New Stove Question

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UPswede

Member
Jan 9, 2014
54
Michigan
First of all, thank you to everyone for all the useful information I have read in this forum.

I am going to install a new stove this fall and would appreciate your input. I have looked at many stoves and am currently thinking the Regency F2400 (2.3 cu. ft.) may be my choice. I have a decently insulated ~1350 sq. ft. (8 ft. ceiling) typical ranch style house located in northern Michigan. The stove would be installed on the far end wall of the main floor living room which measures 14.5 by 20 ft. The LR connects to the DR/kitchen (~300 sq. ft.) through a 7 ft. wide full height (8') opening. The bedrooms and baths are accessed off a hallway from the LR.

Assuming that the install is well done, the draft is good, and the wood is dry, I am wondering if this stove in particular (or any other 2.0 - 2.5 cu. ft. non-cat) will be able to cruise at ~500 to 600+ degrees F and not drive us out of the stove room (80+ degrees) when outside temps are the typical 10 to 20 degrees F.

What are your thoughts on this stove (size and type) for my situation?

Thanks
 
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Do able in the 10-20 range - bedrooms are going to be a bit cooler than the main area. Sub zero likely will be augmenting the stove with something else. Stove = area heater ( space heater ) 3 cu stove can always use smaller fires not have to push it. The extra capacity is there when you need it.
Central location is always better but not always attainable.
My place 2000 sq.ft. split ranch, 3 cu.ft stove got to push it a bit in the sub zero temps. central location, typical 1960 layout so not any type of open concept. Furthest bed room is coldest as 3 exterior walls. Still I can stay around 70+ in main area maybe 60-65 in the bedroom in the sub zero temps. Have NG furnace in full basement seldom turn it on - set at 65 so no pipe freeze surprises.
 
Thanks for the reply.
I am okay with supplementing heat with the gas furnace if necessary when outside temps go subzero.
My main concern is to be able to run the stove with a decent load of wood and still be comfortable (not too hot) in the living room where the stove will be located.

I would like to use the wood stove as the primary source for heating the house so an 8 hour burn time capability would be nice to have.
 
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8 hours on a 2.5 cubic ft is a bit wishful ( read sales hype) thinking. I will amend that statement by adding that it depends on if looking at it from a usable heat standpoint or complete burn time. Far more likely to get 8 hrs usable heat from a 3 cube stove than the 2.5. Now I am not familiar with the Regency other than by name is it a cat stove? If so then it just might work out for the 8 hr heat time once you get to know its quirks ( they all have quirks). Rule of thumb with stoves if they rate it a x sf heating buy the next size up. Typically for me leaving at around 5 or so in the morning and coming home around 12 hrs later the house will be above 65 in the midilin temps you stated. Also a lot has to do with the fuel it is fed. That is why fuel like Oak, Beech, SugarMaple ,Honey Locust, Hedge & few others are considered prime fuels.
 
Jotul's website claims that the F600 is the largest non cat stove manufactured today. 3 cu. ft.
 
Hearthstone, makers of the 4.0 cf Equinox, would beg to differ.
 
I think you'll be fine with the Regency as long as you have a good stash of dry wood (and it sounds like you do) and at least a 15' flue. At 10-20F you will be running with a full load of wood. It will be during the 30-45F weather that you will need to moderate the wood load, burning 4-5 splits at a time and letting it go out if the house is warm enough.

Ranches are notoriously cool at one end with the stove on the other. Fortunately there is an easy and cheap solution. For more even heat in the house put a table or box fan at the far end of the hallway, placed on the floor, pointing toward the wood stove room. Run it on low speed. It will blow the cooler air down low, toward the woodstove. The denser cool air will be replaced with lighter warm air from the stove room. Running this way you should notice at least a 5F increase in the hallway temp after about 30 minutes running. If there is a basement you can also rig up an insulated duct running from the bedrooms to a Y and then to the stove room. Again you want to suck the cool air out of the bedrooms and blow it to the wood stove room. A quiet 120-150cfm inline bathroom fan will suffice for this.
 
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It's a non-cat. It seems to be a solid well built stove. The reviews I have read have been good. I read that it puts out some serious heat. It would be helpful to know how much control the operator has over the heat output of this stove . Are there some designs that are more or less controllable within the non-cat category stoves?
 
You have control both by the amount of fuel loaded and the air control and how frequently the stove is reloaded.
 
BG,

Where would you suggest routing the ducting from the BR to the stove room - via the basement?
 
Hearthstone, makers of the 4.0 cf Equinox, would beg to differ.
There's also the Enerzone 3.4 and Drolet HT2000 which are 3.4 cu ft stoves and the Buck 94 which they say is 4.4 cu ft.
 
BG,

Where would you suggest routing the ducting from the BR to the stove room - via the basement?
Yes, just insulate it very well. Flex duct is ok, but use R8 duct or better. Panasonic makes good quality, quiet, inline, bath fans. But try using the simple fan on the floor technique first. It may be sufficient, particularly if you like the bedrooms a little cooler.
 
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It's a non-cat. It seems to be a solid well built stove. The reviews I have read have been good. I read that it puts out some serious heat. It would be helpful to know how much control the operator has over the heat output of this stove . Are there some designs that are more or less controllable within the non-cat category stoves?

Please don't think you can operate a woodstove like a furnace. The air control does not work like a thermostat. You control the heat output more by the amount of wood loaded and the frequency of reloads than with the air control. Those stoves are designed to burn hot enough to ensure complete combustion. If you turn down the air too far too soon you end up with a smoldering mess. Thus, if you want less heat you load less wood. Cat stoves already burn efficiently at lower air setting and therefore reach longer burn times and more even heat output.
 
I can only mindlessly parrot whatever advertising I read in an effort to be relevant. Oh well, I tried.
 
BG
Oops. I see now that you had indicated it should run through the basement. I need to read more carefully. Thanks
 
Are there some designs that are more or less controllable within the non-cat category stoves?

PE's Super Series stoves are pretty awesome. The linked primary and secondary air control makes them very controllable.
 
Some control of the secondary air seems like a good thing. I know the epa wants a clean burn so the secondary goes unregulated. Seems like other manufacturers would design some secondary air control like PE. I did not know this was allowed.
 
I don't know if 'allowed' is the word. They were able to meet the EPA numbers, which is what counts.
 
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