Confused on which Jotul

[Pkg Man]

Trying to decide on the best stove for my place, and even after reading nearly every post I can find on these stoves I'm still confused.

I live just a bit north of Atlanta and am looking for a stove to heat a 1800-1900 square foot home. Occasionally we get a stretch of very cold weather, but it is usually moderate, 20s to 30s for winter time lows. The room the stove will be in is 420 sq ft with high ceilings, 10 ft sloping up to 17 ft. It has two ceilings fans that hang down from rods. A kitchen and bedroom open to this room, and two bedrooms and bath (about 400 sq ft that can be closed off) are upstairs and won't really need to be heated although are included in the 1800-1900 sq ft total. A den joins the kitchen but is well away from the stove and likely will require supplemental heating no matter what type of stove I get. The home was built in '72, but has new replacement windows (which helped a lot) so it is not drafty.

I looked at the various models and I really like the Jotuls, especially the 602CB. From what I've read here and what the dealer said, the 602 is way too small for my place. I don't mind tending the fire frequently as I doubt I will use the stove all the time anyway - nights and weekends mostly. But it would be nice to heat the entire house from time to time and be able to keep from freezing if the power goes out. The dealer recommended the Jotul F400, or at a minimum the F3CB. I like both but don't want to get roasted out of the place either, which is my main concern with the F400 (they say that won't happen with the high ceilings). And both lack the cooktop, which, while it might not be used much, seems like it would work great in case of power outages.

I really like the classic look of the Jotuls, or something like the VC Aspen, which is why I've kind of limited my choice to those stoves at this point. Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[JV_Thimble]

Will be very interested to hear the replies - looking at the Jotul's myself, although I'm in Michigan. Can you describe where in your home you would put a woodstove - often makes a difference in recommendations.

And welcome to Hearth.com. Very helpful group, I think you will find.

 

[Pkg Man]

Thanks for the warm welcome. This forum seems like a great place to learn the ins and outs of wood heating.

The stove will be in the largest room (420 sq ft) and in a corner. It will be replacing a free-standing fireplace, kind of cone-shaped, which I think was popular in the 70s.

Thanks again.

 

[begreen]

It sounds like you are getting good advice. The F400 Castine is a very nice stove, but it can be a bit draft sensitive, especially in milder weather. How will the stove be vented, top or rear vent? What will the flue/chimney be like? How tall?

 

[Pkg Man]

The stove will be vented at the top. The existing 10" flue will be replaced, and is about 11 feet inside (stove top to ceiling) plus about a 3 ft metal chimney on the roof, so right at the minimum according to the owner's manual. I am pretty sure the chimney will need to be changed as I don't think it has the 2 foot rise for 10 foot horizontal distance. The chimney is on the lower part of the roof.

Thanks

 

[JV_Thimble]

The stove will be vented at the top. The existing 10" flue will be replaced, and is about 11 feet inside (stove top to ceiling) plus about a 3 ft metal chimney on the roof, so right at the minimum according to the owner's manual. I am pretty sure the chimney will need to be changed as I don't think it has the 2 foot rise for 10 foot horizontal distance. The chimney is on the lower part of the roof.

Thanks

Does the new flue size match the new stove? That, plus any pics, may get you some more replies. Even if none, please post pics of the post install, and of your experiences in running the new stove.

 

[Pkg Man]

Thanks JV, will do.

If I understand you correctly, the new flue will be 6", which is what the F400 requires. Once this weather clears up I will get on the roof and take some measurements for the chimney and try to post some pics as well.

 

[begreen]

If you go with the Castine, straight up will help a lot. Use double wall connector and consider making the outside pipe at least 2 ft taller. In your mild climate this can make a big difference.

 

[logger]

I've always liked the 602 too, but consider it more of a camp or small home stove. With your amount of sq ft, Id go with the castine. Rule of thumb for most people is if you're stuck on two sizes, go for the bigger of the two. This might be a little different for you though since you're in Georgia with milder weather. If it does hit 20-30 degrees in winter though, you're going to want to keep that house warm. The F3 might suffice, but the castine definately will. Good luck with your choice. BTW, my brother liked our Oslo so much he just ordered a castine, and my buddy liked it as well and ordered an Oslo for himself. Cant go wrong with the Jotuls. Id take one over a new VC anyday.

 

[tcassavaugh]

I have an old 602 that i used 18 years ago to suppliment a split level. It is no longer connected but I'll probably install it in my garage for a little additional heat when i need some while working. Its a great stove and could be controlled with the air intakes and pipe damper to get a pretty long burn. As mentioned it is a small stove and you cant get much of a long burn. I think the most I've ever gotten was about 8 hrs but more often 6. I currently run a Jotul F 3 CB upstairs in my ranch for the shoulder season or those days when my summet in the basement just cant keep up without running it in a locomotive. The CB is also a great stove and can go from 8-10 hrs and still have some coals inside, but not much heat coming from it at that time, althought when loaded it heats most of the night and easily starts in the morning. I got the 3CB because of the serivice of the 602 and almost got a 500 to replace the ageing Vermont Castings i had in the basement but i opeted for the simmit instead. I have mixed fealings on the summit and that wasn't the questions asked so we won't go there.

