Maggie, BEFORE you decide to replace your heat-a-lator, you might research it a bit more. The heat-a-lator has proven to be one of the best adaptations for a fireplace sourced wood heater. The basic problem, as I recal, is that the metal used, early on, was simply to light a guage, meaning too thin, to withstand the stresses. I would suspect, that with some searching, you 'might' find someone down there that can remake it, perhaps adding new back and sides, fans, whatever, without needing a major rebuild. I'm not sure, but snoop around and see what you can find. Just trying to be helpful! CHEERS, Bob