Help With Choosing Wood Stove - Photo and detailed measurements/description

[KennyK]

Hi Folks,

I've been having a heck of a time figuring out the right stove for my situation. Inserts I've seen won't work because of a very small fireplace opening, clearances are tough because of a low mantle, dealers offer little help, but I do have one thing going for me - the people on this site

Here below is a detailed description of my house followed by a photo of my fireplace with detailed measurements. I would love to be able to heat the whole house with a wood stove, but at this point, I would settle for offsetting the forced hot air gas furnace, and getting some warmer temps in here than the 66 degrees we usually keep the house at (my wife would be very happy with 72 or so). My masonry chimney is within the envelope of the house, but on an outside wall (i.e. inside the wood of the house, but on an outside wall with no insulation around it).

My house is a wooden Victorian, was built in the late 1800s, has original single pane windows in pretty good shape, nine foot ceilings throughout (except the third floor, which are about 7 ft.), and I recently insulated the whole house. It is 2031 square feet and three stories. My first floor consists of a 14'X14.5' dining room where the stove would go (there is a ceiling fan in this room too), on one side of that room is a 14'X12' kitchen (separated by an open doorway) with a 7'X7' bathroom off it. On the other side of the dining room (stove room), is a 15'X14' living room separated from the dining room by a five foot double door opening with no doors. Off both the living room and dining room is a 7'X15' foyer with a pretty open stairway to the second floor, there are open doors that lead to this from both the dining and living rooms. The second floor has a similar footprint to the first floor, and consists of three bedrooms and a small bathroom. The second floor also has a long hallway and an open stairway to the third floor. The third floor is made up of a small foyer, two large closets and two rooms about 14'X14 separated by a 5 ft. double door opening with no doors.

Here is a picture of my of my fireplace with detailed dimensions. I hope this picture isn't too busy, but I wanted to be exact. The measurements are color coded. Perhaps looking at the picture is better than writing it out, but here are the dimensions written out also: The front opening of the fireplace is 30" wide by 29.5" high. It is 14.75" inches deep, and 19.5 inches wide at the back of the firebox. The closest edge of my mantel (which sticks out 1.75 inches) is 35" from the floor, and 41.75" wide from left to right sides. From one side pillar of the mantel to the other is 47.5" - the side pillars stick out 6 inches. From the floor to the second ridge of my mantel (which sticks out 5 inches) is 38" high. From the floor to the main ledge of the mantel (which sticks out 12 inches) is 47". My hearth is 18.5".

Thanks for taking the time to help!

Kenny

 

[jimbom]

Vermont Castings Encore with the bottom, ash door, and rear heat shields. Use the rear exit configuration. Ours runs great.

 

[mfglickman]

Are you willing to extend the hearth out the front at all?

 

[Defiant]

Vermont Castings Encore with the bottom, ash door, and rear heat shields. Use the rear exit configuration. Ours runs great.

The encore would fit nice but still recommend mantle shield and hearth extension. Nice looking room, great job

 

[HollowHill]

Have you looked at the Woodstock Soapstone stoves? The Fireview would be a perfect fit stylistically (Victorian). I have the Progress Hybrid and find that the heat makes it into all the other rooms of my drafty, circa 1805, 2400 sq ft center hall Federal house (I'm still amazed by this). Woodstock is thinking of starting to make heat shields for mantels. They are VERY helpful with figuring out what stove will fit, heck they are uber helpful in every aspect. Give them a call at 800-866-4344. Their website is www.woodstove.com. They are having a great sale until April 13th or so (double check that date, not sure I'm remembering correctly). Good luck!

 

[KennyK]

Are you willing to extend the hearth out the front at all?

I am definitely willing to extend the hearth out. My inclination would be to do this with just a hearth pad, versus tearing up the floor and building something more permanent. My questions with putting a stove further out on the hearth are the following:

1) How far out will I need to have put the stove to make clearances with the mantel not be an issue? The top of the mantel sticks out 12 inches from the wall and is only 47 inches from the ground, so I will need to consider this.

2) If I do have it a couple feet (or so) in front of the fireplace to meet clearances, I will need to have a rear exhaust that extends back that distance before going up the chimney - will this cause issues with draft? I had a dealer try to talk me out of a free standing stove because of this issue, and then a chimney sweep say that with my 30 foot tall chimney, it would be no issue. Thoughts?

