QUESTION: Can someone explain the max btu ratings (cordwood) in meaningful (i.e, heating) terms?
BACKGROUND: I have been rlearned that there is little to no standardization in the rating processes for stoves regarding max btu, heating capacity (sq ft of house), etc. By contrast, the EPA efficiency standards are, so far as i know, standardized but they don't care about heat output but emissions. The stove store owner said to forget the heating capacity as there is no third-party certification and manufacturers just give conservative, accurate, or liberal self-assessments. He also said they are assuming one room and 8 ft ceilings etc. But, he said that MAX BTU RATINGS are meaningful.
True, max BTU ratings are influenced by weight, species and moisture content of wood place within so again we are not comparing apples to apples between manufacturers AND between stoves of a given manufacturer (as some reveal the weights of wood placed within and they are different... likely influenced by stove capacity).
I guess we can assume that the max rating is the manufacturer tossing in the best quality wood and in the largest volumes possible.... to, well... get MAX!
So REVISED QUESTIONs: How much of a difference (in terms of heating capacity that i mention above is elusive to measure) is, for example the following outputs from the following stoves? Is 60k to 97k a huge difference but 60k to 70k hard to notice? is 60k to 70k a bigger difference (in terms of feel) than 70k to 80k? is it really that arithmatic?
60,000 BTU of the morso 3610,
70,000 BTU of the jotul F50TL,
84,500 BTU from the Lennox Canyon ST310 and
97,000 BTU from the Pacific Energy T6 alderlea
My House: 2500 sq ft, about 2000 of which is essentially one big room with 22 ft ceilings (with fans). well insulated throughout. Huge windows everywhere (high-end doublepane). Prescott Arizona (6000 foot elevation, central AZ)... 20s at night in winter... can go lower... Lots of wind at this location. Stove basically near center of big room.
thanks all. trying to figure things out. some super helpful knowledge out in these forums.
BACKGROUND: I have been rlearned that there is little to no standardization in the rating processes for stoves regarding max btu, heating capacity (sq ft of house), etc. By contrast, the EPA efficiency standards are, so far as i know, standardized but they don't care about heat output but emissions. The stove store owner said to forget the heating capacity as there is no third-party certification and manufacturers just give conservative, accurate, or liberal self-assessments. He also said they are assuming one room and 8 ft ceilings etc. But, he said that MAX BTU RATINGS are meaningful.
True, max BTU ratings are influenced by weight, species and moisture content of wood place within so again we are not comparing apples to apples between manufacturers AND between stoves of a given manufacturer (as some reveal the weights of wood placed within and they are different... likely influenced by stove capacity).
I guess we can assume that the max rating is the manufacturer tossing in the best quality wood and in the largest volumes possible.... to, well... get MAX!
So REVISED QUESTIONs: How much of a difference (in terms of heating capacity that i mention above is elusive to measure) is, for example the following outputs from the following stoves? Is 60k to 97k a huge difference but 60k to 70k hard to notice? is 60k to 70k a bigger difference (in terms of feel) than 70k to 80k? is it really that arithmatic?
60,000 BTU of the morso 3610,
70,000 BTU of the jotul F50TL,
84,500 BTU from the Lennox Canyon ST310 and
97,000 BTU from the Pacific Energy T6 alderlea
My House: 2500 sq ft, about 2000 of which is essentially one big room with 22 ft ceilings (with fans). well insulated throughout. Huge windows everywhere (high-end doublepane). Prescott Arizona (6000 foot elevation, central AZ)... 20s at night in winter... can go lower... Lots of wind at this location. Stove basically near center of big room.
thanks all. trying to figure things out. some super helpful knowledge out in these forums.