big stove.........smaller fire

[denjohn]

I've been reading a lot here here for several months, but one thing I'm still not clear on:
Is there any downside to having a bigger stove, for example an Englander 30, 3.5 cu ft box, and burning only half a load if that is adequate for the heat desired at the time?
I understand the importance of maintaining a hot fire.
Thanks

 

[Jags]

...and burning only half a load if that is adequate for the heat desired at the time?

No problem. If I fired a full load in my stove when its 50F out, I would be able to cook hot dogs from my chair. It is not always required to run a full load. Keeping proper operating temps is far more important and maybe a little more difficult with small loads, but it can be done.

 

[firefighterjake]

I generally advocate figuring out one's spacing needs and then finding the stove that fits those spacing needs . . . and then going one stove size larger.

That said . . . bigger is not always better . . . you can go too big at which point the stove will either drive you out of the house, you will have the windows open all winter or your fires will be small and ineffiicient.

But . . . as Jags mentioned . . . you can still burn efficiently with a half load . . . which is what many of us do during the shoulder season . . . only drawback is a shorter burn time . . . and sometimes it is harder to get as nice or as long a secondary burn.

 

[pen]

Jake it the nail on the head. While I do burn small fires in my englander, it's only during shoulder season for a few weeks in a fall and spring. If the stove is so large that you can't fill it up during nov / dec / jan / feb then you are not getting the most effecient burns and it'll just be frustrating.

If you need help, tell us about your house, your expectations, your climate and the stoves you are considering and I bet folks on here would be able to give you some good advice.

pen

 

[vvvv]

added firebrix will downsize the firebox

 

[begreen]

It was rainy and windy all day yesterday with a cold front coming in. We had a fire going all day, with outside temps hovering around 49 °F. After establishing a 3 split coal bed, I just added a large split every few hours. The stove top hovered around 400 and the house was a comfy 72 all day.

 

[branchburner]

added firebrix will downsize the firebox

Anybody else gonna try this? It's working out great for me. I'm getting a smaller but more intense fire that is concentrating the hot coals near the afterburner, giving longer, cleaner burns with less heat output than a bigger load in the unmodified stove. Perfect for Oct/Nov!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've been reading a lot here here for several months, but one thing I'm still not clear on:
Is there any downside to having a bigger stove, for example an Englander 30, 3.5 cu ft box, and burning only half a load if that is adequate for the heat desired at the time?
I understand the importance of maintaining a hot fire.
Thanks

Welcome to the forumdenjohn.

There is no problem if you don't go with much too large of a stove. It could be like buying a semi truck when a pickup truck would do the job.

As stated, all of us burn not full loads during spring and fall. If you go with too small of a stove you will like it in the spring and fall but hate it in January-February. While it is true the stoves will operate their best with full loads, that does not mean you have to burn full loads.

 

[Danno77]

This is why everyone should just have more than one stove. run one when it's warmer out, run both when it's cold.