can a wood insert be too large for heating space

I live in a 1500 sq ft log cabin and got the Regency I3100. I am glad I went with the bigger model. It makes overnight burns a lot easier and yes, you can build smaller fires. The 3100 does not heat us out the house. Granted we live in a somewhat poorly insulated log cabin.

I would go for the larger model, especially if it will only cost you 100 bucks.

I would say go with the bigger stove unless you feel that you will always be building smaller fires. Smaller less hot fires are going to produce more creosote whih is not good. If you can build a good fire in the big stove every now and then then go with the big stove so when it gets really cold youve got the stove to handle it.

Remember the approx heating capacity for the stoves is based on a WELL insulated house in the coldest regions of the US. Is the house well insulated?

I suppose it can be too big.

When we got our elite 33 insert, my wife thought it was too big. After a couple of hours it was 80 degrees and she was down to shorts and a tank top. Oh well.

When winter arrived in East Tennessee about 3 weeks ago and it was down to the low teens overnight, it wasn't too big. Burn for a good while to get most of the house up to 76-78 and wake up to 65-68 degrees. Build a quick fire in the morning, go to work and repeat.

Small fire with less wood for less heat. More wood for longer period of time for more heat. I also use a 14" fan on the floor in the hallway to move cold air towards the tropical fireroom to moderate the heat.

I would go with the larger one, you have to compensate for heat loss and it sounds like you will be getting some of that.

scobo1979 said:

Do you have any problems with keeping the glass clear on th i3100

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I have found if you keep a hot fire with good wood like maple or cherry that has a lot of flame, then the glass will stay cleaner. If you buy the I3100 and throtle it down you will get a dirty glass. I have found to clean the glass, when the insert glass is cool to the touch I use Windex and it cleans the glass just fine.

I agree with zanp, if buying a I3100 is only another $100 then I would go for it.

Shipper

My attitude has always been you can build a smaller fire in a bigger stove, but you can't do the opposite. Yes, smaller fires if left to smolder might mean dirty glass, or having to clean the chimney more often, but after a while, you'll get the knack of bulding shorter hotter fires if you just want to take the chill off. With the weird weather the last few years, you never know if an unexpected cold spell will make you grateful you went bigger.

Scobo,

Where are you in the Philly area? There are a number of us from different parts of the area. I've got a one floor ranch that's 1100 Sq. Ft and I run my Lopi Revere at full-blast on the really cold nights and it can struggle to keep up. I had my stove room at 80 the other night when I went to bed. It went down to 15 overnight and when I awoke my living room was 69 and the bedrooms were colder. Now my house is basically not insulated in the walls at all. Its cinder blocks, furring strips, and plaster so its pretty cold. The Revere is "oversized" according to the specs and the size of my house but its obviously worked out well in my case. So all this to say I went larger and I'm not at all disappointed. PM me if you want some details on other local dealers.

Eric

The glass on my I3100 has stayed very clean since the initial break-in period. I cleaned it today for the first time in three weeks and it wasn't really that dirty.

yes. All the time.

Hi Scobo,
We've got the I2400 with a similar set-up - interior chimney (right up the middle of the house), 1000 sqft open design downstairs about the same above and not well insulated. What is different is our climate. Here in the pacific northwest we have damp, cool temperatures that range from a high of 40 to a low of 32. I figure we run our stove at about 60%, so I don't think you'd blow yourself out with the larger insert. A particular bonus would be the longer burn times.

I think you can go too big, for instance if your stove is in a more enclosed space, but your situation probably doesn't meet that criteria.
I run a Silent Flame designed for "up to 1900 SF" on an open floor plan of about 1100SF with the bedrooms taking up an additional 500 or so, and it does quite well- but the longer burn times don't happen for me - if I load it up at 10:30 and bank it back, it's still smoldering the next morning, but the house is starting to get cold (assuming temps in teens or less)
Personally, I feel safer buring a good hot fire than I would burning a smaller one - I think the stove and chimney stay cleaner that way, and I already go up on the roof in the middle of winter to sweep screen of the chimney cap - I'd hate to do that more thatn once or twice!

My Napoleon 1400 is designed to heat an area between 800-2,000+ square feet.

The house is 980 square feet, half of it is one big room with the stove, and a 12' ceiling. IMO it is sized just right, with fan on med and draft on low with a mild fire the main room is around 72* on cold days.

It is nice to be able to build a bigger fire to warm up house is temp drops down.

scobo1979 said:

Any input welcomed

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Do you know that according to the manufacturer's specifications both those units have identical BTU output (75,000).

With our Regency Warmhearth we used to have smaller fires (half full), with the air intake all the way open. Now we fill it up, and cut the air intake to 75% or more. One major difference is that now, the glass stays pretty clean.

I'd see if you can resolve the issue of both stoves having about the same BTU ratings. Here is an email address of someone at Regency who has been helpful:

[email protected]

I would tend towards the larger stove for the reasons mentioned. I would also point out that we see very few complaints about stoves that are too big, and over heat their owners. But we see lots of complaints about having purchased a stove that was too small, and either doesn't heat well enough, or doesn't give the desired burn times, or both.

Gooserider

BrotherBart said:

I have a large firebox stove and have burned wood since Moby Dick was a minnow. I can tell you that burning clean in a large stove can be a challange without heating the joint up too much. Burn a small hot fire and you still end up with a big hot stove.

Get a stove that is suited to the space you are going to be heating.

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I agree . i have the Hampton HI300, which is the same fire box as the regency 2400. My house is 18XX SF. This insert heats my whole house. It was 9* outside while it was 80* in the room the insert is in, and it was 70* in the bedroom.

I think you can go TOO BIG. You dont want to end up burning smaller fires...you will have a creosote problem. Get the stove that meats your criteria.

I would like to understand the "fire science" behind a stove being too big and the small fires in it causing increased creosote deposits. The original poster asked something related to this a couple of times.

If I COULD fit 8 splits of wood (just assume splits are a standard size. 5 lbs of wood each, ok?) into my stove, but I just burn 3-4 at a time for most fires, in my stove that's a small fire. But in a smaller stove, it's a big fire. Same amount of wood, same BTUs, secondary burn etc., so why, in my big stove, is it now considered a heavy creosote-forming fire?

Is it because the large stove is designed for a certain amount of airflow for an assumed full load, so my 4 splits really do burn differently in a big stove? But what is it about that design that leads to cooling, as I would think more air would just mean a hotter/faster fire. If that were the case, my 4 splits of wood may not last as long in my stove as they would in a smaller stove, and would be burning cleaner, not dirtier.

Also, wouldn't attempts to get a longer burn out of a smaller stove often lead a person to damp down too much, resulting in a smoldering, dirty burn?

Thanks in advance for clearing up these burning questions!


PS: pssst, scobo: go for the big stove!