I'm an innkeeper on the coast of Maine and am doing my best to help with the heating of 7000 sq/ft with 2 woodstoves. One is a 3 yr. old VC Encore 2550 (Cat.)which totally heats my quarters, which is roughly 2000 ft/sq. Great stove, great heat...no problems.
I have been using wood to help heat since the Arab oil embargo in the 70s...mostly badly till I found this site several years ago. Now I am 2 yrs. ahead with my wood supply and am maintaining my equiptment much better. I can't tell you how much difference lurking here has made.
The rest of the inn is 5000 ft/sq heated by oil fired single pipe steam radiators. The house, a 3 story Victorian was built in 1849 and has the expected lack of wall insulation but new windows and lots of insulation in the attic. I supplement the steam heat with the 35 yr. old VC Vigilant 1977 which was here when we bought the Inn. I love this stove, but I think it's time to get something more efficient.
Here are my issues:
1. Inn guests can't see the fire when the doors are closed so when I have guests sitting in the LR, I open the doors and put in the screen...Way better than a regular fireplace, but glass doors would help a lot. Especially in Sept. and May/June when it's warm during the day and a bit chilly at night. Lots of open door/screen in time.
2. The Vigilant really puts out the heat and likes to run hot, 650 deg. for much of the time, has a relatively small firebox and needs to be fed heavilly and often.
3. The stove is in great shape, no warping or cracks, I redo the joints and regasket every other year or so and have a sweep here 2x/year., but it is old and it's time for a new stove.
What I hope for:
1. A stove that will burn cleanly and efficiently
2. A large firebox.
3. Glass doors.
4. Really put out the heat and help lower oil consumption in deep winter when we have few or no guests.
5. Burn well Sept., Oct. and May/June when I have to burn with doors open/screen in or with a very small fire and doors closed.
6. Look pretty for guests.
7. Can be burned with the doors open when I must.
The room the Vigilant is in is about 25'x15' with 5 doors and a staircase at both ends. The house was built by folks who planned on heating with parlor stoves and designed for it. When I get the stove fired up the warm air goes up the front stairs and the cool air returns down the back so there is no problem with overheating the LR where the stove is. I know that I can't heat 5000 sq/ft up to 70 deg. with 1 stove, but when I don't have guests at the Inn and can turn the t'stat down to 45 deg. I am hoping that I will be able to maintain that. I can do it with the Vigilant so long as outside temps stay above 20 deg., it's just a lot of work and a lot of wood.
The Vigilant is set up as a rear vent going into an 8" thimble centered at 28" up from the hearth then into a square 8" ceramic flue that is about 35' tall. The flue is about in the center of the building.
So far I'm thinking to replace it with a new VC 2in1 Defiant, but I would love to get some input from folks here.
I have been using wood to help heat since the Arab oil embargo in the 70s...mostly badly till I found this site several years ago. Now I am 2 yrs. ahead with my wood supply and am maintaining my equiptment much better. I can't tell you how much difference lurking here has made.
The rest of the inn is 5000 ft/sq heated by oil fired single pipe steam radiators. The house, a 3 story Victorian was built in 1849 and has the expected lack of wall insulation but new windows and lots of insulation in the attic. I supplement the steam heat with the 35 yr. old VC Vigilant 1977 which was here when we bought the Inn. I love this stove, but I think it's time to get something more efficient.
Here are my issues:
1. Inn guests can't see the fire when the doors are closed so when I have guests sitting in the LR, I open the doors and put in the screen...Way better than a regular fireplace, but glass doors would help a lot. Especially in Sept. and May/June when it's warm during the day and a bit chilly at night. Lots of open door/screen in time.
2. The Vigilant really puts out the heat and likes to run hot, 650 deg. for much of the time, has a relatively small firebox and needs to be fed heavilly and often.
3. The stove is in great shape, no warping or cracks, I redo the joints and regasket every other year or so and have a sweep here 2x/year., but it is old and it's time for a new stove.
What I hope for:
1. A stove that will burn cleanly and efficiently
2. A large firebox.
3. Glass doors.
4. Really put out the heat and help lower oil consumption in deep winter when we have few or no guests.
5. Burn well Sept., Oct. and May/June when I have to burn with doors open/screen in or with a very small fire and doors closed.
6. Look pretty for guests.
7. Can be burned with the doors open when I must.
The room the Vigilant is in is about 25'x15' with 5 doors and a staircase at both ends. The house was built by folks who planned on heating with parlor stoves and designed for it. When I get the stove fired up the warm air goes up the front stairs and the cool air returns down the back so there is no problem with overheating the LR where the stove is. I know that I can't heat 5000 sq/ft up to 70 deg. with 1 stove, but when I don't have guests at the Inn and can turn the t'stat down to 45 deg. I am hoping that I will be able to maintain that. I can do it with the Vigilant so long as outside temps stay above 20 deg., it's just a lot of work and a lot of wood.
The Vigilant is set up as a rear vent going into an 8" thimble centered at 28" up from the hearth then into a square 8" ceramic flue that is about 35' tall. The flue is about in the center of the building.
So far I'm thinking to replace it with a new VC 2in1 Defiant, but I would love to get some input from folks here.