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[begreen]

Previous history:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/83227/
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/87344/

 

[KennyK]

Have you looked at the Woodstock Soapstone stoves? The Fireview would be a perfect fit stylistically (Victorian). I have the Progress Hybrid and find that the heat makes it into all the other rooms of my drafty, circa 1805, 2400 sq ft center hall Federal house (I'm still amazed by this). Woodstock is thinking of starting to make heat shields for mantels. They are VERY helpful with figuring out what stove will fit, heck they are uber helpful in every aspect. Give them a call at 800-866-4344. Their website is www.woodstove.com. They are having a great sale until April 13th or so (double check that date, not sure I'm remembering correctly). Good luck!

Thanks HollowHill. I called Woodstock and the person I spoke with was super nice and helpful, and they do have a great sale going on now. I sent her my picture and details and she suggested that I get the fireview, build out my hearth and install it far enough out that I can make clearances with a mantel shield. One thing I'm not crazy about with the fireview is the window isn't too big. The progress has a much bigger window. I think she felt that the progress was too big as I'd need to already have it sticking out a bit into the room. So, you say the heat makes it into all the rooms in your house - that amazes me too, I can't wait to get a wood stove and experience it!

I'm going to keep looking around, but woodstock is on my radar.

Any other thoughts from people?

K

 

[mfglickman]

Have you looked at the Woodstock Soapstone stoves? The Fireview would be a perfect fit stylistically (Victorian). I have the Progress Hybrid and find that the heat makes it into all the other rooms of my drafty, circa 1805, 2400 sq ft center hall Federal house (I'm still amazed by this). Woodstock is thinking of starting to make heat shields for mantels. They are VERY helpful with figuring out what stove will fit, heck they are uber helpful in every aspect. Give them a call at 800-866-4344. Their website is www.woodstove.com. They are having a great sale until April 13th or so (double check that date, not sure I'm remembering correctly). Good luck!

Thanks HollowHill. I called Woodstock and the person I spoke with was super nice and helpful, and they do have a great sale going on now. I sent her my picture and details and she suggested that I get the fireview, build out my hearth and install it far enough out that I can make clearances with a mantel shield. One thing I'm not crazy about with the fireview is the window isn't too big. The progress has a much bigger window. I think she felt that the progress was too big as I'd need to already have it sticking out a bit into the room. So, you say the heat makes it into all the rooms in your house - that amazes me too, I can't wait to get a wood stove and experience it!

I'm going to keep looking around, but woodstock is on my radar.

Any other thoughts from people?

K

The Progress is also 5 inches bigger in all directions. You can get short legs for the height but as for the rest, width and depth, it is what it is.

 

[Woody Stover]

I called Woodstock and the person I spoke with was super nice and helpful, and they do have a great sale going on now. I sent her my picture and details and she suggested that I get the fireview, build out my hearth and install it far enough out that I can make clearances with a mantel shield. One thing I'm not crazy about with the fireview is the window isn't too big. The progress has a much bigger window. I think she felt that the progress was too big as I'd need to already have it sticking out a bit into the room. So, you say the heat makes it into all the rooms in your house

Yeah, I miss the big window of the Keystone. You can gauge what the fire is doing more easily when you're able to see the top of the flames.
I guess I could add it all up, but what is the total square footage you're trying to heat? How is your insulation, and is your house pretty tight for air leaks? I would think that the person you talked to at Woodstock took this stuff into consideration...
My Fireview is rear-vented into a 28.75" high fireplace with plenty of clearance to have a rise on pipe as it goes back from the stove. The back of the stove is flush with the opening, though. If you put the stove further out, you'll need enough clearance to maintain at least 1/4" rise per foot of pipe...1/2" is better.

 

[KennyK]

Thanks Woody Stover. My house is approximately 2030 square feet over three floors. I would love to heat all of it with a stove, but if not some good supplemental heating of the first and hopefully second floors would be good.

With my low mantel, I think I'm going to need to pull the stove out at least the 12 inches that the mantel extends and maybe more to make clearances. My latest question is how much clearance do I need to have from the pipe that runs from the back of the stove to the chimney liner? I know that these distances will be cut down if I use a double wall pipe.

