Englander 30 Vs. 13

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BobUrban

BobUrban

Minister of Fire
Jul 24, 2010
1,933
Central Michigan
OK - I am getting ready to pull the trigger on a new EPA stove and it will be the 30nc but due to the rave reviews. I am starting to wonder if it is too much stove? I subscribe to the theory that deciding on the size needed and then going one bigger is best but I am a bit worried this may be just to much?

I know until it is in and burnning there is little in the way to tell exactly how either stove will perform but still here looking for opinions/suggestions?

Home: 1600sq' two story that I have heated completely with my VC Defient this winter without any trouble. 70+ easily on the main floor and 68+ up stairs. House was built in 2000 but is not real tight and can be a bit drafty on windy days.

I have been good with the VC but would like the better stove for the "more heat/less wood" and my insurance company wants me to upgrade.

***For those who use the 30 for primary heat - how much space are you heating and can I burn smaller, hot fires during shoulder season or am I just going to cook for a month on bothe ends of the burn season? My biggest concern with the 30 is shoulder season and too much heat? Will the stove perform if I am not filling it and really cranking out the BTU's during shoulder season?

***For those with the 13 - how much space are you heating and what are my realistic expectations with the "little brother" stove regarding overnight burns and area heated?

I have plenty of wood that is CSS'd now for next year(5 cord of dead ash) so quality of fuel will not be a problem. Cost is not an issue either - I would like to save the 200.00 or so but will not compromise that Vs. a toasty house.

Thanks for any help
 
I'd go with the big boy! 250 bux (899 vs 649) and twice the stove. My family restyurant has one that they heat a large open area with. It is drafty cause of opening and closing doors but it works well on large load and small load.....that is if englander is your choice.
 
I have the 13 and am liking it. I only heat a small area (less than 1000) and that's on the weekends. BUT...I sure would enjoy the longer burn times presented by the 30.
With a house your size, I wouldn't even consider the 13. Go with the 30. When it comes time for less heat, (shoulder season) just burn less.
 
I use the 13 to heat my home office & laundry (500 sq ft but drafty) but only on weekdays with cold restarts every morning. It's a very nice little stove but I would find it difficult to use for 24/7 burning. The firebox just isn't large enough for me to get more than a 4-6 hour burn. I don't mind since I need to get up from the desk and move around anyway. But if I were going to heat a larger area, I'd absolutely go with the 30.
 
Get the 30 no question. I am heating 1400 with the 13 on one floor. Just does it. Would love the extra horsepower of the 30 if it would have fit.
 
I saw the 13 at home depot and it looks like it doesnt hold much wood. The 30 can be loaded both n-s and e-w no problem.
 
I heat 1400sqft upstairs w/30-nc. I like it warm when it's cold out. I like waking to 73* and a box w/plenty-o-coals. Get the blower too, it adds flexibility. I can't imagine living with a stove that loads east/west. Seems like loading wood trough a mail slot to me.
 
i have the nc 30 and it is a heat bomb my 1800 squar foot house is in the upper 70s all the time go with the 30 you can allways open a windo
 
Sounds like there is a concensus in regard to the 30 which was the direction I was leaning so 30 it will be!!

Looking forward to seeing what difference the 30 makes over my old school stove.

Thanks for all the input
 
Are you putting the new stove in place of the current one? Just looking at a picture of your stove in another thread. Doesn't look like your clearances are enough? Or maybe it's the angle. Your Defiant probably has an 8" flue as well?

And ya, 30 without a doubt. The 13 looks mighty small.
 
Yes - it is going in the same spot to replace the old stove. I have an unlimited resource of the 100+ year old pavers I built my hearth out of and plan to take it laterally to the side walls on each side and extend it forward in a round out front of the stove to meet clearance specs and accomodate the front loading door. I also plan to add inside walls of brick on either side of the new stove for wood storage areas. This way I can just toss wood in on both sides and the place will remain a little cleaner around the stove.

As far as the 8" goes it will stay and I will use an adapter from stove outlet into the dbl wall stove pipe. Many have done it successfully so I am pretty certain it will work out just fine. I know a full 6" would be best but I just had the chimney installed so I am not changing the whole thing out. Worst case is possible draw issues but I am not too conserened as it is a straight shot though the house. If need be I will try adding another 3' up top before I look at total 6".
 

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Looking at that picture if you didn't go with the 30 I would bet you would be severally disappointed. If that stove was doing the job don't be disillusioned about EPA stoves. Yes they make nice long heat with less wood but its not like your up upgrading BTU output. Your just upgrading user friendly appliance.
 
I have a 13 but its in my 28x28 semi attached garage. If I were you, get the 30. The 13 is good for its size but for your whole house you'd be struggling with it.
 
I'm on my second full season of heating our house with the 13. House was built in 2005, it has two floors with a total of 1500 Sq/Feet and We love our stove. It heats both floors no problem and I have been able to get my overnight burns so that when I wake up in the morning I have coals to restart and the house is at about 65F and it take no time to bring it up to 71F. Our floor plan is not open and the stove sits in our living room that is 11' x 17'. If I had gone with the 30 it would have taken more space in our small room and probably make it too hot. Most times we run the stove with a good coal bed and add only 1 or 2 splits at a time. We live 20min outside of Montreal and our winters can be tough. I go through about 3 face cords a winter burning mostly sugar maple & ash. I have cut my electric bill by about $1,000.00 per year and it costs me about $200.00 for the 3 Face cords. Total savings of about $800.00 and we are much warmer than we were with the electric forced air furnace!
 
Go for the 30. The 13 is an awesome heater, but 4-6 hours is max. Build a smaller fire in the 30 when needed. And you'll have more than enough stove for over nights when needed with that layout & square footage.

*Says she who shoulda got the 30, and got it over with*
 
Another 30 voter....

Thats enough sq ft to deem the HP necessary. IMO
 
I've been running the 30 most of this winter in "reduced heat mode" by keeping a deep bed of ash and only loading in partial loads. The deep firebox lets coals rest in the back w/ little air getting to them for a good long time helping to extend reload times even on a small load w/out needing to close the air down so much as to have poor combustion.

If you have the physical room necessary for this stove in your desired location, then I'd go for the 30 as well.

pen
 
I am not worried about the hearth and the 30 after I extend it forward and to the sides. Those pavers are 9x4x4 grouted to 1/2 Dura rock that is screwed to the subfloor. Back splash is off the wall with a 1" gap for air space. With the VC Cranking out the heat for hours I can go down stairs and it is hard to feel where it sits on the floor.

I will be going with the 30 - Just glad to hear there are ways to tone it down a bit and still have it perform. I would much rather be opening windows than reaching for a sweater after all the effort to get the wood burning.

Thanks for the help.
 
If you can fit it in, the 30 will heat your house more effectively with less work than the 13. But if you spend much time in your basement in that chair, and trying to heat your house at the same time. You might be heating your self out of that room. But it will be great for overnight runs. There is only two major downs falls in my eyes for my situation on the 13: The one time I question my 13 is when the temperatures dip below 15 degrees. As long as its above 15, I'll almost heat myself out of my living room. But I can always open up the front door screen. The other time is overnight burns, for optinum heat burns. I can still have a good coal bed after 8 hours, but the residue heat is very low 250-300 degrees. Good Luck
 
Since Bob already said that he's going with the 30, I'd say he's well taken care of.

Closing this down.

pen
 
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