Jotul Castine -- Part 2

Installed this last week, i am very excited. Pic doesn't show the mantel, 8" wide, 2 1/2" thick rough cut black walnut going from one window to the other.

Very nice.
I always see that stove in colored enamels.
I like the way it looks in flat black cast iron.
Paul

Hi PFMG,

Nice install. Beautiful pad. Looks great. The clearances seem a little small for single wall black pipe, but I do not know what the walls are made off.

I am interested in that stove too (I saw it at the dealer this weekend). How does it heat?

Thanks

Carpniels

It is a double wall pipe. Being it's my first wood stove, i don't have a lot to compare it too. But i am very pleased with it, i have a large cape, the first floor is about 1400 SF and the castine heats it fine, i do use two door way fans to move some heat to the opposite end of the house. It will take the chill out the two bedrooms right at the top of the stairs if it has been on a long time.

It lights easily, and will run at 400-550 all day. I haven't yet perfected the optimal settings for it.

Before i went to the stove shop, i had done some research and had decided on the FC 3B. The salesman at the store suggested the Castine after asking me a lot of questions.

His reason for the castine was, that it can fit bigger logs, up to 18" and has better clearances when used with the heat shield and double wall pipe. So you can basically fit a bigger stove in a same place as you would the smaller one. I am really glad we got the bigger stove now.

I notice you have an OEM door screen. Are there any restrictions on burning with the door open?

Hi pfmg,

Thanks for the explanation. I know little about double wall pipe, (I have single wall on my VC Interpid II) and I asked about it in the store and the price was rediculous. It would have cost me in the range of $300 to upgrade my piping. Mine cost $40.

Moreover, do you not 'loose' a lot of heat up the chimney that otherwise would radiate from the single wall pipe into the living area? If the pipe is insulated (double wall) then the heat in the flue gasses cannot pass through the pipe and heat the living area. With my single wall black pipe, it does. So to me looks like double wall is overpriced and I loose heat too. Or am I missing something? Experts please help.

Carpniels

There is a trade-off. Most modern stoves put about 20% of the heat up the flue to keep things rolling. Exact numbers vary, but they are likely metered for each stove with 'average' black pipe to the chimney distances in mind. If you have a really long run of flue pipe (like in the photo above) to your chimney connection, you might want to consider double wall. Otherwise, you might loose enough heat (into the room) to create a creosote issue in your flue and chimney. Disclaimer: I'm no expert.

Helpful to see the Castine installed with close clearances. I am trying to decide between the "Castine" and the "Oslo"? about 600 sq ft. on the main floor,
600Sq ft. upstairs attic, 7 ft. ceilings, Castine? Oslo? I plan to talk it over with the gentleman who is coming over to give me an estimate for the installation....?

Dr bigwood.

As soon as I get mine, I will let you know how the castine works in close installs. I have only the exact minimum 11" required. So it should give us lots of info in a short time. But I am sure PFMG and amezer can fill you in too.

I have noticed in my research that the larger stoves have smaller clearances. Even though they kick out a lot more heat than the small ones. Huh?

Actually, If you are considering those too, also look at the Quadrafire Isle Royale. Also a large stove (like the oslo), but the clearances are only 6". And what I really like is the TOP LOADING in a cast iron stove. Take a look. you will be surprised. My wife was sold on that one ecept I did not have 2500 laying around. So I settled on a used castine.

Carpniels

Thanks Carpniels. Let us know how the castine works out for you. We still have to decide on a stove. I'll look at the Quadrafire.
We're going to get one more estimate for the installation and then decide on a stove.

Dr B.

Dr B,

I just picked up my stove and it is gorgeous. I cannot wait to go home tonight and start the install.

I will keep you informed.

Carpniels

We did a major remodel of the first floor of my house, moved the kitchen, bath, laundry room as well as took down two walls, after the remodel the room where the castine was now out of the way and hardly used.

The old location of the stove was way down the end of the house, down the hall in this pic and to the right.



Last year the stove was hardly used. So this year i set out to fix it. I moved the stove into living room, which had the wall taken down to open it up to the new kitchen. The stove is now very centrally located and should spread the heat well.

This a view from about where the new location of the stove is.


While moving the stove i decided to build up the hearth a bit, i am very happy with how it came out.

Beautiful remodel! I'm glad you've moved the stove to make more use of it--it's too beautiful to sit unfired. Enjoy those cozy fires this winter. (I like open floor plans--I've got one myself and it certainly makes heating the whole house with my wood stove easier.) Thanks for sharing the pics.