Is a Jotul 600 overkill in my situation? VIDEO!!

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kruger

Member
Oct 14, 2008
100
SE Wyoming
I'm looking to put a freestanding stove in my hearth room (currently an old smoke dragon insert) in a quad level house. Please take a look at my floor plan (VIDEO LINK) and let me know if you think the 600 would be overkill or if the Oslo 500 would be better. If you have a different suggestion of a different Jotul or a different brand all together, I'm all ears, I've just heard amazing things about the Jotuls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjCRYUsCSLE

Thanks,
Aaron
 
Should work out ok. First thing to check is the opening height of the fireplace to be sure it clears the flue exit.
 
I'm concerned about getting hot air to make so many turns to get upstairs. I've got about 2000 sq. ft. to heat (excludes basement). Would a big stove like the 600 (supposedly heats up to 2500 sq. ft) be better for a quad level than a Oslo 500 (heats up to 2000)?? My question is can I go to big in a house like this?
 
I think you would get blasted out of that room with a big cast iron radiant stove like the 600. Even the 500 will make it too hot imo. Maybe look into the TL-50 with the convection panels to block some of that radiant heat and enhance the convective heat with a blower to move that air out? If you had a more open floor plan I'd be all for a big honkin radiant stove. Have you considered another insert like the Rockland?
 
A convective stove would be my preference, but I think the F600 would be ok. You don't need to run it wide open.

Todd's suggestion of the Rangeley is a good one. The house looks like it may convect reasonably well. How has it worked out with the Glacier other than wood consumption? It might take a fan in the cooler area blowing toward the warm to assist convection a bit.
 
WYO said:
I'm concerned about getting hot air to make so many turns to get upstairs. I've got about 2000 sq. ft. to heat (excludes basement). Would a big stove like the 600 (supposedly heats up to 2500 sq. ft) be better for a quad level than a Oslo 500 (heats up to 2000)?? My question is can I go to big in a house like this?

How leaky is your house?
 
WYO said:
I'm concerned about getting hot air to make so many turns to get upstairs. I've got about 2000 sq. ft. to heat (excludes basement). Would a big stove like the 600 (supposedly heats up to 2500 sq. ft) be better for a quad level than a Oslo 500 (heats up to 2000)?? My question is can I go to big in a house like this?

I heat a typical 2500 sq ft 1880's farmhouse with the F-500 Oslo and have very good luck with it. Although I don't have the same situation as you have with alot of levels and distant rooms far away from your future stove. My stove is located in the center of the house and I have some direct venting through the floor with a inline duct fan. If you can find a way to move some of that heated air away from that stove room you may have some better results. Good luck
 
That floor plan was born to be heated with an insert. Blower moves the air right into the kitchen and the rest of the house. And that hearth is just exactly like mine, not one that is worth a darn for a free standing stove unless you put half of it inside the fireplace. Which I did but an insert is a better answer because you can service the blower without pulling the stove out. With an insert cool air is pulled back to it along the floor making the room liveable.

And a F600 is just too honkin big to fit on that hearth. And no blower. Todd is right. You would cook yourself out of there trying to heat the house.
 
BrotherBart said:
That floor plan was born to be heated with an insert. Blower moves the air right into the kitchen and the rest of the house. And that hearth is just exactly like mine, not one that is worth a darn for a free standing stove unless you put half of it inside the fireplace. Which I did but an insert is a better answer because you can service the blower without pulling the stove out. With an insert cool air is pulled back to it along the floor making the room liveable.

And a F600 is just too honkin big to fit on that hearth. And no blower. Todd is right. You would cook yourself out of there trying to heat the house.


Based on that, would a Lopi Declaration or the Hampton HI300 insert make sense?
 
I am a little stuck here. Telling the truth I love looking at that stove he has. I would put a liner in that chimney and burn really dry wood for a while before I chucked it. :red:

That sucker is a tank and reminds me of my old insert. My problems were burning wood that wasn't ready, not having a liner and then after I got religion finding the crack in the firebox.

But were I the OP I would find an insert with the deepest, squarest firebox I could find for N/S loading.
 
BrotherBart said:
That floor plan was born to be heated with an insert. Blower moves the air right into the kitchen and the rest of the house. And that hearth is just exactly like mine, not one that is worth a darn for a free standing stove unless you put half of it inside the fireplace. Which I did but an insert is a better answer because you can service the blower without pulling the stove out. With an insert cool air is pulled back to it along the floor making the room liveable.

And a F600 is just too honkin big to fit on that hearth. And no blower. Todd is right. You would cook yourself out of there trying to heat the house.

I was thinking the same thing here.

I don't know what your budget is but I think you can line the chimney, and stick and osburn 2400 in (3.2 cf firebox) in there for less than $3,000 total. I know there are lots of other inserts out there, but this one was the largest high quality firebox for the lowest price.

From the looks of your layout 3.2 cf firebox should heat that space great, with long burns and without cooking yourself out of the room. Hope that helps.
 
BrotherBart said:
I am a little stuck here. Telling the truth I love looking at that stove he has. I would put a liner in that chimney and burn really dry wood for a while before I chucked it. :red:

That sucker is a tank and reminds me of my old insert. My problems were burning wood that wasn't ready, not having a liner and then after I got religion finding the crack in the firebox.

But were I the OP I would find an insert with the deepest, squarest firebox I could find for N/S loading.

and your existing stove is made of STEEL ..... ;)

I can't speak to convecton vs radiant and right now I have burned with 100% radiant stoves. I consider my Englander 30 as a 50/50 radiant/convection the way the shields (including the optional ones) only come down about half the depth of the stove, but have yet to burn it.

