another ISLE ROYALE question

[johnn]

Looking at what I think is a great deal on the ISLE ROYALE, however, maybe too much stove?? My house is a two story with basement, approx. 1000 sq. per floor and won`t be trying to heat basement from the first floor stove. Currently using an pre-Epa stove insert, which losses BTU~s ,due to it having no baffle plate and it at times would smoke us out of the room. With this four point burn system,being routed up through the back and hard to access for cleaning, how much of an issue would creosole be if I didn`t maintain large fires? I would hate to pass up a good deal, however sometimes you must. I`m not opposed to opening up ceiling, and ducting some air flows, just curious if it might be necessary.

 

[karri0n]

Creo won't be an issue with a small fire, unless you're burning wet wood. She's a cast beast, and holds heat for a bit due to her sheer size, making small fires a bit more practical than some other stoves.

If you can get a good deal, you simply aren't going to find a nicer looking stove other than an antique.

If you still use fossil fuels to heat in winter, then you will likely be able to turn the thermostat off and use the IR as your main heat source, thereby saving even more money. The ducting probably won't be necessary, but it might be something you become interested in doing later on if you like the results.


Good luck!

 

[johnn]

This stove is new, but a private seller, who wont be in town till thursday. Was used as display for home and got some enamel damage offloading by the crew.

Asking 1500 but i`m not sure if its with blower,,, just found dealer about two hours away with a 3100i insert for 2000. All i needed was more decisions to make.

 

[begreen]

If your location can accommodate the Isle Royale then that seems like a pretty sweet deal. How bad is the enamel damage? As for size, in your climate the stove shouldn't be oversized for 2000 sq ft of heating, providing the first floor plan is relatively open and there is an easy way for the heat to convect to the second floor. However, if the stove is in a room that is at one end of a ranch and/or closed off from the rest of the house by a door, then it might be too much as an area heater.

 

[johnn]

If your location can accommodate the Isle Royale then that seems like a pretty sweet deal. How bad is the enamel damage? As for size, in your climate the stove shouldn't be oversized for 2000 sq ft of heating, providing the first floor plan is relatively open and there is an easy way for the heat to convect to the second floor. However, if the stove is in a room that is at one end of a ranch and/or closed off from the rest of the house by a door, then it might be too much as an area heater.

Floor plan simply put,,,4rooms upstairs, sitting over 4 rooms on first floor. seperating the two rooms on the west wall from the two on the east, is the entry hall way which runs from the front door to the back, and houses the staircase. This is 8 feet wide. Standing in the hall your right hand points towards a framed opening, 4ft. x 6ft. 9", same thing for your left hand. Once the ceiling fills with 18" of heat, it spills into hall and up the staircase. The blower motor on my insert however, creates my circulation
because once I fire it, my gas unit seldom kicks on set at 66 to 68 degrees. It is located in a room across the hall way your left hand pointed at. Blower would be a must to maintain this circulation. Personally I found it hard to believe that the staircase allowed heated air to get across the hall and into the room housing the thermostate.
The enamel damage was confined to the left side, havent seen yet, however I`m aware the touch up paint won`t really restore it! Sounds like it will work,right,,right??I wasn`t in the market for such a nice stove,,would be sweet. The Cats Meow!
' thanks for your time

 

[karri0n]

A small fan might work just as well for air circulation, even if the unit does not come equipped with a blower, or you could spring for it anyway with the money you're saving. Personally, I just sit a metal electric fan on top of the stove and this moves more than plenty of air.

 

[begreen]

Yes, positioned correctly, a fan on the floor (can be a box or table fan), blowing cold air from the cold, non-stove area towards the stove can achieve very nice results.

 

[Bobcatter]

I too just found an Isle Royale at $1500 and went for it. Mine was plain black, but new in the box. It was a two year left over. I wanted a stove to put in my basement to heat my house (basement plus one story for a total of 3000 sq. ft), with several ways for the heat to rise. I got it for next year, but, with our recent cold spell, just couldn't take it any longer and fired it up for a week. My wood is not in the best shape, as I wasn't planning on using it this winter, covered in snow and ice, etc. But, once I got it warmed up, it dryed off and was "okay".

So far, so good! My house has lots of insulation, so when it is 30 outside, the Isle Royal will be too much. And at zero with 20 and 30 mile an hour winds, I can still keep the temperature rising up stairs. It will put out a good amount of heat when you get the secondary burn going ( or tertiary, or quaternary....) and will keep a fire for 8 hours or so. (Like I said, I don't have the perfect wood, yet.)

I'm getting the hang of the top load and I like it. I use my left hand to hook the handle into the slot and semi rotate the handle to the left. It will stop, and allow you to lift the lid. With my right hand, I toss in a piece of firewood, and close the lid. Grab the next piece and repeat. (At first I tried to lift the lid with my right hand, and the handle would hit my stove pipe, which was hot enough to possibly melt the handle. When i tried to rotate the handle to the right, it would fall out.) Dont' forget to rotate the baffle back into place, it makes a measurable difference in the surface temperature of the stove! - put it where it belongs and the stove gets hotter.

My wife says it is too pretty of a stove to keep in the basement! I told her I could have spent more money and got the "ugly" one. I like the radiant heat from the sides, one of the selling points for me choosing this one. I'm fussing tonight becasue it is supposed to get colder again this weekend, and I don't have the wood, my experiement is over -- I can't wait till next winter!

Get the stove, get the stove, get the stove. Everything on it "works". I can't believe how well the sliding adjustment works to control the fire! And I like having the ash drawer to crack open when you need some quick air to get things going. (that's probably a no-no to some people, I can see how it could get dangerous real quick) .

Hey, if the enamel is messed up too much, offer him..... $1200, he could say no! He may be glad to get ANY sale! Good luck

 

[begreen]

Great to hear that the stove is working well for you bobcatter. This one was on the top of my list. If it's 30 outside, just build smaller fires and let the stove go out if necessary. If you give the stove less fuel, it will produce less heat.

 

[johnn]

Hey bobcatter: I`ve been spending time with the wife since she reminded me I didn`t marry this forum! :-/ Maybe tomorrow we may go look and see, it depends on the sellers schedule. Really encouraging reviews and support I have been getting from the guys here at the forum. Hopefully which ever way I go all is good. If not there will be others. Thanks for the support, and I second bringing it upstairs, Wish everything was as easily done as said.

 

[Jags]

And I like having the ash drawer to crack open when you need some quick air to get things going. (that's probably a no-no to some people, I can see how it could get dangerous real quick) .

Please don't do that. Please. Really. Wait for your first flashback and then let me know what you think of that process. You'll be lucky if it doesn't separate your pipes. And I gar-own-tee that you'll be changing your undies.