new stove for new 2000 sq ft build

My Spectrum is older, and looks more like the Super 27. The current Spectrum Classic is the same basic firebox with a different outside. I can't say for sure, but my guess is that anything outside of its ctc isn't going to get hot.

Don't worry. The BK isn't the only stove capable of long, low burns. I've reloaded that Spectrum on coals after 16+ hours.

sjswood said:

I have quite a bit here, nothing at the new place. Mind you, there's a dead elm, but elm is the very devil to chop up into firewood. Not sure yet if it makes sense to move our stack or buy a new cord. Figure that out later.

Click to expand...

One big difference between your old Franklin and any of the modern stoves suggested here: You will absolutely need dry wood with an internal moisture content of less than 20 %. Wet wood won't burn well, give off less heat and create a lot of creosote which can quickly lead to a chimney fire. The vast majority of members here stack their split firewood in a sunny and windy spot for at least 2 years before burning. Some slow to dry species like oak benefit from even longer drying times. I would definitively take the wood that you have with you and maybe think about ordering 3 to 4 cords now and stack them at your building site (if you think it won't disappear there). That wood may be kind of semi-seasoned the winter of 15/16 and well seasoned the winter after. Since most firewood sellers don't have the time and space to season wood for that long, don't rely on purchased split firewood being seasoned unless you have tested it with a moisture meter.

sjswood said:

Oh, gosh, *two* of you knowledgeable folks prefer the Blaze King. I'd better have a proper look at it despite my biases.

Click to expand...

The reason why a catalytic stove would work particularly well in your new home is based on its burning characteristic. A secondary burn stove will throw a lot of heat very early in the burn cycle and then cool down rather quickly before you reload the stove. In a less well-insulated home, people keep their stove cranking most of the time anyway and don't really mind the extra heat provided. In your new home, you may soon get uncomfortably warm when you keep the stove running. People cope with that by loading less wood and burning more infrequently but that will mean more work overall. With a cat stove, you just dial it down to a low burn and you get a low even heat output for a long time. But you still have the spare capacity to turn it up when it gets really cold.

sjswood said:

Really? The Spectrum isn't too hot on the side? That's excellent: my s.o. really likes the Spectrum's colour options, but I ruled it out thinking it would be too hot. I was aiming for the Neo, but the s.o. doesn't like it's shape. And the Blaze King is right out: matte black is apparently No Good. I pointed out that its shape is sleek and elegant, and the heating specs are the best I've seen, but that isn't getting me anywhere...

Click to expand...

The Ashford is also available in brown enamel: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/help-question-new-ashford-installation.128625/#post-1732575 as well as "midnight semi gloss".
Excluding black stoves makes it an awfully short list. Check out the Jotul F500, that has several finish options as well as the Quadrafire Explorer. Would your s.o. consider soapstone stoves? The Woodstock Progress Hybrid is a secondary burn/catalytic stove. Another soapstone stove company to look at would be Hearthstone. If your s.o. likes an European design, here would be an option: http://woodstoves.net/fajardo/wood/fajardo-antartida-burdeos-wood-burning-stove.htm I doubt that anyone here has experience with that model, though.

The PE Spectrum seems to be a really nice stove but it only has a firebox of 2.1 cu ft. If the power is out during some really cold weather, I am not sure that it will give out enough heat to keep the whole house warm. If that is not of concern for you then you will get a really great stove. I have the PE Super insert myself and it has served us really well.

Just for the record, I don't think the midnight gloss will be available anytime soon. Just metallic black and brown porcelain enamel.

The Cat stoves have a wide range of operation which is nice. At lower settings the glass gets dirty.

The Non-Cats some of them have pretty good Air wash systems to keep the glass clean.
My Drolet Myriad stove has a surprisingly good Air Wash and keeps the glass really clean.

I wonder if the Hybrid stoves that have both non-cat technology and has a Cat , if the glass stays clean at low settings?

Also a 2.0 cu ft stove non-cat you can get an 8-10 burn and a 3.0 cuft can get a 10-12 hour burn.

I would get a stove that you can load North/South loading of the wood. Less likely a log will roll out on you. Plus seems like you can
stuff a North South Loader fuller.

sjswood said:

Oh, gosh, *two* of you knowledgeable folks prefer the Blaze King. I'd better have a proper look at it despite my biases.

Click to expand...

There are a lot more than *two* who contribute to this forum! Do a search, or read the reviews section.

sjswood said:

Looking at the Blaze King specs now.... are they serious that the stove will really run for 30 hours on low? Do ordinary mortals get anything like that time, or is that just for wood superstars?

Click to expand...

