Advise Needed - One verses Two Wood Stoves

[Prada]

Many members have voted for 2 small stoves and I'm sorry but I think that is wrong. I mean 'small' means constant reloading and custom cuts of firewood. Way too much to deal with and to have to deal with it X2.......NO WAY. lol
I would install 1 large stove downstairs, just because it makes the most sense to me since heat rises. Get the largest firebox you can so you can throw about anything in it without any problems. If it gets too hot downstairs, open a window for Pete sakes. That's what we do and our house is as large as yours is only we don't have the convenience of heat rising to warm half of ours. Our home is all one floor all sprawled out and our one stove does fine for the whole house and it's not even centrally located.
At least try only one stove on the 1st floor for awhile to make up your mind, but don't get a little stove or your going to be sorry. lol

 

[Bigg_Redd]

We are planning to add a wood stove to our house. It would be both to supplement existing heat source (geothermal) and as a backup when we loose power (live way out in the country and it happens more than we would like). We have a reverse two story house (1660 both levels, total 3320) - living area is upstairs and the bedrooms with common room downstairs in a finished walkout basement. Also to note, in the winter it is currently warmer by a few degrees downstairs than up (I think this is unexpected, but the case). It is a new house (2 years old) with good insulation and windows.

So what we are trying to decide after speaking with wood stove dealer is: Do we put one large stove downstairs centrally located in the common room? Or do we have a small stove downstairs and a second upstairs? The dealer is recommending one large downstairs saying that it will heat the entire house. But our concern is that downstairs would be too hot while upstairs is still too cool. Any information/advise would be welcome. Thanks.

The beauty is that you will never really know one way or the other untill it is too late. However, the dealer is a professional and may know what he is talking about.

Here's an idea: put the big stove as per the dealer's suggestion. If you are right and it is too hot downstairs and too cold upstairs you can always add a small stove upstairs. You can always build small fires in a large stove.

 

[joesat78]

Buy a stove that has around 3 cubic feet capacity (not sure how cold it is in your area. If you had been here in central PA - this would be my advice) and put it in the place "most used" (upstairs or downstairs). Wait for one season and use the existing heat source to heat the other floor. Same time next year, you will know more and will be able to make better judgment.

Investing in stoves/wood are always a rewarding proposition in the long term. But, considering the cost involved, do not rush into it.

 

[heydan]

You definitely want to go with one stove if you can. Tending two stoves is twice the work.

I have one stove on my ground floor and the heat rises very well. In fact, my second floor stays warmer than my first because the heat rises so well.

Heating a whole house in a cold climate takes a big stove unless you've got a new house with very tight and well insulated modern construction. I'd go with the biggest stove you can fit downstairs. It's easy to build a smaller fire and burn it slower and reload less often when you don't need the full capacity of the stove.

 

[savageactor7]

I agree with the dealer, put a big stove in the basement and see how that works out. A big box stove like the QF 5700 or its counterpart.

 

[Jennifer]

I want to thank everyone for your opinions/advise. For those interested, we are going with a Jotul F500 in the lower level. We have found a very good location to add a grate between the upper and lower level slightly over from the stove. Plus the wide stairwell will help with heating upstairs. Later if finances allow (the cost of the chimney is quite high) we may put a smaller stove in the upper level. Again thanks to all for your help and I am so glad to have found this site.

 

[heydan]

You might not even need a grate. In my house, heat flows up the stairway so well that the second floor is warmer than the first even though the first floor is where the stove is. I'd say try it without a grate first and only add it if you need it.

 

[bjkjoseph]

i have 2 stoves but i am retired.i would go with the one stove and a generator

 

[savageactor7]

Jennifer You might want to wait a few months...with the cost of fossil fuel down stove prices will drop significantly when the seasons over... just don't rush in. You've been this long without a stove what's a few more months?

 

[Bobbin]

I'd be all over 2 woodstoves, if it were my choice to make. You could then use the stoves on an "as needed" basis and really maximize the efficiency of them while minimizing the amount of wood you'll need. Sometimes you just need to "take the chill off" a room. I'd be leery of one big stove and the attendant hot and cold areas of the house.

 

[RonB]

Hi Jen, Do a recap and update whenever you get your new stove going and have some results for us. Every one has thrown a guess and some advice your way and it helps our knowledge base to know what works and what doesn't. Good luck with the Jotul!