Either stove will, based on my experience with Jotul will likely give you good service, but i believe the 602 would be too small to heat the whole house. I'd much rather have too much stove and burn smaller loads than have a too small stove and have to feed it like the boiler on a locomotive.

jmho

cass

 

[joshlaugh]

I have the 3cb. Good little stove. Like others said you can't go wrong with Jotul.

 

[Fsappo]

Go with the Castine if you can. Longer burn times, huge view of the fire. It will only cook you out of the room if you put too much wood in it. For the most part, each log has so many BTUs in it. Want less heat, just put a few splits in and enjoy the fire. Want to overnight burn? Pack it full and close down the air. I agree, hard to go wrong with a Jotul.

 

[Pkg Man]

I appreciate all of your advice. I am leaning toward the Castine, as long as I can provide it with an adequate flue in order to get good draft. It really helps to hear from those who have used the stoves in question, and confirms what I'm hearing from the dealer.

Thanks!

 

[JeffRey30747]

I would check on the difference with the Castine and Oslo in price. I'm not far from you geographically but I am heating a larger house w/ conventional 8' ceilings with the matte black Oslo. However, the upper floor can get rather chilly (62 - 64F) though. I have no problems with building smaller fires when the weather is mild and also burning full out when required. PM me & I can give you my email if you have any specific questions. I don't think I would advise you to go any smaller than the Castine.

 

[Pkg Man]

Made my choice and put down a deposit on a blue/black Castine today. I think the stove will work for what I need and will fit into my space requirements without modifications. I'll run 6" double wall and will be changing the chimney which should give me about 16+ feet of straight-up flue. I'll post some pre/post pics once completed. Install is set for the 21st.

I appreciate everyone's input. It made the decision a much more informed one.

Now if I can just find some seasoned wood...

 

[Green Energy]

Congrats on your new purchase. You will be glad you went with the larger stove from your description. Dry wood (<20% moisture content) makes a huge difference in ease of operations.

 

[wahoowad]

Good decision. I think the F3CB would have been too small.

 

[Pkg Man]

Just wanted to provide a quick update on my stove choice. The install was about a month late (it seems when they went to pick it up at the warehouse it wasn't there), so it was completed just a few days ago. I've done the break-in fires and a couple of big fires. So far I am extremely impressed with the stove and glad I went with the Castine.

Some initial thoughts:

-The blue-black is really a great color, I'm glad I waited for it.

-It is a smallish stove. While I did see it in the showroom, it looks smaller in my large room, but not too small.

-With a straight up flue (16 ft or so, double-wall pipe) I get a very good draft. Yes, I might get the occasional puff of smoke when opening the stove, but usually not much if I am careful.

-I have had none of the issues I read about with starting the fire. I suppose the draft is responsible for this. I do leave the door cracked just for a minute or so to help get it going (NOT the ash pan door). I am also using some very dry kindling and one or two sheets of newspaper.

-The stove seems to hold coals very well. This morning I built a fire and left for the day around noon. At the time the fire was dying down but had a very good bed of coals. When I returned 10 hours later I took my ash rake out and I was surprised to see some hot coals left after I uncovered them. I could easily have built a new fire with just some kindling and small splits.

-The glass stays fairly clean. Usually only the corners are left with some soot after a hot fire. Not a big deal IMHO.

-It puts out a substantial amount of heat. It does take a while to warm up my large room with high ceilings, but I guess that is to be expected.

-The air-control lever works almost as quickly as the knob on my gas range. Turn it down and there is an almost immediate response. I haven't tried the Euro plate yet and not sure if I need to.

-The only issue I have so far is a rattle when I walk around the stove. It seems to be coming from the rear of the stove but I can't isolate its location. I have a call out to the dealer.

Overall I am extremely impressed with my choice. Based on my limited time with the stove, I would recommend it. Thanks again to all those who weighed in.

 

[begreen]

That sounds like a good assessment of the stove and similar to my experience with it. It's a real beauty in the blue black enamel. If you are getting coals after 10 hrs. it's a testimony to good hardwood. Are you burning oak? The only thing I can think of that might rattle in back is the heat shield. I would take a screwdriver and tighten all the screws holding it on.

 

[phatfarmerbob]

my oslo rattled after the install it was the heatshield touching the stove have someone walk around it while you look for the spot that is making contact then just bend it out a little

 

[Wade A.]

PKG Man.....I'm about at your latitude (Birmingham) and have a top vented Castine as well. Great stove, yes. It does a really nice job and I've not had any draft issues, even when outside temps are in the 40's. That rattle....yeah, I know. I learned to not let it bother me, but I think it might be the slide on the air control. Annoying, but every appliance has its peculiarities I guess.