First post here. Sorry for the ramble so much is on my mind. I am shopping for a new efficient freestanding stove for my 1800 sf home. I have been using a late 80s Sweet Home stove since house built in 1989. Stove has 8" collar and have an 8" flue. (Single wall on Main floor, double wall thru 2nd loftish floor and another approx 6' outside to cap - all straight from top of stove ). I am giving much thought to a Lopi Endeavor, Liberty or BK Princess. Drawn to the Hearthstone Mansfield but gotta get around my husband who thinks soapstone is a gimmick. I am also worried about having to replace soapstone down the road and coming home from being gone to an ice cold house and having to wait hours before I feel the warmth (am I exagerating?) So I went to the stove shop and realized several of these stoves I like have 6" collars. Are these stoves engineered to work best with 6" flues? I understand you shouldn't use a decreaser, say going from an 8" collar to 6" pipe but any downsides to increasing? Is it funky looking? Not much showing of installs on Google images.
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