Been meaning to put a wood stove in for years. Tax credit finally pushing me over the edge. Have to decide tomorrow, or I miss the ability to get it shipped and installed in time. Would appreciate feedback from forumites.
Requirements and Background:
Live in north-central Utah. Winters pretty mild. Power goes out once a year for maybe a day. Temps sink to below zero only rarely. Usually stays between 5F and 30F during the winter.
I've got a 3700 sqft home. No existing chimney or any design consideration for future fireplace or stove. Funky design. Five staggered split-levels. Chimney would have to be 40 ft tall if I put it in the basement. But I don't want to heat the whole house. I'd just like to heat the main level and top level when the power goes out temporarily or permanently, perhaps cook on it too. In the meantime, I'd use it once in a while for supplemental heat and ambience. So I'm putting it in the corner of the receiving/piano room on the right of the main entrance. Ceilings are vaulted and open on the main level, opening up nicely to upper levels and bathrooms, as well as the kitchen and diningl. The chimney would go straight up. Ceiling is short 10' in that corner. So flue would be about 7 feet inside, and perhaps 7 to 8 feet outside. Hope that's not too short.
Thoughts leading to final two...or is that three...no, wait...
Always felt the steel stoves were ugly and uninviting. Want mine to look like a cherished antique, something warm and homey that adds, instead of detracts from the home.
Was originally enamored with enamel, but after seeing a number of showroom models with chipped enamel, wife and I decided we could live with plain old cast iron.
Am taken with the notion of top loading.
Love the Lopi Leyden and new Jotul F50 TL Rangeley. But both are $2500. Ouch. Good, reputable dealer, but bids on chimney and install were quite high. Plus they can't get further Rangeleys to sell until mid Jan, and they can't install anything until Jan; too booked up.
Due to another local dealer's sale prices, was heavily considering Harman TL300 ($2049) or Oakwood ($1849), but have since re-thunk it. Figured those 3000 sqft heaters from Hades would melt the occupants of the top two floors.
Another dealer, who sells his stoves slightly above wholesale, had a great deal, $1295 on a Napoleon 1100C. Was about set on that, but then ran across two brand new stoves, the Oakleaf from Harman and the 1400C from Napoleon. With Harman's $100 coupon offered online, the Oakleaf was $1649, and the 1400C should be about $1600.
Compared to the Oakwood, the Oakleaf heats 300 sqft less, comes with a heat shield, has a blower option (Oakwood does not), accepts smaller logs and weighs 70 lbs less. Requires bottom heat shield. But still has the nifty Harman grill option and IS A TOP LOADER.
Napoleon similarly did some nice stuff with their new 1400C. As a 2.25 cubic ft box, it can heat up to 2000 sqft, and they added a top door that allows you to place pans directly on top of the inner steel box for high-temp cooking. Only a front loader though.
This forum indicates some quality control issues with Napoleon in the past, but less so now.
Having spent the last two nights reading this forum extensively, I feel more informed, but find myself still a little perplexed. These both seem like good mid-sized heaters. Same looks. Similar heating capacity, efficiency and emissions. Both have standard rear heat shields. I can cook on both if needed. The Napoleon has the tight clearances, but that's because of its cast iron skin, which this forum seems to indicate prevents a lot of the natural radiant heat from reaching the cold room. So I'm worried it won't be enough, even though it's bigger than the 1100C and 1600C. But this forum also indicates Napoleon is more straightforward to operate and forgiving, whereas the fancy FireDome system of the Harman (while permitting the top load feature) can be finicky and I hear fragile. The Harman dealer says they've never had a single unit with FireDome problems or breakage. Still not feeling warm and fuzzy about it though.
Anyone here have further thoughts that might tip me one way or the other? Or should I bite the bullet, spend a $1000 more and get the top Lopi or Jotul?
- bill
Requirements and Background:
Live in north-central Utah. Winters pretty mild. Power goes out once a year for maybe a day. Temps sink to below zero only rarely. Usually stays between 5F and 30F during the winter.
I've got a 3700 sqft home. No existing chimney or any design consideration for future fireplace or stove. Funky design. Five staggered split-levels. Chimney would have to be 40 ft tall if I put it in the basement. But I don't want to heat the whole house. I'd just like to heat the main level and top level when the power goes out temporarily or permanently, perhaps cook on it too. In the meantime, I'd use it once in a while for supplemental heat and ambience. So I'm putting it in the corner of the receiving/piano room on the right of the main entrance. Ceilings are vaulted and open on the main level, opening up nicely to upper levels and bathrooms, as well as the kitchen and diningl. The chimney would go straight up. Ceiling is short 10' in that corner. So flue would be about 7 feet inside, and perhaps 7 to 8 feet outside. Hope that's not too short.
Thoughts leading to final two...or is that three...no, wait...
Always felt the steel stoves were ugly and uninviting. Want mine to look like a cherished antique, something warm and homey that adds, instead of detracts from the home.
Was originally enamored with enamel, but after seeing a number of showroom models with chipped enamel, wife and I decided we could live with plain old cast iron.
Am taken with the notion of top loading.
Love the Lopi Leyden and new Jotul F50 TL Rangeley. But both are $2500. Ouch. Good, reputable dealer, but bids on chimney and install were quite high. Plus they can't get further Rangeleys to sell until mid Jan, and they can't install anything until Jan; too booked up.
Due to another local dealer's sale prices, was heavily considering Harman TL300 ($2049) or Oakwood ($1849), but have since re-thunk it. Figured those 3000 sqft heaters from Hades would melt the occupants of the top two floors.
Another dealer, who sells his stoves slightly above wholesale, had a great deal, $1295 on a Napoleon 1100C. Was about set on that, but then ran across two brand new stoves, the Oakleaf from Harman and the 1400C from Napoleon. With Harman's $100 coupon offered online, the Oakleaf was $1649, and the 1400C should be about $1600.
Compared to the Oakwood, the Oakleaf heats 300 sqft less, comes with a heat shield, has a blower option (Oakwood does not), accepts smaller logs and weighs 70 lbs less. Requires bottom heat shield. But still has the nifty Harman grill option and IS A TOP LOADER.
Napoleon similarly did some nice stuff with their new 1400C. As a 2.25 cubic ft box, it can heat up to 2000 sqft, and they added a top door that allows you to place pans directly on top of the inner steel box for high-temp cooking. Only a front loader though.
This forum indicates some quality control issues with Napoleon in the past, but less so now.
Having spent the last two nights reading this forum extensively, I feel more informed, but find myself still a little perplexed. These both seem like good mid-sized heaters. Same looks. Similar heating capacity, efficiency and emissions. Both have standard rear heat shields. I can cook on both if needed. The Napoleon has the tight clearances, but that's because of its cast iron skin, which this forum seems to indicate prevents a lot of the natural radiant heat from reaching the cold room. So I'm worried it won't be enough, even though it's bigger than the 1100C and 1600C. But this forum also indicates Napoleon is more straightforward to operate and forgiving, whereas the fancy FireDome system of the Harman (while permitting the top load feature) can be finicky and I hear fragile. The Harman dealer says they've never had a single unit with FireDome problems or breakage. Still not feeling warm and fuzzy about it though.
Anyone here have further thoughts that might tip me one way or the other? Or should I bite the bullet, spend a $1000 more and get the top Lopi or Jotul?
- bill
