Speaking from experience, if your house is uninsulated go for the bigger size stove. I have 13x24 uninsulated living room in a 150 year old stone house. We put in a small size insert and on the cold days its not enough heat in that size room. Plus the firebox is to small (1.2 cu.ft.) so I don't get an overnight burn. Next week we're putting in a new stove.
Need guidance wood stove shopping-added pics of fireplace+chimney
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I second what boxerdogheidi is saying. If you're house is underinsulated I think you'd be smart to go with a bigger stove- plus... no one says you need to keep it going full tilt all the time once you do insulate that place properly.
How far are you from Black Mountain, NC... there used to be a great stove shop there right around the corner from the old downtown area.
I think it was just called Black Mountain Stoves. I've had a good fire in my Jotul F600 Firelight since Wednesday night and I'm just outside of CLT. It's been keeping our 2,700 sq.ft. two-story open floor plan in the mid-80' upstairs and mid to high 70's downstairs through this ice storm (teens at night). I'd buy another Jotul in a minute.
I think it was just called Black Mountain Stoves. I've had a good fire in my Jotul F600 Firelight since Wednesday night and I'm just outside of CLT. It's been keeping our 2,700 sq.ft. two-story open floor plan in the mid-80' upstairs and mid to high 70's downstairs through this ice storm (teens at night). I'd buy another Jotul in a minute.
VCBurner
Minister of Fire
yanksforever said:BrowningBAR said:
Better...yup...they are better!IMO
When I said better, I just meant more ornate or better looking in my opinion. A better heater? Maybe or maybe not. Just depends on what you want I guess. I mentioned the Englander as an option instead of the more expensive used soapstone.
That's a bit of a generalization. I could see if the recommendations were for a Volgelzang box stove, but the Englanders sold there are decent steel stoves at a reasonable price. Owners here seem to be pretty satisfied with this product.
Kathleen, you'll need to get some exact measurements to us for the fireplace height, width and depth at top and bottom. That will determine what will work. It may be that a rear exit flue stove is a better fit.
Lovely place. Are you near Boone? (My favorite spot in those hills.)
Lovely place. Are you near Boone? (My favorite spot in those hills.)
Your lack of good judgement in baseball leads me to question your authority with regards to stoves ;-)yanksforever said:Better...yup...they are better!
Thank you so much. It's ready to be functional again.fossil said:
Thanks for all those who pointed this out, as this was not the direction I was going.rsgBJJburner said:
I know of the shop, in fact he has a used Lopi I want to check out. I was planning on heading up yesterday (it's about 40 minutes away) but we got a pretty good snowstorm.Detector$ said:
BeGreen said:
I would love to provide those measurement if y'all would be so kind as to provide that kind of feedback, though I'm headed off to bed now. I am south of Asheville near Hendersonville, so about 2 hours from Boone.
Bigg_Redd
Minister of Fire
~*~Kathleen~*~ said:
Cast iron will cost a few hunj more than steel for a given size/BTU output. But some of them do look pretty sweet.
Bigg_Redd
Minister of Fire
FireAnt
Minister of Fire
Hi,
I just installed a Summers Heat (Englander) NC-13 in my hearth. I have a 1500 sq ft home and it heats fantastic. You can see the pic in my avatar. I ordered a 15ft flex liner and insulation also. $679 for the stove $545 for the liner and insulation $1224 total. You would have enough left to get a splitter for all the wood you will need Do you plan on installing yourself that will of course put another $400-600 on the price.
The biggest thing right now is to get wood, get wood, and get it seasoning.
I just installed a Summers Heat (Englander) NC-13 in my hearth. I have a 1500 sq ft home and it heats fantastic. You can see the pic in my avatar. I ordered a 15ft flex liner and insulation also. $679 for the stove $545 for the liner and insulation $1224 total. You would have enough left to get a splitter for all the wood you will need
Do you plan on installing yourself that will of course put another $400-600 on the price.The biggest thing right now is to get wood, get wood, and get it seasoning.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Not a whole lot to add here . . . but a few random thoughts.
Insulation. Best advice I ever got here was to first insulate my house before even thinking about getting a woodstove if I was serious about heating with wood and saving money.
