Help me pick a wood stove.

[pyper]

My wife and I just closed on a new home. In our current home we have a wood stove that we had installed in the middle of last season. So this is our second season to use wood, and we both like it. The current stove is a Dutchwest "Medium." I can't find any place in the manual where it says how big the firebox is.

One thing I know for sure is I don't want another downdraft stove. I'm pretty sure I don't want a cat stove either.

So here are some particulars:

We're in upstate S.C. NOAA says we have 3,000 heating degree days (as opposed to 6,000 for central PA). The coldest it gets is low teens. I ran the A/C in my car yesterday.

The new basement is half finished. I'm going to finish half of what's left. The portion I am finishing has a fireplace in it. I think I want to put a freestanding stove in front of the hearth. I plan on putting ceramic tile on the concrete floor. The house was built in 1972, so it's going to be an uninsulated floor. I think I want a freestanding stove, as opposed to an insert, because it will give more heat to the indoors, right? The masonry fireplace is outside the house on three sides.

The basement is about 1600 SF. So we're going to want to heat 3/4 of that, or 1200 feet. Hopefully it will help keep the upstairs warm as well.

I'm going to be putting a rec room into the area with the FP. Maybe a shuffle board table, some chairs, a pinball table if I can get a good deal. Stuff like that. There are two other rooms in the currently finished portion. They are both open to the part where the stove will be, and they are open to each other. Maybe it's just one room with a divider? Anyway, these two rooms are to be my wife's music studio and a guest room.

We will use the stove on the weekends, and when we have guests in the basement (probably her father for a couple weeks in the winter). If the stove contributes meaningful heat to the upstairs, then we'll probably use it more when it's cold too.

The house has natural gas forced air for the upstairs, and electric baseboard in the finished downstairs. We are going to install a gas insert in the FP upstairs (in the family room).

The house has whatever insulation would have been typical in 1972. The attic appears to have R-11 batts, which will be upgraded. The windows are single hung in aluminum tracks with aluminum storms. We might upgrade some of the storm windows. The portion of the basement that I finish will have R-11 batts in stud walls. The portion that's already finished has something behind paneling. I don't know what it is. The paneling has some give. Maybe it's got Fiberboard on furring strips.

Oh, and I have two years of wood on hand to move to the new house.

Here's a rough floor plan. The red line shows an approximate area that will be finished:

 

[Fsappo]

If its a Masonry fireplace, I'd put in something like an I3100 by Regency, or some other big not cat insert. Install it properly, insulate it well. You'll get plenty of heat and the convection heat is the good stuff that should move upstairs easier.

 

[pyper]

Thanks Franks. It is a masonry fireplace.

Why an insert? Won't a lot of the heat just exit the building out the back of the chimney?

 

[Fsappo]

Well, instead of trying to find a rear exit stove that will serve your heating needs, an insert will give you a nice look and a large firebox. Fireplace inserts are designed in such a way that a very large majority of the heat is projected forward. On these forums, I'm sure your going to get lots of advice. Here is one thread where you wont get slammed with the "dont put a stove in the basement you fool" comments.

 

[snowtime]

I vote for freestanding. I also think its going to take more than you think to heat this basement seeing as you will have an uninsulated concrete floor. The concrete will suck up that heat. Be sure to go 3cf so you will get overnight burns.
My T6 is a convection which means most heat comes of the top. This would be a good choice for a basement as a lot of the heat will be directed up. You might think this is to much stove but I find in shoulder season its real easy to run small fires. If still indoubt Pacific Energy makes a great stove thats a little smaller the T5.

 

[Fsappo]

Snowtime, does the T6 have a rear exit low enough to vent into his fireplace?

 

[Stax]

I live in a single story, small to mid sized home (1,700 sq. ft) with an existing 3 sided fireplace that we're closing in to accommodate an insert "ONLY" because a free-stander won't fit and meet minimum clearances in that location.

If you have the room, a free-stander is the way to go. More heat, more style and conveniant loading.

 

[Stax]

that should read "convenient". Sorry.

 

[pyper]

Snowtime, does the T6 have a rear exit low enough to vent into his fireplace?

Sounds like I need to go measure the height of the FP.

 

[Fsappo]

yup. from the floor the stove will be sitting on to the lowest point of the fireplace top opening.

 

[pyper]

The top of the opening will probably be 34" from the finished floor. It's about 34.75" from the slab, so planning on 34 will give some leeway. The hearth is about a foot tall, so the actual opening is about 24" tall.

The opening is 36" wide, and 19" deep at the top, but much deeper at the bottom. The flue opening appears to be about 5" (measuring on the angle) by maybe 18".

 

[WNY PAT]

I have had a WS Classic nad now a FV. My mother have a Jotul C550. If I were in your shoes, I'd be getting an insert. The look great, hold a TON of wood and put out a LOT of heat. If I were designing a new system, I certainly go freestanding.

 

[Milton Findley]

Carrying a ton of wood to the basement is more work than I can ponder, so I would go for a freestanding stove instead, not to mention that cleaning the chimney might be an easier chore depending on your situation. In South Carolina, I think you would want to go for something that will heat up quickly, be relatively thrifty on wood, and put forth a serious amount of heat if you need it. My stove works fine for items two and three, but does not heat up quickly, nor does it cool off quickly. Where you live, it is often cold overnight and shirt sleeve weather during the day. There are a lot of cast iron stoves that would work, and a lot of sheet steel stoves that will work, and there are a lot of experts that might speak up. My sense from reading the forum, and having done some shopping for a cast iron stove, (and from having owned and used both inserts, and free standing coal stoves and wood stoves), is that Jotul and Blaze Kings are good bets for trouble free operation. Other brands have loyal fans as well. There are some to avoid.

You are in for a lot of thought and no little bit of effort. Good luck.

 

[pyper]

Carrying a ton of wood to the basement is more work than I can ponder, so I would go for a freestanding stove instead,

Oh, there's a door right next to the fire place. No stairs even.

Thanks for the ideas. I have a few months to sort it out. My wife pointed out that if we go with an insert we can move forward with it prior to putting down the tile. I think she's going to decide "we" want an insert.

 

[Jimbob]

This one should fit, and it has an easy-to-remove baffle. Important for when it's time to clean. They are not cheap though:
http://pacificenergy.net/pacificenergy/summit_insert.php


Here is another one that would work:
http://www.osburn-mfg.com/product.aspx?CategoId=7&Id=511&Page=spec

A bay window one:
http://www.osburn-mfg.com/product.aspx?CategoId=7&Id=246

 

[Install fire 1]

A large regency insert will put out tons of heat as Frank stated.

Much nicer finish if you have the room for it.

They are designed to project heat forward, a lot of heat!