Help me choose a wood stove

[joshuaboston]

Hi Guys, I have a fireplace that has two open sides, it's kind of like a corner fireplace, that is it sticks out about 4' from one of the walls. OK… I can't use it because way too much smoke goes into my house rather than up the chimney. I thought if I get a wood stove to sit 50% in my fire place and 50% on the brick landing, this should solve the problem and then I would have a functional wood burning stove. I am looking for a very efficient stove, it can't be more than 30" high and I don't know what else to ask. I think the vent needs to be from the back of the stove and not the top (does this make sense). One stove that fits my bill is the Vermont Encore 2-1 stove. I plan on using this stove when I come home from work once a night... our heating bills are pretty low, so this is really for aesthetics plus minor heating plus having a fire in the home. I have never had a wood stove or fire place before. Thanks in advance. Josh

 

[webby3650]

If you install a stove, it will require a full liner going up the existing chimney, rendering the open fireplace on the other side unusable.

Pass on the VC 2in1. Their products and the company have been plagued with problems for years and years.

 

[joshuaboston]

If you install a stove, it will require a full liner going up the existing chimney, rendering the open fireplace on the other side unusable.

Pass on the VC 2in1. Their products and the company have been plagued with problems for years and years.

Maybe I am not explaining the fireplace correctly. I will try to get a picture posted in the next few days.

he woodstove would go into the fireplace 50/50, and the fire place will never be used again. I agree… I HATE VC 2in1… but on paper it looks fantastic.

This is the point of this thread… what other options do I have? Or what other stoves do you recommend?

I have a budget of about $5k.

 

[Simonkenton]

You have a two open sided fireplace that smokes a lot. I suspect that your problem is that the chimney is too small.
To figure the size of the chimney, let us look at a normal fireplace which is just open on the one side.
The size of the chimney must be about 10 percent of the fireplace opening.
So that, if you had a fireplace opening of 30 x 40 inches, that is 1200 square inches. Then, the chimney needs to be about 120 square inches. If you had a flue that was 10 x 12 inches inside measurement, that would draw well, assuming the fireplace is built correctly.

But, take that same fireplace, make it two sided, then you would need a chimney that is 240 square inches.

It is a simple formula but you would be surprised at how often, professional masons blow it, and the flue is too small, and the fireplace is doomed to smoke.

So, measure your fireplace openings, and measure the size of the chimney, might have to go up on the roof to measure the size of the chimney, of course if it is round, you have to use the 'ol pi r squared.

I bet you a dollar the chimney size is too small. The easy fix is to close off one of the fireplace openings, you could simply stack dry brick there to close it off. Could close it off with a copper sheet.

You are not looking for massive heat for your house with this deal, you are looking for a nice fire view with some heat, so you might be able to get your fireplace up and running with very little cost.
Who knows, the old fireplace might be a fairly good heater, being two sided it is probably entirely inside the house, it has potential to be a fairly good heater.

 

[begreen]

Have you considered an insert instead of a trying to fit a freestanding stove? That would open many more options.

 

[joshuaboston]

Have you considered an insert instead of a trying to fit a freestanding stove? That would open many more options.

If I did a insert I would need to rebrick one of the openings of the fireplace (that would look like chit). My fireplace has two openings.

I think my only option would be either a wood stove or pellet stove... and I am leaning towards the wood stove.

I just thought some people would have some ideas of some good models that would work. I don't even think I will use a fan blower since this is really for aesthetics (and heat of course).

 

[begreen]

You could put up a metal side, either painted or fancier one made out of copper or stainless. Or maybe use expanded metal screen painted black. Buck stoves can work as an insert or freestanding, so one could be installed without the legs.

If you put in a freestanding stove it will need a blower to help convect heat out of the cavity.

In cast iron, look at the Hampton H300. It has a short leg option.

 

[joshuaboston]

You could put up a metal side, either painted or fancier one made out of copper or stainless. Or maybe use expanded metal screen painted black. Buck stoves can work as an insert or freestanding, so one could be installed without the legs.

If you put in a freestanding stove it will need a blower to help convect heat out of the cavity.

In cast iron, look at the Hampton H300. It has a short leg option.

Thank you so much I will look into these options. My place is about 1,800 sf.