Cast iron vs. soapstone vs. steel. Get the right size . . . (I recommend going one size larger than what you need) . . . and then pick out what works for you and your budget.
Englander. If I was looking for a good, affordable stove with excellent customer service I would go this route . . . pay no attention to the naysayers . . . there are a lot of folks here who have nothing but good things to say about Englander, the quality and the customer service. That said, for me personally, I wanted something a little fancier looking and so I went the cast iron route . . . again, it's about preferences. There is only one or two stove brands that I would steer clear of myself . . . but that's just me.
Your set-up. Very nice. As mentioned you have some nice possibilities there which could look (and more importantly heat) nice.
Insulation. Best advice I ever got here was to first insulate my house before even thinking about getting a woodstove if I was serious about heating with wood and saving money.
Cast iron vs. soapstone vs. steel. Get the right size . . . (I recommend going one size larger than what you need) . . . and then pick out what works for you and your budget.
Englander. If I was looking for a good, affordable stove with excellent customer service I would go this route . . . pay no attention to the naysayers . . . there are a lot of folks here who have nothing but good things to say about Englander, the quality and the customer service. That said, for me personally, I wanted something a little fancier looking and so I went the cast iron route . . . again, it's about preferences. There is only one or two stove brands that I would steer clear of myself . . . but that's just me.
Your set-up. Very nice. As mentioned you have some nice possibilities there which could look (and more importantly heat) nice.
Mainely Saws
Feeling the Heat
Don't forget that the tax credit of up to $1500 makes the purchase of a new highly efficient stove very attractive ........
I've been thinking about this post today. We have 2 soapstone stoves and we love them, so my opinion is not entirely unbiased. We purchased the first one for our living area, in what was a brand new, fully up to code home. We were not purchasing the stove as our primary source of heat. Safety, efficiency, and aesthetics were paramount for us (mostly me!) and while we opted for a much more expensive stove than our budget allowed, we simply postponed the purchase and saved longer to buy the one the husband wanted and the wife approved. 
Were I in your shoes, Kathleen, I'd be looking at a new stove. You are in a perfect position to capitalize on the best of new technology and engineering as well as a tax credit on its purchase. You have a budget that others more knowledgeable than I say is a good one that will allow for a good and safe set up with respect to a flue upgrade, stove purchase, etc..
I'm a pretty practical person; I shop at the thrift for work clothes (and mend them), drive boring, "paid for" cars, eat left-overs and brown bag my lunch, never carry a credit card balance, and pay to principal on outstanding notes. I also believe that "aesthetics" are important, but not as much as buying the best stove you can buy when it's going to be your primary source of heat. There's a saying in horsemanship, "there never was a good hoss in a bad color". And it's true. Buy the best you can afford in a new stove. I'll bet there are plenty of stoves that will fill the aesthetic bill quite nicely. You need to get the heating job done first and foremost. If you pay attention to basic details (safe installation of a quality product, good firewood, and upgrading the insulation of your home) you will have plenty of opportunity to upgrade to a stove that maybe fits/indulges your personal taste and aesthetic in the future.
Agree fully that buying "more" stove than your home's size may indicate is a good idea. Both our stoves are overkill for the spaces they're in, but when the power goes out they are more than capable of gettin' the job done.
Were I in your shoes, Kathleen, I'd be looking at a new stove. You are in a perfect position to capitalize on the best of new technology and engineering as well as a tax credit on its purchase. You have a budget that others more knowledgeable than I say is a good one that will allow for a good and safe set up with respect to a flue upgrade, stove purchase, etc..
I'm a pretty practical person; I shop at the thrift for work clothes (and mend them), drive boring, "paid for" cars, eat left-overs and brown bag my lunch, never carry a credit card balance, and pay to principal on outstanding notes. I also believe that "aesthetics" are important, but not as much as buying the best stove you can buy when it's going to be your primary source of heat. There's a saying in horsemanship, "there never was a good hoss in a bad color". And it's true. Buy the best you can afford in a new stove. I'll bet there are plenty of stoves that will fill the aesthetic bill quite nicely. You need to get the heating job done first and foremost. If you pay attention to basic details (safe installation of a quality product, good firewood, and upgrading the insulation of your home) you will have plenty of opportunity to upgrade to a stove that maybe fits/indulges your personal taste and aesthetic in the future.
