Getting a new wood stove this year: Better to go a little small or a little big?

FTG-05 said:

Thanks for the input guys, both large and small!

Thanks,

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The little things in life.

I've been impressed with my Lopi 1750. It's got a 2.2 cf firebox and is rated to heat up to 2k sqft.

We have vaulted ceilings like those in your pictures, and in this coldest of winters, I might appreciate something a bit bigger.

However, in TN (this must be USDA zone 6 or 7?), I would think this stove would treat you right.

Here's a link if you are interested: http://www.lopistoves.com/product-detail.aspx?model=247#access-tab

1750 said:

I've been impressed with my Lopi 1750. It's got a 2.2 cf firebox and is rated to heat up to 2k sqft.

We have vaulted ceilings like those in your pictures, and in this coldest of winters, I might appreciate something a bit bigger.

However, in TN (this must be USDA zone 6 or 7?), I would think this stove would treat you right.

Here's a link if you are interested: http://www.lopistoves.com/product-detail.aspx?model=247#access-tab

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Lopi stoves made in the US that's a plus, not sold at home depot that's a extra plus.

1750 said:

TN (this must be USDA zone 6 or 7?)

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He's almost in AL. Even with the glass, if the place has decent insulation and doesn't leak a lot of air, heat requirements aren't going to be high most of the time. A cat stove is great for long, low heat output. Even my little Keystone (1.4 cu.ft. useable) will easily burn overnight on a medium to low burn, twelve hours on low. The cat stoves tend to cost more up front but when you factor in the costs and time you spend getting wood, things even out, and in the long run the scales tip in favor of the cat (even including having to buy a combustor every five years or so.)

I think Lopi is located in the PNW.

I don't know if the stoves are made domestically or not -- regardless, the build quality of mine seems very good (but, honestly, I really don't know much about stoves).

http://www.lopistoves.com/dealer-locator.aspx

Good luck.

mikey said:

not sold at home depot that's a extra plus.

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bluedogz said:

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Me too.

My initial thoughts were 'go one click smaller', but with so many 'go bigger' posts, now I'm not sure? My reasoning is how you handle adjusting your fire up or down. If your fireplace is too big and it's producing too much heat when you run it at creosote-free operating temperatures, you're inclined to scale it down, it runs cooler, and you have the potential for chimney buildup (or you open the doors/windows and blow out the heat, but we're trying to avoid that). If your fireplace is too small, scaling up the heat output means that it runs longer at optimal temperatures.

This is based on quite a few assumptions though!
1: These calculations differ if you're using catalytic or not (catalytic stoves should give you more 'wiggle room' at the low end of operating temperatures where soot buildup won't be an issue.
2: The range of stove sizes in consideration are literally the next size up and down for what would be perfect for your heating needs... if it's entirely too small or too big, all bets are off. In practice, I think this is very hard to determine theoretically (you'd really need to put one in your house and use it for a season or two to see where you need to go from there).

Is there any merit to this or am I lost here?

Adabiviak said:

My initial thoughts were 'go one click smaller', but with so many 'go bigger' posts, now I'm not sure? My reasoning is how you handle adjusting your fire up or down. If your fireplace is too big and it's producing too much heat when you run it at creosote-free operating temperatures, you're inclined to scale it down, it runs cooler, and you have the potential for chimney buildup (or you open the doors/windows and blow out the heat, but we're trying to avoid that). If your fireplace is too small, scaling up the heat output means that it runs longer at optimal temperatures.

This is based on quite a few assumptions though!
1: These calculations differ if you're using catalytic or not (catalytic stoves should give you more 'wiggle room' at the low end of operating temperatures where soot buildup won't be an issue.
2: The range of stove sizes in consideration are literally the next size up and down for what would be perfect for your heating needs... if it's entirely too small or too big, all bets are off. In practice, I think this is very hard to determine theoretically (you'd really need to put one in your house and use it for a season or two to see where you need to go from there).

Is there any merit to this or am I lost here?

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I don't think there is anything wrong with your thinking. Nothing wrong with a smaller that you tend a bit more often but run hot. The kicker for me is the OP's layout, cathedral ceilings and a big wall of glass. A notch small may not cut it in that case.

Welcome to the forum! I'm probably less than 20 miles due north of you in Marshall county just east of I-65 between exits 27 and 32, near where you go over the big ridge. Anyway, I'm heating 2000sq feet with a Jotul F500. My normal range is between 74-78 in the stove room and 64 in the back bedroom without trying to move around the air. Even though we are relatively far south compared to most of the posters I still tend to side with the bigger than you need group. I've got other heat sources, but I like knowing if we have another bad ice storm or prolonged power outage that I can heat the whole house comfortably. I also like a stove big enough that I can load it up at 9:00 at night and still have enough coals left over in the morning for a relight. I'm guessing a firebox somewhere just under 2cf is the cutoff for that. I just vary the load size or type of wood if I don't need as much heat.

I'll second the recommendation to look at the Lopi stoves. I have a Lopi Answer (same as Lopi Republic 1250, but with a little more ornamentation). It is a good, solid stove. It heats my 1250 square foot house in Central NY 68-70 down to 20 degrees outside. I don't have cathedral ceilings, and my wife and I like our bedrooms cooler, so this helps with the heating.

One of the key reasons I bought the Lopi Answer is that it is double jacketed and it fits inside my fireplace opening. The blower blows air through the jacketed opening and it seems to be a good way to go if you are putting the stove in your fireplace opening and don't want to use an insert.

Downsides of "right-sized" wood stoves - you have to load more often and accept that on colder nights, you will have to turn your backup heat on. Some parts of the house might be cooler than you'd wish as well. You sound like you may be a dedicated 24/7 burner and not someone who just wants to burn part-time. In that case, a mid-sized stove (like the Lopi 1750/Republic with a 2.2 cubic foot firebox) might be right for you for your climate. I can't imagine an 3+ cubic foot firebox would do anything but heat you out of your home on most winter days.

I can achieve a re-light on coals after 8+ hour overnight burns burning sugar maple. Last night, I filled the firebox with sugar maple at 10pm and re-lit off coals (firebox 150 degrees F) at 8:30am.

I'd go big with those ceilings but if you're scared of getting too big a stove I'd get a cat stove no questions asked.I got too big once with a non cat and with all the creosote I had, dripping flaming creosote landing on my roof it was quite scarey.See how well ya sleep after witnessing that.