First wood stove purchase. Expert help needed!

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Jwilliam

Jwilliam

New Member
Sep 18, 2014
13
New Brunswick, Canada
Hello everyone, I am about to buy my first wood stove and I cant seem to decide which one to go with. I've narrowed it down to either a PE or Enviro. I have a 1500 sq ft story and a half that is pretty drafty and cold here in the winter (-25c) I have an oil furnace in the basement for backup and I'd like to put the stove in the living room and use the least amout of oil as possible. One dealer tells me to get the Kodiak 1700 and the other says the Super 27 will do just fine but they seem to be a bit different in size. Some expert help would be appreciated. Thanks
 
Welcome to the forum! :)

I would suggest the Enviro 1700 or go for the PE Summit. For reference: I heat my ~1300 sqft upstairs floor with a PE Super insert. Insulation is so-so and when the temp goes to the single digits F (< -10 C) the insert starts to struggle especially during overnight burns when I cannot reload as frequently. Hence, you may be better off wit ha bigger firebox if you want to keep the oil burner from turning on. You can also always build a small fire in a large stove but not vice versa.

Make sure you have dry wood with an internal moisture content of less than 20%. Wood that is advertised as "seasoned" rarely fulfills that requirement and should be tested with a moisture meter upon delivery. Split a few pieces in half and push the pins in the fresh surface.

We like to see pics of the install! ;)
 
Grisu said:
Welcome to the forum! :)

I would suggest the Enviro 1700 or go for the PE Summit. For reference: I heat my ~1300 sqft upstairs floor with a PE Super insert. Insulation is so-so and when the temp goes to the single digits F (< -10 C) the insert starts to struggle especially during overnight burns when I cannot reload as frequently. Hence, you may be better off with a bigger firebox if you want to keep the oil burner from turning on. You can also always build a small fire in a large stove but not vice versa.

Make sure you have dry wood with an internal moisture content of less than 20%. Wood that is advertised as "seasoned" rarely fulfills that requirement and should be tested with a moisture meter upon delivery. Split a few pieces in half and push the pins in the fresh surface.

We like to see pics of the install! ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks for your help!
I also briefly looked at the enerzone 2.9. It seems to be in the size range you suggested. Any opinions on that one?
 
You haven't tried Woodstock?
 
I heat my 1250sq' bungalow with a Super 27. I love it. Amazed at the burn times and how little wood I use in comparison to the old "air tight". One thing to take into account is your layout. If you have a very open concept space then you will get more even heating. The more twist, turn and doorways, obviousl the more challenging it will be to heat. The S27 heats most of the house. The 2 bedrooms furthest from the stove (completely opposite ends of the house) do not get the same heat. They are supplemented with electric baseboards. If I were to install some booster fans and burn the stove harder and hotter I could probably heat those rooms but would make the rest of the house too hot. I think you need to take that into account when making your decision.

Good luck.
 
Jwilliam said:
Thanks for your help!
I also briefly looked at the enerzone 2.9. It seems to be in the size range you suggested. Any opinions on that one?
Click to expand...

The firebox size would be good, too. Enerzone is made by SBI who also makes Osburn and Drolet stoves. Those are all usually good quality steel stoves. The Enerzone loads E-W (meaning you look at the sides of the splits) while the PE Summit loads N-S (you look at the ends). N-S loads easier and many people prefer it here but E-W seems to get slightly better burn times. PE uses a stainless steel box as baffle while the Enerzone has burn tubes with a baffle board on top. Both work but those boards have a tendency to break if not handled very careful. Try also a search in the forum for the stove models you are interested in and check the review section: https://www.hearth.com/talk/link-forums/stove-reviews.35/
A new thread with some models you are considering in the title may also get some good responses.

A few other large stoves:
Lopi Liberty
Jotul F600 and F55
Pacific Energy T6
Regency 3100
Englander 30NC (one of the cheapest options but needs a hearth with r-value of 1.5)
Quadrafire 5700 and Isle Royale
Osburn 2400
BlazeKing Princess or their 30 series (catalytic stoves for longer burn times and more controllable heat output)
Woodstock Progress Hybrid and Ideal Steel (also catalytic stoves but call them if they are listed in Canada)
 
A larger stove will provide more fuel capacity and a higher output due to more radiant surface area. But it doesn't need to be pushed hard all the time. You can either purchase the stove for your weather extremes and partially load the stove during milder weather or get one sized for 90% of the load and run it at a more optimal temp most of the time, turning on the furnace to supplement heating when those -25C days happen.

