Hello fire experts!

[Kathryn K]

I have bought an old girl scout lodge 1200 sq feet and it has a grand (huge) fireplace which i would love to use, preferably with the right wood stove!! The FP opening is 60 inches wide, 24 inches deep, and 36 inches high. It has a steel insert that curves from the rear towards the front ending just above 36 inch opening height. It forms a metal shelf there reaching to the back of the brick and full opening of the chimney. From there it tapers up to an opening about 12x 16 inches which extends to the roof. Interestingly it has two dead end about 8 x8 concrete pipes on each side which i assume are to draw air in at bottom and hot air out at the top? I cannot see any penetrations into the chimney flue...

Hope you can help my dilemnas...
1. the FP does not draw well and smoke backs into the room when we tried a small wood fire in it.even if i could use the FP would rather use wood stove but not sure if the draw problem will persist with wood stove?
2. -with this big a fp which stove should i use? the house is basically one big room so not sure if i need
a. a catalytic converter model (not even sure what that is yet despite reading some here on it)
b. a blower
3. Is a tray for ashes worth the $$ (sure seems it would be to me).
4. would like a model i can put a dutch oven on to cook with while im out working on the farm all day...

Sure like the looks of the soapstone stoves but think these are out of my budget. Here in SC it is hard to find people knowledgeable about wood stoves. there are a few for sale locally ...and i see some on ebay also. guess the best one is one that fits my FP and is easy to use...we are out on the farm all day!

Here is a pic of FP-interior shot hard to see anything...let me know if you need more info and appreciate any guidance!!

 

[Kathryn K]

here are pics

 

[BrowningBAR]

If it is a well insulated home a Woodstock Keystone or a Pacific Energy T4 would work pretty well. If it is drafty I would look at the Woodstock Fireview, Blaze King Princess, or the Pacific Energy T5.

1. the FP does not draw well and smoke backs into the room when we tried a small wood fire in it.even if i could use the FP would rather use wood stove but not sure if the draw problem will persist with wood stove?
How tall is the chimney? If you install a stove, you should have a chimney liner installed as well.

2. -with this big a fp which stove should i use? the house is basically one big room so not sure if i need
a. a catalytic converter model (not even sure what that is yet despite reading some here on it)
That is up to you. Some like them, others do not. I currently own two stoves with catalysts and one without. I like cat stoves.

b. a blower
-Blower is fine and will help move heat. But, so will small fans placed around the home.

3. Is a tray for ashes worth the $$ (sure seems it would be to me).
-I have had 5 stoves with ash pans and one without. I've never found them to be all that useful.

4. would like a model i can put a dutch oven on to cook with while im out working on the farm all day...
-Most stoves will allow for this. I don't as it can get a bit messy, but that is my preference.

 

[Woody Stover]

1. the FP does not draw well and smoke backs into the room when we tried a small wood fire in it.even if i could use the FP would rather use wood stove but not sure if the draw problem will persist with wood stove?
Was it warm outside when you lit the fire? A chimney will draw better in cooler weather...

2. -with this big a fp which stove should i use? the house is basically one big room so not sure if i need
a. a catalytic converter model (not even sure what that is yet despite reading some here on it)
Modern stoves re-burn the smoke for cleaner burning, either with a catalytic combustor or by introducing pre-heated re-burn air.
Cat stoves have the ability to output slow, steady heat while still burning cleanly. This type of operation might be useful when it's just cool outside, not cold, which may be the case often in SC.
b. a blower
I also have just one large main room, plus a bedroom. My stove produces mainly radiant heat, which heats objects it hits. It heats one room nicely, with some heat making its way to the bedroom. The stove needs to be fully out in the room so that it can radiate properly, not back in the fireplace. Folks with several rooms to heat are often served better
by a convective-type stove with a blower, which moves heated air around a larger area.

3. Is a tray for ashes worth the $$ (sure seems it would be to me).
A stove with an ash pan makes it easy to remove ashes without making a mess. I run a stove without an ash pan at present, but with a little more work it is possible to remove the ash cleanly.

It appears you have a large hearth which should accommodate a variety of stoves, but read the manuals of stoves that you're considering so you can check clearance requirements. You are going to spend some money on your chimney liner but you can save if you install it yourself (according to the manufacturer's installation instructions, of course.) Some of the used stoves you may run across might be older "pre-EPA" stoves (pre-1990) which must be run hotter to burn somewhat cleanly. They will use more wood and won't match modern stoves in their ability to run cleanly in a variety of conditions.

Start working now on obtaining a supply of dry wood; It's the key to a pleasant experience when heating with wood.

 

[Jags]

With the size of that FP - I don't think you will have much for restrictions on stoves, although I might consider going with a rear vent stove vs a top vent. It may help you for cleaning purposes as well as stick the stove outside of the FP a bit more than a top vent.

1200sqft open room. If it is decently insulated this should be pretty easy to keep cozy. Tell us a little bit more of your setup and final expectations. 24 x 7 burning primary heat source?? Insulation?? Tight construction or not?

And I will reinforce the above. If you planning on burning yet this year you will want to find a good source for DRY wood. This can be difficult. Consider a cheap moisture meter to test whatever the vendor claims to be DRY. You will not have much success in cutting your own fuel this late in the season.

Stick with an EPA Certified stove - some of the best advise I can give. Far less wood consumption. Cleaner (read: safer) pipe. And just all around nicer to deal with (including a nice viewing window so you can "see" the fire).

 

[begreen]

I'm going to guess that this is a fairly short, 1 story chimney that has too large a fireplace coupled with it. You should be able to remedy this issue with an easy breathing stove connected to a liner that is at least 14' tall. What is your budget for the stove? Add about $1200-1500 to have the chimney properly lined unless you can DIY. That would drop the cost down to about $350-400. My first thought for your climate zone is the Woodstock Keystone. But you could get away with a simple insert like the Century Model Number: CB00005 or Englander 13NCi if the budget is tight.

 

[Jags]

Dunno - a mid sized insert may look a bit - ummm....odd. Think of how big the surround is gonna be. Also - an insert doesn't satisfy the OP's want of simmering a pot of ham and beans on it. (I loves slow cooked ham(hocks) n beans - don't forget the corn bread)

 

[begreen]

I was thinking of leaving the surround off of the insert. Should have mentioned that.

 

[Stump_Branch]

Sister burns an nc30 in the Carolinas. They love it.
Nice big open area I'd try for a medium to large stove. Cat or non car will be fine, but like jags said I'd keep it epa certified. And most definitely line that chimney, its easy enough to do yourself.

Best of luck.