Flue Size & Stove Question

[travelindog]

Great info on this board, thanks to all as we try to decide on the best stove for our use.

We have 1800 ft finished downstairs and 1800 upstairs, pretty tight 15 yr old house. Replacing an Appalachian stove downstairs that is hooked to 24 feet of 8" class A. We're trying to get a stove that will allow for smaller quicker warm up fires and also longer burns when the season gets colder, with capacity to toss some warm air upstairs. This board has me sold on getting larger size unit.

Most units we look at have 6" vent. Only one unit in our list of finalists has an 8" vent. First question is, are we better off to match the vent size? Do the 6" units generally work well w/ the larger chimney, or will I likely need to get a 6" liner installed?

Here are our to stove criteria, in order:
1. Safe, Quality built, easy to use and control fire, a stove we don't have to nursemaid to get a good fire going and keep it going, and one that won't smoke the house
2. Ability to heat up rather quickly and handle smaller quicker fires well as well as the long burn

List of finalists below, and I appreciate

Quad Isle Royale- Good dealer, $2675 w/ all options plus Stihl deal

PE Alderlea T6- Decent local dealer doesn;t normally handle PE, but can get them, $3097 w/ options, haven't seen unit

Lenox Country Canyon ST 310 - $2631 w/ options, OK dealer, haven't seen unit, big fan could toss some air, 8" vent, will be $300 lower w/a black door.

Avalon Olympic - Same dealer as PE, $2545 w/ options, haven't seen unit

Truth be told, of all units I saw, I really liked the Harmon TL300 construction and features (topload, big ash drawer, screen,grill). Price at $2288 and Stihl deal was best of lot also. I pulled it from the list based on information from this board which leads me to believe that it is a finicky starter that requires a lot of tending to get the fire hot. It just doesn't sound like the easiest to use. I'm willing to be corrected on this.

Thanks to anyone who weighs in. This is a classy board that has been a lot of help so far. Pls understand we're just trying to make the best decision the first go-round.

 

[begreen]

Heating 3600 sq ft when it's in the teens and blowing outside can be challenging. Do you use supplemental heat or just the stove? One thing that would help is to know the size of the boiler or furnace heating the house. Would you have that info?

A couple other big stoves might be the Blaze King King stove and the Hearthstone Equinox? They both take 8" pipe and have larger capacity fireboxes. But they are more expensive. The Alderlea T6 is a fine stove, and not fussy to run, but not a quick heater that instantly radiates great warmth. The cast iron jacket and mass of steel takes a while to warm up. For quick heat I would expect the Isle Royale, Country or Avalon to put it out faster.

 

[travelindog]

Thank you for your response.

After learning a bit on here, I don't expect I can heat the whole upstairs, but I would like a larger stove that can lessen dependence on the utility as much as possible. We're in an all electric home/central heat and my friends at the electric co. announced a couple years ago they would raise rates in the area 50-60% (Jan. 2008). For all electric customers, they raised the rates higher, mine 200%! The politicians claimed they didn't know this. The main culprit and utility magpie, who accepted over $600,000 in campaign contributions from the utility, was the same fella that got our current Prez started in politics, and his Chicago mentor...

If the 6" insert will increase safety and or performance I would like to get it with the stove, as I understand it will be included in the 30% tax rebate.

Thanks again

 

[begreen]

It may work with the 8" pipe. Is the 8" pipe straight up through the interior of the house or does it go up the outside of the house?

 

[travelindog]

Exterior of the house. t
Our Sweep advises matching the stove vent size to chimney size, which pretty much limits our selection of stoves. No one in the area handles the Blaze King.
There is a dealer in the area that has an Equinox on the floor that I could probably get delivered to hearth for about $3000, but I believe it would be too much heat for the lower level. Also, I'm looking for something that heats quick. It looks like a million!

 

[Wet1]

If you can move the heat, the BKK will heat your entire home, or very close to it 99% of the time. It takes an 8" flue and I paid around $2k for mine. I bought from Auto Rain and they'll get it to your door.

 

[CrappieKeith]

For the money why are you not thinking furnace to heat your enire home vs a stove?