Farewell Jotul3, Hello Englander 17 VL

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Dec 8, 2007
55
Chesepeake Bay
Some folks here may have noted my 6 years worth of posting about problems with the well-reputed Jotul 3. I spent years fiddling with it and had professionals look at it and could never get it over 500 degrees or get a secondary burn. I received much valuable advice here as well. But ultimately to no avail. and spent 6 frustrating years fooling with it and blowing through cords of wood with a very low heating return. So I just finally cut the cord and bought a Englander 17 VL.
I've had a steel stove in the past and it did very well. The reviews for the Londoner seem good and I understand one of the members here was involved in its development. The Englander has a no-nonsense look typical of steel stoves but enough design touches to give it some style, without trying to make it look like something it's not. Its footprint and clearances are similar to the Jotul and that's a factor here as well. My existing stove pipe is about 29 feet grand total straight up from the stove up to a cathedral ceiling and through to the roof chimney cap. I've definitely got a stong draft and I understand the Londoner requires one. Many told me my draft was too strong for the Jotul and that was part of the problem. It would be nice to have that strong draft not working against me.The accompanying fan will help direct some warm air into the room and not all go straight up to the cathedral ceiling (where I also have ceiling fans).I hardly ever hear bad things about Jotul but this one just didn't work for me. I realize the heat output for this stove is a bit lower than the Jotul, but I was never getting it anyway. The Englander's reasonable cost helps in that if it somehow dioesn't work out, I didn't blow my entire life savings on trying this alternative.
I'm pretty excited about this new-soon to-be-installed stove, and have seen some positive postings here about it as well. Any personal experience here with it , any advice for this new stove?
 
Attach the pipe tp stove collar with screws.;)

Sorry...couldn't resist.

Hope this works out well for you, so you can finally enjoy the wood burning experience. :)
 
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Congratulations. Londoner or Englander? With 29ft of flue I would keep a flue damper in the pipe.
 
Uh, I meant, Englander. I'm OK. I got the general vicinity right. I understand it's sold under a couple of names at Lowes and HomeDepot as well
Re damper- I hear you, but he manual says not to install any disc damper.
 
Great Britainer? ;) I changed the title to avoid further confusion. Keep the key damper. I think you will be using it.
 
United Kingdomer maybe and they're made in Virginia. Can't get away with anything around here. What's in a name. I just hope it burns well.
 
I think you will be happy with your new stove. I know I absolutely love my 17. I use the blower with mine a lot and I swear it turns this little stove into a heat monster. With that tall of a flue I think a damper might be prudent. With good dry hardwood I am getting around 4 hr burn times. I enjoy burning in it a lot and it helped me cut our heating bill back quite a bit.
 
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