Agree fully that buying "more" stove than your home's size may indicate is a good idea. Both our stoves are overkill for the spaces they're in, but when the power goes out they are more than capable of gettin' the job done.
Dix
Minister of Fire
Kathleen, you're getting some good advice here !!
AND after seeing that FP, screw the insert, go for a stove, and don't look back !! I agree with Rick, that space is just crying for a hearth stove ! Sweet, sweet, sweet.
Don't forget to measure the heart area as well (front of the FP). This way you will know your clearances for the front & sides of the stove. Measurements are going to help alot here.
I also reiterate the install. How is that getting done?
AND after seeing that FP, screw the insert, go for a stove, and don't look back !! I agree with Rick, that space is just crying for a hearth stove ! Sweet, sweet, sweet.
Don't forget to measure the heart area as well (front of the FP). This way you will know your clearances for the front & sides of the stove. Measurements are going to help alot here.
I also reiterate the install. How is that getting done?
VCBurner
Minister of Fire
Hi Kathleen, figured I'd chime in with another two cents worth.
My set up: 1960 Single story Ranch well insulated, old windows and doors, basement 760 sq. ft., upstairs 1230 sq. ft.(only 1,000 heated.) Total heated space 1,760 ft ²
1980 Surdiac Gotha 513 wood/coal combo $80, on CL, into a basement utility chimney (heats up to 13,200 cubic feet with up to 44,000 btu) Small firebox is a downer though.
1936 Antique Atlanta Stoveworks #27 Box in fireplace, given to me by a fellow local 107 member/friend named "ICE", he's from Iceland. We burn this part time, to take the chill off the living room when temp gets to single digits outside.
2008-2009 winter heating cost $1,700 in heating oil to get the house up to 64-69 degrees
2009-2010 cost $260 for 100 gallons of oil to heat the hot water (it may last us a year?). Temp inside 76 °F right now.
Free wood, from ice storm, part time tree work and scrounging around.
Total spent on stoves: $80
Pipe connectors, thermometers, gaskets, seals: about $200
Free Magic Heat from another hearth.com member throws up to 30,000 btu (don't know if I like it yet)
Furnace has not been turned on to heat the house this year.
On the other hand, I know a guy who bought a brand new Harman pellet stove for $3000 (rated to heat 1,500 ft °F,) including installation in the basement and one ton of pellets. His bedroom is 60 °F when the stove is going and the heat barely rises because the stairwell is in the opposite corner from the stove. He wanted to hire me, to put another set of stairs to the basement, closer to the stove, but didn't have enough space to sacrifice when I measured. This is an extreme situation and would not happen to you with that cool fireplace!
I just wanted to tell you that a new stove is not always better than a nice used stove. I also wanted to apologize for my previous comments about the Englander Stoves. I did overgeneralize a bit.
Whatever you choose, go bigger, longer burn, less emissions and a big fireview door (this shouldn't be a problem with your budget.) Something that fits bigger logs if you're going to cut your own wood! Top loading is awesome!! Line the chimney and insulate the house as much as possible. It'll pay for itself no matter how you heat. Learn as much as you can about all your options. This site has a great amout of info. Good luck and burn soon
My set up: 1960 Single story Ranch well insulated, old windows and doors, basement 760 sq. ft., upstairs 1230 sq. ft.(only 1,000 heated.) Total heated space 1,760 ft ²
1980 Surdiac Gotha 513 wood/coal combo $80, on CL, into a basement utility chimney (heats up to 13,200 cubic feet with up to 44,000 btu) Small firebox is a downer though.
1936 Antique Atlanta Stoveworks #27 Box in fireplace, given to me by a fellow local 107 member/friend named "ICE", he's from Iceland. We burn this part time, to take the chill off the living room when temp gets to single digits outside.
2008-2009 winter heating cost $1,700 in heating oil to get the house up to 64-69 degrees
2009-2010 cost $260 for 100 gallons of oil to heat the hot water (it may last us a year?). Temp inside 76 °F right now.
Free wood, from ice storm, part time tree work and scrounging around.