I'm also not totally clear on what I need for clearances to the mantel if I put the stove in front of it - I'd imagine that there would be some sort of clearance requirement from the back corner at to that mantel even if it's in front.

Again, I'm also still wondering about draft if I have the stove that far in front of the fireplace/chimney liner.

Thanks!

 

[Woody Stover]

With my low mantel, I think I'm going to need to pull the stove out at least the 12 inches that the mantel extends and maybe more to make clearances. My latest question is how much clearance do I need to have from the pipe that runs from the back of the stove to the chimney liner? I know that these distances will be cut down if I use a double wall pipe.

I'm also not totally clear on what I need for clearances to the mantel if I put the stove in front of it - I'd imagine that there would be some sort of clearance requirement from the back corner at to that mantel even if it's in front.

Again, I'm also still wondering about draft if I have the stove that far in front of the fireplace/chimney liner.

I would make a shield for the mantel, like Woodstock advised, but I'm not sure how much it cuts down the clearance requirement. I would think that different mantel configurations, materials and spacings would play into it.
Someone, I think BeGreen, recently posted about horizontal runs. I believe he said that you shouldn't exceed 3' but I could be mistaken...
I think the stovepipe clearances are generally 18" so if you rear-vent into the fireplace I don't think you'll have a problem. Look online at the manuals for stoves you're considering; Clearance info should be in there.
As far as draft on the horizontal run, as long as you have that rise going back from the stove I don't think it'll be a problem; Your stack is going to be plenty tall and should have excellent draft.

 

[Bub381]

All those parts in the P Hybrid,i would pass.Can't tell me that wouldn't be expensive to repair.

 

[Woody Stover]

All those parts in the P Hybrid,i would pass.Can't tell me that wouldn't be expensive to repair.

Woodstock has some of the most reasonable parts prices going...

 

[BrowningBAR]

If this was me and I was trying to heat an old 2,000 sq ft home, I would extend the hearth, rear vent a 3 cu ft stove like a Jotul Firelight, or a Quadrafire Isle Royale, or a VC Defiant, and I would heat shield the mantle.

 

[BrowningBAR]

All those parts in the P Hybrid,i would pass.Can't tell me that wouldn't be expensive to repair.

I strongly disagree with that. No more parts in it that most stoves.

 

[KennyK]

Thanks for your thoughts here folks.

But, getting back to specifics - will it work for me to build out my hearth and pull the stove in front of the mantle with a double walled pipe running from the back of the stove at an angle up into the chimney to meet with the chimney liner? I believe the clearances for double walled pipe are six inches, so I would have to have the highest point of that pipe at about 29 inches. If I can do this, how far in front of the mantle do I need to be for the stove clearances not to be an issue. What I mean is that if my mantle sticks out 12 inches and I put the stove out 13 inches from the wall do I no longer need to worry about clearance with the mantle other than from the double wall pipe?

If this will work, I need a stove with a low enough rear vent that I can angle it up the correct amount and not have any part of that pipe higher than 29 inches (preferable a little lower).

Does this make sense? Begreen, any thoughts?

Kenny

 

[mfglickman]

I'm not totally sure I'm understanding your plan...but as far as mantels and heatshields and a Fireview here's what we did. We have an old Fireview and the clearances may be different on the newer ones but you can get that info on the Woodstock website.

WIthout a heat shield, I believe clearance to the mantel was 30 inches. There was no way we were making that with our raised hearth, low mantel, and weird detailing on the mantel that makes it clear that it would like to be Victorian (despite being a 1970's addition to a 1750's cape). So we had a heat shield made from sheet metal - the gauge, again, is in my manual, which is around somewhere...but definitely online...and that took the needed clearance down to 12 inches. A huge difference and we just barely make it (like, you can hear the brakes squealing as you pass 11.5 inches here). Here's a pic of how we did it originally, with a piece of chimney flashing stuffed with Roxul behind it. The inspector let this fly as long as we promised to update it with real sheet metal in the future and did not remove the Roxul.

Woodstock also blessed/suggested this plan when we emailed them PDF sketches of our layout.

Hope that helps. I think a Fireview would look great in a Victorian house!