Help Me Find a Low Clearance Stove!!!!

[BurnIt13]

Hey guys! It looks like I am finally going to go after a stove.....but I have a problem. I live in an old 1800sqft two story colonial that doesn't have a woodstove friendly floor plan. The only place a stove will fit is in the corner of our dining room. The dining room isnt that huge so we absolutely need a low corner clearance stove. I need help finding some!

Here are the constraints:
1. Corner clearance of 6" or less for an unprotected surface. We will be using double wall pipe.
2. Width of no more than 25"ish.
3. Depth no more than 22" but the smaller the better. The more corner clearance needed, the narrower the stove will have to be.
4. The closer to a 2.0cf firebox (or larger) the better.
5. Can't cost more than $1,500....we're on a budget

The Goal:
1. To have a stove that will be the main source of heat while we are home. When we are away the existing heat stays at 55.
2. To have as close to an overnight burn as possible. I don't need a roaring fire when I wake up, just enough coals to start a new fire.

I'm a woodstove newbie and could really use your help! Thanks!

 

[madison]

You have a bunch of conflicting requirements. ie the width and depth lead to a smaller firebox, and will not be overnight burn capable.

PE Alderlea's have low clearances, T4 would be the lowest cost, http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/pacaldert4.htm

specs for others available at the site....


Layout, house description, area, location (ie northern canada vs georgia) and you will get some better advice/

 

[pen]

I would also recommend a blower. I find the low clearance stoves w/ the extra shields don't generally "feel" like they give off as much heat since so much of their radiant heat is blocked.

How about using wall protection? A non combustable shield w/ 1 inch airspace will let you cut clearances in 1/2.

pen

 

[BurnIt13]

Thanks for the quick replies guys! Bear with me...I'm new at this. I knew I didn't have an ideal installation which is why I've turned to the pros!

I'm located in central MA and we usually design our heating systems around a 0 degree typical max low. The house is a 1800 sqft 2-story colonial with "somewhat" open first floor. As open as a 110 year old house can be that is. The dining room is in the middle of the first floor, and the stove will be installed in the corner of that room. The house is reletively well insulated for its age, but not perfect.

I will definetely be using a blower. I won't be using a wall protector. As far as an overnight burn..... I've used plenty of wood stoves before but have never maintained my own so maybe I'm overestimating the capabilities of a 2cuft firebox. I don't need the stove to be producing heat after 7 or so hours, just enough coals to get the next fire going. Does that make sense? Thanks!

 

[firefighterjake]

Doesn't Skier76 have an A-frame chalet in Vermont . . . maybe he could offer some insight here.

 

[BurnIt13]

Doesn't Skier76 have an A-frame chalet in Vermont . . . maybe he could offer some insight here.

I've updated my original post. Its not an A-frame, I've been using the term incorrectly. For all intents and purposes its a two story house with a high pitch gable roof.

 

[begreen]

Napoleon 1400, PE Super or Alderlea T5, Quadrafire 3100 all seem to fit the bill here if you factor in the tax credit and are practical about the tradeoff's for depth vs usability and burn time. Otherwise, look at the next size down for these makes: Napoleon 1100, PE Vista, Quad 2100.

 

[madrone]

Lopi Endeavor. Depth is more like 26", but clearance is right and it does overnights.

 

[madison]

Lopi Endeavor. Depth is more like 26", but clearance is right and it does overnights.

I'll agree with Madrone and the Lopi, and retract my T4/5 suggestion, upon further review of the new PE brochure, the T6 has the 4" corner clearance and the T4/5's is 10-11"

Seems sorta weird to me that the larger firebox of the t6 has the smaller clearance requirements?

PE Brochure link (contains EBT description ; )) -- http://www.pacificenergy.net/PDF/AlderleaCatJuly2010.pdf

Side note, new brochure has a pic of the new T5 insert

 

[BurnIt13]

You guys are quick! The Lopi Endeavor looks amazing! It would also fit the best, taking up very little space. The only problem is that it looks to be way over budget. Without getting an official quote from a dealer, it looks to be about $2,400+. I'd be looking at Hearthstone's or Jotul's if I had that type of cake

The Napoleon 1400 appears to be sweet too. You can buy them anywhere for about $1,500 and includes a blower and shipping (if I don't get it from a dealer). The specs are very similar to the Endeavor, only the Napoleon is a few inches deeper. I imagine with practice and the right wood I should be able to get a 7 hour burn from a 2.25cuft firebox.

 

[RNLA]

I'll throw my hat in the ring with a little S160 Country... All the small Jotul free standing units make great heat.

 

[summit]

PE all day.

 

[madrone]

Lopi 1750? It's a little cheaper...

 

[Creature]

Lopi Endeavor. Depth is more like 26", but clearance is right and it does overnights.

I'll agree with Madrone and the Lopi, and retract my T4/5 suggestion, upon further review of the new PE brochure, the T6 has the 4" corner clearance and the T4/5's is 10-11"

Seems sorta weird to me that the larger firebox of the t6 has the smaller clearance requirements?

