We've been reading about the importance of keeping a hot fire going for ultimate efficiency. Does anyone have experience with the Jotul C450 (Kennebec/Tamarack) heating a space that is about 750 sq. ft? (open space- no walls) How necessary is it to have this particular stove burning at full capacity? My concern is this- will we be able to keep the stove burning at full capacity and still be comfortable or will it get too hot? (We have a ceiling fan ) Any Jotul C450 experiences will be most helpful.
About to purchase Jotul C450 for 750 sq. ft. house
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Ann, I have a 720 sq ft house on the MA shore that we use every weekend all year long. We have an ollder VC ENcore Defiiant that will easily heat the whole house even on the coldest day. It can get hot but there is no need to keep it kranking. Just get it up to temp, engage the catylitic converter and let it slow burn. On a real cold day you can fire it hotter but doesn't have to be full burn all the time. Good Luck
After a longish and careful research, I got a Jotul C450 (Kennebec) installed. House is about 1800 sq. feet.
No first-hand experience yet, as the heating season has not started, but from what I have heard from many C450 users (2 of them living in my neighborhood) in the mountains of Western NC, 1600 to 1800 sq. feet of a house with somewhat decent insulation is what C450 would comfortably heat.
Which means that for your 750 sq. feet it's too much of a stove. Unless you have no insulation whatsoever....
Of course, you can always downplay it (damper, less fuel, blower off, etc.), but this would result in poorer burn temperatures, not very helpful for the creosote residue in the exhaust.
Why not try its smaller brother, the C350 insert? It may still be an overkill, but at least won't cook you out of the house...
No first-hand experience yet, as the heating season has not started, but from what I have heard from many C450 users (2 of them living in my neighborhood) in the mountains of Western NC, 1600 to 1800 sq. feet of a house with somewhat decent insulation is what C450 would comfortably heat.
Which means that for your 750 sq. feet it's too much of a stove. Unless you have no insulation whatsoever....
Of course, you can always downplay it (damper, less fuel, blower off, etc.), but this would result in poorer burn temperatures, not very helpful for the creosote residue in the exhaust.
Why not try its smaller brother, the C350 insert? It may still be an overkill, but at least won't cook you out of the house...
Have you considered putting a small, freestanding stove in front of the fireplace instead? That would open up your choices to smaller cat stoves from Woodstock or a VC Intrepic which might give you the desired full burning capacity without driving you out of the house.
Scrounger
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The Kennebec is a very nice insert. We have about 1100 sq. ft., ranch style, with single pane windows, aluminum storms screwed onto the outside. Attic is insulated very good. Not sure what is in the walls, house is about 35 years old. The furnace almost never kicks on. The floor plan isn't very open so one small fan, strategicly placed, pulls the heat to the far end of the house.
You don't need to burn the stove full bore all the time. Small fires are fine, let it burn down, to coals, and let it cruise for a bit, when it starts to cool down in the house, put a few more splits in. If you get too hot, don't pack it full, just a few medium sized splits will be fine. If it's 10F outside with a 35 mph wind then load er up. You'll get the hang of it.
If you get a smaller insert then you'll have shorter burn times for overnighters. I load up my Kennebec and get about 5 to 6 hours out of it in the dead of winter.
You don't need to burn the stove full bore all the time. Small fires are fine, let it burn down, to coals, and let it cruise for a bit, when it starts to cool down in the house, put a few more splits in. If you get too hot, don't pack it full, just a few medium sized splits will be fine. If it's 10F outside with a 35 mph wind then load er up. You'll get the hang of it.
If you get a smaller insert then you'll have shorter burn times for overnighters. I load up my Kennebec and get about 5 to 6 hours out of it in the dead of winter.
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