If you opt toward the smaller 2 cu ft PE stove, get to work on sealing up those drafty air leaks. That's going to provide you with the best bang for the buck.
 
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Jwilliam said:
Hello everyone, I am about to buy my first wood stove and I cant seem to decide which one to go with. I've narrowed it down to either a PE or Enviro. I have a 1500 sq ft story and a half that is pretty drafty and cold here in the winter (-25c) I have an oil furnace in the basement for backup and I'd like to put the stove in the living room and use the least amout of oil as possible. One dealer tells me to get the Kodiak 1700 and the other says the Super 27 will do just fine but they seem to be a bit different in size. Some expert help would be appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...
You might also give the Lopi Endeavor a quick look. Quality stove, long burn times plus you get a bypass damper. This means quicker starting fires, less smoke puff back into the house on milder days and easier to clean the pipe (if you are doing it yourself). I also seriously considered PE's as they are very well made.
 
I sell both stove in my store here in ontario and with that square ft, i would lean more to the super 27 as it would heat your house 95% of the burn season. It would only struggle in the real deep cold and to be honest the Enviro might as well. The thing to consider is clearances the super 27 will sit on a smaller hearth area than the enviro wether it's in the corner or on a flat wall.
My personal home is pre - 1900 and about 1400 square ft and i heat with a super 27 in my living room. Last winter the only time it really struggled was in febuary witht he prolonged deep cold and wind chill. Even still i think it worked out to about 6 days over 2 weeks that i ran the furance to keep the heat level in the house even.
 
Welcome to the forums!

Where do you live in NB? I am from Fredericton originally. I find that in NB, your location makes a difference when chosing a stove. If you live in St Andrews, you won't need that much of a stove considering the Bay of Fundy will help keep you warm in the Winter. However, if you live in Edmundston, Tracadie, etc you may want a bigger one.

How big is your house? How old is it? All the models mentioned above are good heaters. I have an Osburn (made by SBI) and it's a beast.

One thing that is key with an EPA stove is a properly seasoned wood supply. Hardwood needs to be cut/split/stacked in a dry open area, preferably with wind, for about 2-3 years in order to season it. If you don't have properly seasoned wood, you'll be disappointed with whatever stove you purchase. Flame flicker, sizzle, creosote buildup, no heat, etc.

Don't forget: you can't share chimneys with the furnace...just saying, my FIL tried doing that until I convinced him to disconnect the furnace from the chimney.

Andrew
 
Swedishchef said:
Welcome to the forums!

Where do you live in NB? I am from Fredericton originally. I find that in NB, your location makes a difference when chosing a stove. If you live in St Andrews, you won't need that much of a stove considering the Bay of Fundy will help keep you warm in the Winter. However, if you live in Edmundston, Tracadie, etc you may want a bigger one.

How big is your house? How old is it? All the models mentioned above are good heaters. I have an Osburn (made by SBI) and it's a beast.

One thing that is key with an EPA stove is a properly seasoned wood supply. Hardwood needs to be cut/split/stacked in a dry open area, preferably with wind, for about 2-3 years in order to season it. If you don't have properly seasoned wood, you'll be disappointed with whatever stove you purchase. Flame flicker, sizzle, creosote buildup, no heat, etc.

Don't forget: you can't share chimneys with the furnace...just saying, my FIL tried doing that until I convinced him to disconnect the furnace from the chimney.

Andrew
Click to expand...

Andrew, I live in Woodstock. My house is a 1500 sq ft story and a half. It is located between two large fields so it gets alot of high winds. I'm thinking the PE Summit is the one I will go with as I may need the extra power.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
JWilliam: woodstock can get cold. I the PE Summit will suit you perfectly. Just remember to try and find some seasoned wood from someone who cuts/splits/stacks ahead of time. If you start cutting now/this fall, you'll start getting ahead of the game.

Woodstock is a nice town. I am moving to NB within the next 6 months and Woodstock is a spot I'd love to live!

Andrew
 
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