Englander 17-VL Firebox Size (Noobie)

Hi all. New here and been reading for days (and nights). Help! I've fallen in and can't get out! lol. I love learning new stuff and you all have so much to offer here (great fun - better than novels!).

I'm sure I'll have much to say in time but for now I'd like to know the ACTUAL USABLE inside measurements of the Englander 17-VL firebox. By that I mean the inside measurements with bricks installed.

I talked with customer service at Englander yesterday and was told that the 1.1 cubic foot firebox size that they post for that stove is with bricks installed. However, after a long road trip to measure a number of their other stoves (Englander has no way of knowing where I can locate a retailer who actually has a 17-VL in stock - hummm) I found little (being kind) correlation between posted firebox size and actual usable size. I measured to the top of the firebricks (but even measuring up to the bottom of the secondary tubes the sizes didn't correlate). My math could be wrong of course. So if the Englander customer service guy is correct then the 17-VL would be an exception. Is it? Is he correct?

Thanks

HD customer service (Corp.) said that none of their stores carry the 17-VL stove (online orders only). Thanks

I'm not actually looking for a place to purchase one right now. That's easy. I'm trying to determine the usable size of the firebox (and how that correlates to manufacturer stated sizes).

I'm heating a 760 ft. L-shaped ranch built on a concrete slab

Oh cool (I mean hot-lol). I look forward to those measurements. I'm starting to think that a small stove like that should be fine for me given my small space (750 sq ft) and the thermal mass that I have (concrete slab and brick surround). I've been heating with a much bigger old non-epa stove for a long time and I have no problem letting it go out for hours (12 or more) without the house getting uncomfortable. And since I've been using Bio Bricks to mix with my cord-wood starting a new fire is so easy. Have you tried them or other such biomass blocks? I'd really be interested to know how they would work in a stove like that. Thanks for your reply. This site is so much fun!

Edit - I've been using Eco Bricks rather than Bio Bricks as stated and I've also tried and like Envi blocks.

joecool85 said:

I have a 17-VL. I'm at work right now, but if my memory serves me correctly the firebox is 17.5" wide and 9.5" deep. Not sure how tall, probably about 11-12". This comes out to exactly 1.1 cubes if you go with 11.5" for the height.

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Thanks, that makes sense. I think Rose is going to check those measurements too

billb3 said:

BlueVamWood said:

HD customer service (Corp.) said that none of their stores carry the 17-VL stove (online orders only). Thanks

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The stores don't have the $749.00 17-vl with the blower - they have to be ordered.
Many of the stores DO have last year's 17-vl without the blower for $549.00 left, but they are going quick.
There were two of them in my local store a month ago, they are down to one. Website shows three home depots in Rhode Island still have at least one left.
The one in my local store is shoved in a spot beside the axes and shovels. It was on a skid on a shelf, but there is Christmas stuff there now. No longer on a skid.

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Wow that's good to know. Can you tell me how you were able to check product availability from their website? Geezzz, not even their Corp. customer service people could do that -lol. I know I've done it there before with other products but now I can't seem to find a link on their page to do that.

Hummm.....I'm don't find anything like that.

joe said:

billb3 said:

It's a tall firebox, though. I doubt you could stuff all 1.1 cubic feet or whatever the cubic feet is.

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I've done it, with cord wood too. Just have to get the right shaped splits. It's like reverse Jenga.

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Hey! Thanks everyone (joe, billb3, bluegogz, RoseRedHoofBeats, Todd, Kathleen - hope I haven't forgotten anyone) for putting so much time into helping me out. You're so awesome! I tried the suggestions for finding a 17-VL online at HD without success. That all kinda confirmed what the customer service person at HD said early-on (that they only have them available online). My travels to numerous Lowes and HD's locally didn't turn up any in stock either. However, I was able to measure other fireboxes both from the England (I think) line and one Amesti. The Amesti (1.1 cu. ft. firebox) was spot on at 1.1 cu. ft. inside the bricks. So I was able to see what a 1.1 cu. ft. firebox actually looks like (it really looked big even compared to many larger stoves I've looked at). It's configured way different than the 17-VL however. None of the England's stoves (if that's what they were) that I looked at though were very close (inside the bricks) to their stated firebox size. The 30-NC for example came out to 2.1 cu. ft. (to top of bricks) or 2.77 cu.ft. (to bottom of secondary tubes). Please anyone correct me if I'm wrong on this because none of the stoves at HD had anything on them actually identifying them as Englander's or Summers Heat or any other brand (and I couldn't see model numbers). They just looked like what I have seen online so I could be wrong. The reason I wanted to measure England's stoves was to get an idea of how they go about calculating and stating firebox size. That way I would have a better idea about the actual size (inside the bricks) of the 17-VL. None of that is important to me now though because joe stated that

"I have a 17-VL. I’m at work right now, but if my memory serves me correctly the firebox is 17.5†wide and 9.5†deep. Not sure how tall, probably about 11-12â€. This comes out to exactly 1.1 cubes if you go with 11.5†for the height."

So if those are indeed the numbers then I have my answer. By the way joe, were those numbers right when you got a chance to look at your stove again?

As far as finding one of these stoves to buy I think if I want to see one then I should do as you suggest joe and see if England's can direct me to local stores who sell the 17-VL (they were not very helpful with this the first time however) and then contact those stores myself to see if they have them in stock. Right now though I have a brand new stove sitting here next to me ready to be installed (whenever I finish my new chimney). I'm embarrassed to say that this is my third new stove purchased in the past two years. VERY long story but without ever installing and using any of them I traded in the first to get the second (no financial loss) and I sold the second (at a loss) to buy this one. Now I'm afraid I may be in love with the 17-VL (shush - I don't want this one to find out). HOWEVER, I am NOT selling this one without hooking it up and giving it a go! I actually like it quite a bit and think it will work fine here. But I really do like the looks of the 17-VL and how you folks have them installed. I'm very much a minimalist and find much beauty in simplicity. So I like both the clean lines of the 17-VL as well as it's functional design. I like the looks of what I have too but I've always wondered about how well it will function. But others here have given me some encouraging input so I suspect it will be fine. So I'm giving it a go! Did I say that? LOl. Heck, if I were to get another stove right now my dad (the guy who seems to always get stuck trucking them around for me) would go from just thinking I am nuts to actually knowing it. And he would be right! Besides, for the price I paid, any lessons learned will be well worth it. So to some up here, one of the main reasons I wanted to know the firebox size of the 17-VL is so I could compare it to what I have now. I mean there is some good information here from real experience how well the 17-VL works so since what I have now is in that same size class I may better have an idea how it might work. Thanks all.

Thanks joe. It's like getting an early xmas present with you all giving me your time and help