Calling All Front Loading Stove People

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They Call Me Pete

Burning Hunk
Nov 18, 2007
206
CT
So next Monday week get the keys to a rental house on a lake that the landlord has hinted to selling. Nicely remodeled roughly 1K sq ft house which is just what we want,cozy and small. Their daughter lived there for a bit and ran a pellet stove so they are checking with their insurance co. to see if we can have a stove while we rent. Last house we owned we had a Hearthstone Heritage which had side loading option which I liked and loved the stove so looking at another but for the size house we are renting front loaders fit the heating requirement. Any issues with ash falling out or anything else ? Enlighten me my fellow wood burning brotheren
 
Ours loads north/south (front to back) and has an ash lip so no real issues with coals, etc falling out-and if they do, they don't get far. I wouldn't think it would be different than a side loader, unless maybe it loads east/west (side to side).
 
I don't think my PE Super insert is any more prone to ash falling out than a sideloader would be. However, for ease of loading I would recommend a N-S loading stove (looking at the ends). Thus, the firebox should be at least square or more deep than wide. Who is choosing the stove?
 
As has been said, as long as your able to load the stove north-south there shouldn't be any problem at all.
 
Pacific Energy Summit Classic here. I love it! Loads North and South and I have no issues with ash or coals coming out. I use my log iron to rake the coals forward just not over the front lip of the stove. My glass stays super clean also which is really nice and gives such a nice fire view.
 
It's better to shut the fan off, it has one, when the door is open. Nothing like have an ember, even a tiny one, blow out and land on your rug, and yes, I have personal experience with that.
 
I've got an Equinox with both a side and front doors. I've used both but prefer the front. It's larger and easier to put the wood where I want it. No ash, no smoke either way.
 
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I have an F55 and a good draft (maybe too good). I load N-S. No problems with puff-back. It's very rare to have an ember come out and mostly happens when I'm pulling coals from the back to the front.
 
The living room Northstar loads E-W, and I've got a pretty substantial brick hearth in front of it. Falling embers (and whole logs -- oops) aren't really an issue as far as combustibility. It seems like there's something about the design of this stove that makes ash accumulate against the doors and fall out when you open them for a reload, and in an E-W log setup, it's possible for a log to roll against the glass and make a huge mess when you open it. Lack of an ash lip means there's stuff piling up in front of the stove on a regular basis, and if it gets too high, the blower fans suck it in and evenly distribute it around my living room. I love the heat it throws and the ambiance it provides, not so much in love with the day-to-day cleanup.

The basement Quadrafire 4300 loads N-S and has an ash lip. It seems like the firebox is deeper inside relative to the bottom of the door compared to the Northstar, and I rarely have issues with ash / coals falling out. Even if they do, I've got a hearth pad below that they'd fall onto, which I suppose is the whole point of a hearth pad anyway.
 
This is the one I was looking at. Heats up to 1500 sq ft. Castleton 8030
castleton_black_web.jpg Also might be able to buy back our Heritage we sold to our friends but that heats unto 1900 sq ft and i think that might be to much stove for the house
 
This is the one I was looking at. Heats up to 1500 sq ft. Castleton 8030
castleton_black_web.jpg Also might be able to buy back our Heritage we sold to our friends but that heats unto 1900 sq ft and i think that might be to much stove for the house
How well insulated is the house? What are midwinter temperatures like there? WInd off the lake? The Heritage doesn't really heat up to 1900 feet unless it's in a pretty mild climate or heavily insulated house.

I've very rarely, if ever, seen anybody here say they regret buying too big a stove, and many, many bemoan the fact that they bought one just a bit too small. You can build smaller fires in a bigger stove, but a small one puts an upper limit on how much heat you can get from it. Lighter woods -- red maple, white birch, even popple -- and shorter lengths will build a nice but concentrated hot fire that won't overheat the stove.

It's only 35 today, and I have a nice little fire going in the stove with a mix of red maple and white birch that's keeping my first floor (mebbe around 1,000 feet all told) nicely warm at just under 400 stovetop, but by no means overheated. When it drops to the 20s tonight, I'll add some yellow birch and/or rock maple and goose the stove temp up over 400.

I love my Heritage, so I'm biased. But seems to me if there's a stove you've had and really liked, stick with that. You won't regret it when one of those Arctic things descends on you next winter.
 
House was totally remodeled about 2 years ago so it's tight. Our landlords were going to move into it but bought a family members house instead. We are actually across the street up on a bit of a hill. Not sure thats a good or bad thing. I agree with you on sticking with what you like. My only thought was that house would be to hot keeping it in "the burn zone" although after this winter arctic temps not sure thats possible ;lol The Heritage kept our remodeled 1300 sq ft cape we used to own nice and toasty during the winter
 
Maybe take a look at the Woodstock Fireview. Since it is catalytic it will allow you a wider range of operating temperatures without having to resort to smaller loads. Depending on how well insulated the house is now, a Keystone/Palladian may also already be enough. Does the pellet stove have an outside air supply? You may need one when the house is now airtight.
 
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I've had both shallow (F400) and deep (T6) front loading stoves. Both function well and have a deep enough rise before the door to keep ash in the stove. My preference is the deeper firebox because it allows you to configure the stove for either N/S or E/W burn. Front loaders require less hearth space as well.
 
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