Total spent on stoves: $80
Pipe connectors, thermometers, gaskets, seals: about $200
Free Magic Heat from another hearth.com member throws up to 30,000 btu (don't know if I like it yet)
Furnace has not been turned on to heat the house this year.
On the other hand, I know a guy who bought a brand new Harman pellet stove for $3000 (rated to heat 1,500 ft °F,) including installation in the basement and one ton of pellets. His bedroom is 60 °F when the stove is going and the heat barely rises because the stairwell is in the opposite corner from the stove. He wanted to hire me, to put another set of stairs to the basement, closer to the stove, but didn't have enough space to sacrifice when I measured. This is an extreme situation and would not happen to you with that cool fireplace!
I just wanted to tell you that a new stove is not always better than a nice used stove. I also wanted to apologize for my previous comments about the Englander Stoves. I did overgeneralize a bit.
Whatever you choose, go bigger, longer burn, less emissions and a big fireview door (this shouldn't be a problem with your budget.) Something that fits bigger logs if you're going to cut your own wood! Top loading is awesome!! Line the chimney and insulate the house as much as possible. It'll pay for itself no matter how you heat. Learn as much as you can about all your options. This site has a great amout of info. Good luck and burn soon
:lol:Bigg_Redd said:
Thanks for all the advice. I'll have the shop or some other qualified individual other than myself do the install. The tax credit does highly favor the purchase of a new stove. It's my goal to buy no more oil this winter AND to be warm. Right now it's not warm.
Fireplace measurements
Depth 20.5"
Depth + hearth 48"
Width 37"
Height in front 33"
In the back it begins curving forward at 22"
I noticed that the previous owners put some substance in between the bricks that has gotten gooey and is beginning to seep out. I'm not sure what to think about that.
Yesterday I was able to leave work a bit early and check out a shop that sells primarily Pacific Energy stoves. The owner was very helpful and I liked the stoves.
So the options are to install an insert or to install a freestanding hearth stove in the fireplace opening. If the later is the choice, cast iron stoves have an advantage in that they often offer a rear exit flue. This allows the stove to be out in the room which will permit it to convect heat naturally without a blower. A stove buried into the fireplace opening will need a blower to achieve good heating and a block off plate to stop heat from heading up the chimney. This type of installation is fine if regular power outages are not common. But if they happen frequently when the weather gets rough, this is something to consider.
Rather than us filling you with opinions on what we like best, it would be better to find the local stove shop and installer that offers the best job at a reasonable cost. My understanding is that the entire installation is deductible up to the $1500 limit. PE makes great stoves, but you will need a blower for one as it is strictly a top exit flue, which mean it needs to sit deep enough in the fireplace opening to make the flue connection to the liner.
Rather than us filling you with opinions on what we like best, it would be better to find the local stove shop and installer that offers the best job at a reasonable cost. My understanding is that the entire installation is deductible up to the $1500 limit. PE makes great stoves, but you will need a blower for one as it is strictly a top exit flue, which mean it needs to sit deep enough in the fireplace opening to make the flue connection to the liner.
VCBurner
Minister of Fire
It sounds like you're making progress. Hopefully you'll be burning in no time! I dispise burning oil too and a stove has an almost magical way of warming things up without it.
What kind of gooey seeping substance are we seeing here. Sounds strange, can you discribe it? :-/
The PE stoves are said to be really nice. Many of the hearth.com members also own these. You should do a sight search and see what you can come up with. They are often discussed around here. Good luck and burn soon
Check out this site from a helpful site and cool T6 pic:
http://chimneysweeponline.com/wscompha.htm
What kind of gooey seeping substance are we seeing here. Sounds strange, can you discribe it? :-/
The PE stoves are said to be really nice. Many of the hearth.com members also own these. You should do a sight search and see what you can come up with. They are often discussed around here. Good luck and burn soon
Check out this site from a helpful site and cool T6 pic:
http://chimneysweeponline.com/wscompha.htm
VCBurner
Minister of Fire
VCBurner
Minister of Fire
Bigg_Redd said:
I'm willing to bet there are many Woodstock and Hearthstone owners out there who would disagree. "Unsightly" I guess is on the eye of the beholder. A "Fad"!. Cavemen probably utilized stones to warm up their caves! :coolgrin:
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