Help with Englander 13NC/30NC Size Decision

[thinkxingu]

Hello There,
Local stove shops can't compete with pricing for the Englander stoves (options are double), so I'm watching for sales/coupons at the local Home Depot. Before that, though, I need to know if I should buy the 13 or the 30.

Application: split-level home, downstairs placement, 2,200 square feet total. Want: longest possible burn time. BUT, only back-up/occasional heat or, if really good burn time, supplemental (I have electric, which is cheaper than oil right now).

Thanks,

SML

 

[begreen]

I'm inclined to say get the bigger stove, but it would help to know what area you are located in. Also, what size room will the stove be in? Is there a large open stairway connecting the lower level with the upper so that the heat can easily convect to the upper level?

 

[thinkxingu]

Hello,
There is a standard 36" stairway and a floor vent connecting the wood stove room in the basement to the kitchen/living room above. When we run the current stove, a Pro-Former Z from the middle ages, the upstairs is warm except for the bedroom which is on the opposite side of the house (but only by a couple degrees).

Thanks,

Shawn

 

[michaelthomas]

I had a "30" installed last spring and have been learning how it will be best used. Mine is installed in a 24x32' greatroom with vaulted ceilings and a stairway leading to 3 bedrooms and a bathroom above the garage. I got her fired up one night a few weeks ago...the outside temp was 25 and it was 62 inside. I got the stove temp up to 550 and within 2 hours the greatroom was 84 and the upstairs bedrooms were 74. I have been questioning if this is too much stove for this area? The burn time is great though. Lots of coals left after 10-12 hours with hardwood. This stove is one of 2 stoves in my home and I think it will be the one that I burn 24/7 because it has such good burn times, it will keep the other 1200 sf of the house warm (The rest of the house is a 24x36 gambrel that is heated by a VC resolute acclaim). This stove throws out some SERIOUS heat! It will heat your house, it is just a matter of if you have a large enough room or enough thermal mass to absorb the heat.

 

[thinkxingu]

Hello,
This is what I'm a little worried about; the room the stove will be in is only 12 X 14 which means it may get too hot in that one room. Of course, I'm also thinking that the same thing will happen with whatever stove I choose. I'm assuming the blower would be helpful? I guess my real question is whether or not the 30 can be "turned down."

S

 

[cmonSTART]

At least in my experience, the 30 is at it's best with a full load of wood set for a long hot burn. It throws off a lot of heat like that. Smaller loads can be used with some success to moderate the heat output when it's not needed, but i've noticed it burns a bit dirtier like that. It's harder for me to keep the firebox up to temperature where the secondary can do it's thing. That being said, we have our 30 in a similarly small room. With the stove cranked we can send it from 58 to 80 in about 40 minutes. 75 to 80 is about normal for us with the stove cranking in that room. We have a couple doorway fans installed to help circulate the heat and keep from overheating the room and this helps some. We also cut a new doorway to an adjacent room this summer to help spread the heat around.

So the moral of the story is yes the 30 can be turned down, but it doens't like to run that way. Finding a way to move air around is very helpful.

 

[begreen]

Go for the 13NC if this is a small room, especially considering this is for back up heat.

 

[Jags]

Yep, I second BG. The 30 is gonna cook you out of that room. As a matter of fact, the 13 is probably gonna toast your buns, but it will be more manageable than that heat belching, beast of a 30.

 

[thinkxingu]

Hello,
Thanks for the replies. One last question: the 13 sounds like it will be more manageable, but will it heat the rest of the house?

Thanks,

S

 

[Jags]

Hello,
Thanks for the replies. One last question: the 13 sounds like it will be more manageable, but will it heat the rest of the house?

Thanks,

S

Well, probably not. I doubt if you are gonna get any stove config that will accomplish both goals (not cooking you out of the room and heating the whole house). Wood stoves by nature are area heaters. Some houses lend themselves well to a single heating source, some do not.

 

[thinkxingu]

Jags,
Point taken, but do I have this right: The 30NC would heat the whole house but average running temps will blow me out of my 12 X 14 room and it would be hard to calm it down whereas the 13NC would ne a nice size for the room/basement but would need to be "juiced" to heat the home.

That being said, if I needed a stove for supplemental heating (while in the basement) and emergency (when power is lost), the 13NC would be easier to manage? Also, I assume having the blower would help spread the goodness?

Thanks for all the help--what is making this decision so difficult is that the stove I have now (Pro-Former Z) has two settings: off and torch. When it's running, it eats up wood and blasts me out of the room. If I try to turn it down (like the 30NC sounds like), it burns dirty.

S

 

[Jags]

I'm thinking that you are getting the big picture here. Fact is - its really hard to tell without a layout and blah, blah, blah, so take this with a grain of salt and a pinch of guessing and I think you will make the right decision for you.

 

[Crisnnik]

We installed the 13NC last fall in our living room - exactly 12x14. This is on one end of a 32 x 40 2 story colonial on the first floor. The stairs are in the center of the house. This unit cooks! I can easily bring the first floor to the lower 80's with a hot burn, and with the ceiling fans on, the upstairs floor will sit anywhere from 72 - 74 with no problem. It will easily cook you out of the room it's in if you burn aggressively. I combat that by throwing on some shorts, having a few cold ones, and leaving the door ajar if needed. I'd rather burn and leave the front door open a bit than burn oil. I highly recommend this unit, and the guys at england stove works are excellent when it comes to questions or problems you might encounter...