed fingers & toes!

It appears that the Lennox Estate series 36" and 50" are the only ones left that have good opening proportions. The others either have unsightly grilles and/or short openings. The Lennox Colonial 36 was the best I've ever seen but apparently it is no longer offered. Sadly authentic looking fireplaces are on their way to extinction. Here is a link that might be useful: Lennox

The height is adjustable with the legs. However, if you install the outside airkit and fan, or either, the minimim total height is 45" unless you also buy the remote fan box, then it can be as low as 1" off the ground. I just measured mine, and the trim ring is exactly 11" off the tile hearth, and if I remeber corrected, the fan box was 12" tall, so minus the extra height the trim ring added, and the tile, that makes sense. The top of the trim ring measure 39", so if you look at the drawing, you see I installed mine as the absolute minimum heights, give or take a 1/2"; without buying the remote fan box. If I was doing it again, I'd buy the remote fan box and install it lower, since it makes sense to have it as low as possible. Luckily, I route my convection air instakes to pull the coldest air from the bottom of the room. (See page 21, http://wittus.com/Specs/Optifire%20Manual.pdf) My mantel is much higher the the frame, becuase we wanted it that way, and the install instruction specify a minimum of 28", unless you run the remote hot air outlets, which I did not. . With remote hot air outlets (e.g. above the mantel you can go as low as 12". If you mantel is combustible, it says you have to have remote hot air outlets. Mine mantel is stainless steel and therefor, even though it has a wooden frame, I assumed it was not combustible. (See page 23, http://wittus.com/Specs/Optifire%20Manual.pdf) As far as the outside air, that is the part that I described above as being not all that great. They call it make up air for a reason. Really, outside air should route directly to the combustion chamber, not mix with the convection air, but I suspect the outside air kit was added by the US/Canadian importer to meet certain regulations. The problem with it is, after the fire burns out, with the outside air damper open, it leaks cold outside air under the unit, and in my case out the convection air instakes. Anyway, somehow, you have to allow for 65 square inches of intake air, and you get to count the outside air intake as well as the convection air intake as part of that. Here is a copy and paste from my installation notes on how I achieved the 65 square inch minimum: "The biggest pain of this whole thing is with the clean face of the fireplace it needs a place to draw convection air in and it has to be 65 square inches. Not wanting to put a 12"x6" grate underneath, we choose to slightly bump out the fireplace and put two grates on each side. I think I would have preferred the flat front, but I don't think I would have liked that grate, and it likely would have been a tad louder as well. Anyway, coming up with the 65 square inches has proven to be challenging, but I think I got it. Two grates that measure 13.5"x2" one on each side give me 27 square inches each. And then you are also allowed to count outside air intake, which at 4" gives me 3.14*2*2 or 12.56 square inches. That makes for a grand total of 66.56 square inches. Now if I could just get going on the straightening of the chimney before it gets so cold I can't get on the roof and actually start the framing. I guess I am probably being overly cautious and taking this whole thing at about a quarter the speed I normally would. But now that all the safety related stuff is out of the way, things should go quicker. " So, do you need outside air? Depends on local codes on how air tight your place is. I needed it for both reasons. Our code required it, and my house is so air tight, if I make a fire and fail to open the outside air intake, the fireplace will pull smoke back down the outer chimney liner which then mixes with the convection air and fills the house with smoke. You could also feel to suction on the door when you opened it. The first time this happened, I thought the chase was on fire, until I figure out what was going on. Hope that helps. If you have any more questions, let me know, I try and check back once a week or so. The other night it got down to 44, almost had to make the first fire of the year, in September, no less.

I have the FPX 44 elite. It is a great fireplace - can really crank out the BTU's. The other thing I like is how efficient the burn is - very few ashes left over after a long burn. The firebox looks nice - like an old fashioned unit. The installation is not easy - there are 3 vents that need to be hooked up within the specifications provided and there are minimum clearance requirements on mantels made from combustable material. Make sure you carefully read the install instructions yourself and follow your installer to make sure they follow the directions (I found some issues with my guys - even my builder did not know all the details on how to put one of these in). $5600 installed is a good price - does that include the electrical connection? I don't know much about the other firebox you mentioned although I have read reviews of it on the fireplace forum. what could possibly warrant a 2000 extra cost for that unit?