I have gone 36 hours without opening the door, and the cat probe still displayed "active", meaning the catalyst was actively engaging with the smoke and making heat (this was in autumn, without the heat requirements of winter) Even in the middle of winter, I fill mine once per 24 hour cycle, with a 1500 SF house (Our geographic areas are similar). I burn only hardwood that has been cut/split/stacked for three years, wood quality is important (with both cat and non~cat).



I would not attempt to talk you into a product you do not want, these are just my experiences. There are a lot of fine choices out there. In fact, I have a Lopi Liberty at my camp; it works great, and the glass stays clean, heat absolutely pours out of it with a full load of seasoned hardwood. It will never take the place of the Blaze King in the house, though: The BK just works too well over all ranges of operation. This is an example of form following function. At least for me...

webby3650 said:

May I ask why either of you don't like Cat stoves? I find that many people form a conclusion based on a limited experience with an old Vermont Casting. All cat stoves are not created equal!

Click to expand...

You didn't ask me, but here goes

1) They require a level of wood prep that most people can't or won't achieve.

2) They have way more replaceable/moving parts.

3) The smallest cat stove are still pretty big.

4) Vermont Castings.

5) The "low and slow" thing is super if your house is well insulated (in this case it sounds like it is).

6) As picky as modern stoves can be to draft, cat stoves are even pickier.

begreen said:

A 2 cu ft PE stove should get longer burns than 8 hrs, even with softwood. Our next door neighbor's Spectrum typically gets 10-12 hrs burning big leaf maple or doug fir.

Click to expand...

I get 10+ burning Alder

Also, keep in mind that when a blaze king owner reports a 16 or 20 hour burn they aren't saying that they were able to scratch up a few coals hidden in the bottom. After a 16 or cycle there will be partial pieces of wood still cooking away and a gallon of big coals.

I am happy to admit that BK stoves have changed my mind about catalytic stoves. Not enough to make me want to get one perhaps, but I will give them their due on the sales floor now, something I never did give VC and Jotul when they were catalytic stoves. The Ashford is one nice looking stove too. (The FL 12 cat is still a viable cat stove, there are just too many of them still in use not to concede they were a good burner). It does seem a lot of people are slow to change their opinion when thinking about a cat stove, but there are a lot of good choices out there. I still like Jotuls, but I do contend that there are a lot of worthy adversaries, it still comes down to what material you want and like. I like the aesthetics of cast, with the ease of steel operation- that is why I like the steel/cast stoves of Enviro, PE and Jotul too. Dry wood is still the key.

If you or your s. o. prefers the Sirocco or the Chinook, those are the same stoves as the Ashford just with a different look on the outside. http://www.blazeking.com/PDF/brochures/en/current/wood/83516_BK_CSA30_Brch_Final.pdf
Here is the BK dealer locator: http://blazeking.com/storefinder/embed.php It looks like there is one right in Nepean. Most other manufacturers also have a dealer search on their website.

The Quadrafire Explorer just came out a few months ago so don't expect to find any customer reviews yet. It is the follow up model to the Cumberland Gap. Maybe you can still find one at a dealer for a discount.

Regarding the wood: Ash is great as it is one of the fastest drying hardwoods. Don't shy away from softwoods either. They dry usually within one summer and burn just fine.

sjswood said:

Just downloaded the Blaze King Ashford manual. It isn't going to help me sell the stove to my s.o. -- it says wood moisture content should be under 13%. That's usually unobtainable outside in our climate. Under 20%, yes. Under 13%, no. Well, not without a specially built drying shed. Hmmm....

Click to expand...

It will not need to be under 20%. Mine rarely is under 20 and I have no problems. It handles wetter wood much easier than any non-cats I've used.

Bigg_Redd said:

1) They require a level of wood prep that most people can't or won't achieve.

Click to expand...

This video is pretty interesting. Woodstock tested their Cat Progress Hybrid with wet wood and had good results...

Not even in their home state WA will they achieve that low of a moisture content no matter for how long the wood has been drying: http://www.conradlumberco.com/pdfs/ch12_Drying_Control_of_Moisture.pdf (see page 4). Not sure why they write that in there; 20 % and lower is perfectly acceptable.

+1 to Pacific Energy Super series. I am on my fourth stove (a Napoleon, and two older non-EPA).
I love the PE Super 27. I routinely get overnight burns and it heats my entire house (~1900 sq ft, not as well insulated as your plans).

Regency has a new Hybrid/Catalytic available in 30days.Model F3500,Regency has the best warranty I have ever experienced and they aren't going away.

sjswood said:

Thank you so much! I'll grab the s.o. and check it out. (I really really like the look of the Chinook.)

Click to expand...

Ahh, thanks! I always thought I was the only one who liked the look of the Chinook. I think the Ashford was the first stove from BK that got some positive remarks regarding its looks here. Now BK only needs to offer the Chinook with some side panels in different colors (e. g. like the PE Neo).

I hope you will find a stove that you like. Good luck!