I kind of like BB's advice - sticking with an insert. One type to consider is a Blaze King insert or a Buck Stove insert - using the cat option. That way you can get the convection air movement and turn the stove down for some really clean burns if the temps start getting to toasty.

BTW, the Blaze King and Buck stoves are STEEL too!!!!!

Good luck & nice house.

Bill
 
I heat a new 2800 sq.ft. open floor plan house with 20+ foot ceilings with a 600. When it's in the teens outside its in the low 80's on the first floor, mid to high 80's on the second floor.... I love it but the 600 is a beast! Would buy it again in a minute.
 
Thanks for all the help. The problem with the current insert is all my heat is escaping through the unlined chimney - NEVER have coals in the morning; plus it has no fans. I've taken a couple of small fans and cut some slots out of the side of the external/second box and tried to blow air through the unit, but it's just a space fan blowing on a small hole. From what I understand about what I've got, its pathetic to think an insert (with 80% of the unit tucked into an unused space) WITHOUT fans is going to put any heat into the room. I can push that stove hard with ash and locust and never get the upstairs as warm as I would like them. I'm also using a 400+ CFM to draw air from the hearth room to the upstairs hall. I just can't get that room (plus the kitchen and living/dining room) hot enough.
 
I can understand that in Wyoming. What kind of low temps are you seeing? -10 to -20F with 50 mph winds?
 
Exactly those condition. I had -47 in my backyard last year NOT factoring the wind. Sort of how it goes around here.

I've uploaded another video showing the centrifugal fan and muffler I installed last winter. It draws about 400-500 CFM from the hearth room and pumps it into the upstairs. With that kind of air movement would you still recommend an insert? What kills me is how little heat and burn times I get from REALLY good seasoned ash and locust. Plus I'm hauling out a five gallon pale of ashes ever other day (which Jotul owners are telling me is absurd).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFHZnNY_B0M

The hearth measures left to right between two combustable wood cabinets at 80". It measures top to bottom from hearth platform to combustable shelf at 52". The hearth platform itself is at a depth of 20". The firebox opening measures 32" x 25 3/4" The box depth is 24" with a rear taper at the top and sides in the back of the box (if that makes sense).

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/5837/img6185r.jpg

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/5047/img6186ym.jpg
 
BrotherBart said:
I am a little stuck here. Telling the truth I love looking at that stove he has. I would put a liner in that chimney and burn really dry wood for a while before I chucked it. :red:
BB, I am with you on this one. I have both old and new and I love them both. Given the trouble to change, I am sticking with my old buck insert that I love and have burned for 30 years. Mind you, I love the new EPA stove in the kitchen, just not ready to chuck my old one yet.
 
tfdchief said:
BrotherBart said:
I am a little stuck here. Telling the truth I love looking at that stove he has. I would put a liner in that chimney and burn really dry wood for a while before I chucked it. :red:
BB, I am with you on this one. I have both old and new and I love them both. Given the trouble to change, I am sticking with my old buck insert that I love and have burned for 30 years. Mind you, I love the new EPA stove in the kitchen, just not ready to chuck my old one yet.

Interesting. Does your insert have blower fans? Before I rigged up some makeshift fans, I was literally getting zero heat from my stove. Yes, it was raging hot, but all that heat was just staying put. I can't image keeping this unit without a more advanced retrofitting of a fan system. Also, I feel like one of my root problems is not having a liner. All my heat disappears...what's left of those fleeting BTUs is trapped inside a super inefficient insert system. Maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about...
 
WYO said:
tfdchief said:
BrotherBart said:
I am a little stuck here. Telling the truth I love looking at that stove he has. I would put a liner in that chimney and burn really dry wood for a while before I chucked it. :red:
BB, I am with you on this one. I have both old and new and I love them both. Given the trouble to change, I am sticking with my old buck insert that I love and have burned for 30 years. Mind you, I love the new EPA stove in the kitchen, just not ready to chuck my old one yet.

Interesting. Does your insert have blower fans? Before I rigged up some makeshift fans, I was literally getting zero heat from my stove. Yes, it was raging hot, but all that heat was just staying put. I can't image keeping this unit without a more advanced retrofitting of a fan system. Also, I feel like one of my root problems is not having a liner. All my heat disappears...what's left of those fleeting BTUs is trapped inside a super inefficient insert system. Maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about...


Yes, a liner is needed, but a blower would probably make a huge difference.
 
The fireplace height is the gotcha here. It will need an insert without making major modifications.
 
The heat from the back half of that stove is going right up the chimney. While you are stove shopping, since you are going to need to line the chimney anyway, why not put in a liner and block off plate and leave the surround off of the current stove. The difference is going to be significant.
 
BeGreen said:
The fireplace height is the gotcha here. It will need an insert without making major modifications.

Yeah, at 25 3/4" not many big free standers are going to clear. The Oslo 500 is a rear exit and requires 26" with the short leg option...just missing it.
 
BrotherBart said:
The heat from the back half of that stove is going right up the chimney. While you are stove shopping, since you are going to need to line the chimney anyway, why not put in a liner and block off plate and leave the surround off of the current stove. The difference is going to be significant.

Couldn't agree more...I would even venture to say the back 80% of the stove. I've always planned on lining the chimney and fabricating a block off plate. Just struggling between an insert or a free stander that could exit rear and clear 25 3/4"ish (seems like that would only a few stoves). That Oslo is SO close to fitting.
 
BrotherBart said:
The heat from the back half of that stove is going right up the chimney. While you are stove shopping, since you are going to need to line the chimney anyway, why not put in a liner and block off plate and leave the surround off of the current stove. The difference is going to be significant.

I still feel like the lack of a good fan system is the problem. These inserts were designed to have air moved through the unit...I have no good air movement...Glacier Bay has been under for a while.
 
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