PE Brochure link (contains EBT description ; )) -- http://www.pacificenergy.net/PDF/AlderleaCatJuly2010.pdf

Side note, new brochure has a pic of the new T5 insert

Double wall connector on the T4/T5 gets you down to 3" and 4" respectively with a corner install (which I need in my little townhouse).

 

[branchburner]

The only problem is that it looks to be way over budget. Without getting an official quote from a dealer, it looks to be about $2,400+. I'd be looking at Hearthstone's or Jotul's if I had that type of cake.

Keep an eye out for used stoves that are 1-3 years young.

 

[madrone]

Double wall connector on the T4/T5 gets you down to 3" and 4" respectively with a corner install (which I need in my little townhouse).

Wow. It's true. T5 seems like a mighty nice stove.

 

[Creature]

Wow. It's true. T5 seems like a mighty nice stove.

I'd love to have a T5 (black enamel, yum), but it's just too big for me (both physical size and heat). Hopefully, I'll have the T4 install done in the next month.

 

[70marlin]

Sounds like a Hearth stone Tribute.

 

[humpin iron]

small budget for stove......how much do you plan to spend for the chimney??

 

[BurnIt13]

small budget for stove......how much do you plan to spend for the chimney??

About $1000, installed myself. It has to go through the dining room ceiling, through an upstairs bedroom, and out through the dormer in that bedroom. Overall about 20 feet of chimney pipe and 6 feet of stove pipe.

$2,500 is our total budget. Money is tight to begin with, we're planning on starting a family soon and can't have the house at 60 degrees during the winter with a newborn rolling around. Plus, there is no heat on the second floor (bedrooms). We can't afford to upgrade our ancient steam heating system but since I have an unlimited supply of free Oak and Black Cherry, the wood stove seems like the best short term option.

 

[branchburner]

since I have an unlimited supply of free Oak and Black Cherry, the wood stove seems like the best short term option.

To me, it also sounds like the best long term option!

 

[BurnIt13]

After your reccomendations and some quick internet searching it looks like I am going to go with one of these stoves:

PE Super 27
Napoleon 1400
Quadrafire 3100
Lopi 1750

Those stoves have a good combination of firebox size 2.0+ and the clearances I need. The stove I end up with will probably be determined by price....

 

[BurnIt13]

Change of plans. I mocked these stoves up in the corner at a 45 degree angle and it just doesn't work. The stoves protrude too much into the dining room. Instead, I mocked them up again straight against the wall instead of at an angle. HUGE difference.

BTW, my wife came home and declared me a complete geek for mocking the stoves up with cardboard boxes and drawing everything out. I am going to have to agree with her. Just in case someone in the future finds themselves in the same situation, I'm posting the comparison of all the stoves. The Lopi Republic 1750 by far takes up the least amount of space.

The left side is the clearance of the actual stove, the right side is the clearances of the chimney pipe since this has to go through the upstairs bedroom and out a cathedral ceiling.

 

[firefighterjake]

Change of plans. I mocked these stoves up in the corner at a 45 degree angle and it just doesn't work. The stoves protrude too much into the dining room. Instead, I mocked them up again straight against the wall instead of at an angle. HUGE difference.

BTW, my wife came home and declared me a complete geek for mocking the stoves up with cardboard boxes and drawing everything out. I am going to have to agree with her. . . .

Then in this case a lot of us are geeks since I know I did the same thing . . . and many other folks have reported doing the same thing when they were planning out their stove, clearance distances and hearths.

Great info by the way for anyone considering these stoves for their home.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Change of plans. I mocked these stoves up in the corner at a 45 degree angle and it just doesn't work. The stoves protrude too much into the dining room. Instead, I mocked them up again straight against the wall instead of at an angle. HUGE difference.

BTW, my wife came home and declared me a complete geek for mocking the stoves up with cardboard boxes and drawing everything out. I am going to have to agree with her. . . .

Then in this case a lot of us are geeks since I know I did the same thing . . . and many other folks have reported doing the same thing when they were planning out their stove, clearance distances and hearths.

Great info by the way for anyone considering these stoves for their home.

I wanted to mock it up when my wife insisted on having a 2 foot (yes, that's 24 inches) raised hearth. I told her she was freaking nuts and I wanted to show her what a 2' hearth would look like and she said I was nuts for trying to do a cardboard mockup and she said she wasn't going to pay any attention to anything I make out of cardboard so I didn't waste my time. I eventually got her talked down to 1 foot, and after I got the tile laid this weekend she said, "Wow, what was I thinking when I wanted a 2 foot high hearth? 1 foot is almost too high but I think it will work out perfect." I just had to laugh "with" her... she can be quite silly sometimes... The good news is that we don't have a 2 foot high hearth, the bad news, I think a cardboard mockup would have saved it from even being as high as it is now. I wanted it to be no more than 8" high; I think if I would have done the mockup anyways she would have seen it and I could have talked her down to 8". But I'm ok with it now.

Sorry if this seems like a threadjack, just pointing out that sometimes cardboard mockups can save a lot of hassle. I do plan to do an AAR thread on my hearth construction (start to finish pictures of everything) as soon as I get it done.