Looking for new stove, a bit overwhelmed

[psu927]

I had an old fisher grandma bear, and baker double eagle in the past, been using geothermal the past few years however I would like to put a woodstove in. I have various reasons for this, but I am planning on using this for everyday heat. Chimney is already in place.

The federal tax credits have my eye, however there are so many options now my head is spinning. Efficiency numbers, secondary burn, catalyst, hybrid, cast iron, steel, soapstone, etc...

I have the basics down of what does what, what I need help with is what is best. My home is rancher around 2,200 sq ft. Well insulated. What should I look for? I don't mind a little maintenance, if it means increased efficiency. How about burn times? Seems to be huge discrepancies between manufacturers. You have to sacrifice something for those longer burn times right?

My main wood source is oak and some hickory. Price isn't a huge deal, I could be sold on a $3500 stove if the reasons were good, I'd like to keep it under $2k though.

Also I'd have to get a good measurement, but I think my chimney height (from flue entrance to cap) is around 15'

 

[Dave_in_ABQ]

Hey psu927. Which is best? That's a dangerous question that will get different answers reflecting people's preferences. I've observed that there are brands that have a following of people who understand their choice and that group of stoves are all "best" choices. Which one depends on how you want to run your stove, and perhaps on what you find attractive. A catalytic stove will contribute to greater efficiency and let you run a stove at a lower output for longer periods. A cat also adds a little complexity to the stove operation and problem diagnosis, and increased maintenance.

In PA in a 2200 sqft well insulated house, you'll want a larger stove if you want to be able to heat the whole house exclusive of the geo. Perhaps a stove with firebox around 3 cuft. In most brands, this is a $3k stove +/-. Drolet stoves are the only exception to this that i am aware of for a good stove priced lower. They are non-cat stoves.

When I'm feeling overwhelmed, I find it beneficial to let all the information seep into my conscious for a while. After a bit it starts to make more sense. Then I'll start assessing the questions i have. For instance, BlazeKing stoves have a focus on being able to provide reall long, low burn rates for 24 hours & longer. A lot of people really like them. I thought about it and decided that i really didnt need that. I did want a stove that will go at least 9-10 hours so i can get a good night's sleep without having to reload. Still, the ability for a low burn rate allows a stove to be used at moderate temperatures - say 40F. I also prefer to have a stove that isnt solely dependent on a cat for efficient burn, thus i looked at 2ndary only and hybrid stoves.

Good luck on your decision.

 

[Dave_in_ABQ]

Adding 1 more feature that isnt immediately obvious - the ability to not radiate excessive amounts of heat. This makes it more comfortable to be close to the stove and for the stove room to be really hot while the rest of the house is cool.
This is accomplished in 2 ways that i am aware of: 1) with the use of soapstone, or 2) with the use of jacketing.
Jacketing is attaching panels to the outside of a stove, with an air gap between the inner stove body and the exterior panel. The exterior panel stays cooler and doesnt radiate as much. The sandwiched air heats up. Vents at the top & bottom of the panels allow heated air to flow in & out into the room, making for good convective heat transfer.

 

[stoveliker]

Well said.^

Do you know your current BTU usage?
What style do you like?
15' is ok, but "just" meets specs of some stoves. If you have an elbow, it already may be too short.

What is important to you; being able to meet the highest need (or ok with supplementing some other heat in mid winter?).
Do you want to also run in shoulder seasons without baking yourself out of the room?

Do you want to see flames, or care more about the heat?

What is the space available for the stove?

What is the layout of the house? (If the heat doesn't spread well, you need a smaller output stove).

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Put your wood up now. It takes a couple years, at least for oak and kickory to dry to what the new stoves like. While it's drying, decide on the stove.

 

[stoveliker]

Basically, what I tried to say was: don't (yet) look at all the options, but make a list of what "properties" you would like to have if your stove.

That will make it easier for folks here to point to options that would suit those needs/wants.

 

[begreen]

If you are looking at getting the tax credit then the choices are narrower. Cat stoves from BK, Regency, Woodstock, and Hearthstone will probably be the primary choices. In a ranch, the flue system is going to be on the short side, so I would narrow down the choices to a BK or Regency. It sounds like a BK Princess or Regency 3500 would work.

In a ranch floorplan the stove will primarily be heating the main open area. Without circulation assistance, not much heat will go to the bedrooms at the far end of the hallway.

 

[psu927]

Thanks guys for the quick responses. Seems like gone are the days of throwing in an old, steel stove and throwing wood in it. When we burnt our fisher, it heated our entire house fine. The back rooms were a bit on the chilly side but that is expected.

I don't know what my BTU is, but I wouldn't be afraid to supplement my home with the geothermal, however I want to be able to use it completely in a pinch.

Maybe I should ask it this way, what should I stay away from? I'm guessing I should stay away from the $800-1200 tractor supply or home depot special? What newer stoves were just older model stoves modified to meet epa specs, instead of stoves specifically designed to meet the specs?

 

[begreen]

Stove design is evolutionary. Some stove were already excellent before the 2020 regs and only needed a minor tweak to pass the new requirements. This is not price dependent. The Englander 30-NC is an example. It was already a very clean burning stove. The 32-NC is the updated replacement. The Drolet HT2000 was another fine stove that got tweaked to the HT3000. Both are great, big heaters. That said, neither qualify for the tax credit which was the requested guidance.

Some stoves just needed to be retested to assert that they qualify. Consider the Woodstock Ideal Steel which already was a very clean burner and does qualify for the tax credit.

 

[psu927]

Stove design is evolutionary. Some stove were already excellent before the 2020 regs and only needed a minor tweak to pass the new requirements. This is not price dependent. The Englander 30-NC is an example. It was already a very clean burning stove. The 32-NC is the updated replacement. The Drolet HT2000 was another fine stove that got tweaked to the HT3000. Both are great, big heaters. That said, neither qualify for the tax credit which was the requested guidance.

Some stoves just needed to be retested to assert that they qualify. Consider the Woodstock Ideal Steel which already was a very clean burner and does qualify for the tax credit.

I mean the englander looks like around $1200 ad home depot, I could live with that price point without the tax credit. This probably opens up a whole slew of other options

 

[BKVP]

OP, nothing on the market today and nothing on the list of qualifying 25D Tax credit will match your old Fisher for that melt your face radiant heat. Wood stoves without emissions control designs produced very high BTU's.

Often folks that replace old Fisher's, Blaze King's, Earth Stoves, Jotuls, Quads etc. experience a completely different experience from modern EPA stoves.

If you really want that melt your face heat forget about the tax credit and go for big BTU's. Don't rely on brochures, websites or EPA Btu's, they are no way comparable to real world performance.

On the other hand, if you want cleaner burning, more efficient and acknowledge upfront it will be different, suggestions here are all valid.

BKVP

 

[snobuilder]

If the Englander is an OK stove for you, see if the Pleasant Hearth is available in your area. It qualifies for the US 26% tax credit and looks to be comparable to the Englander.

 

[psu927]

Well after browsing and doing a ton of research, I found a local dealer that has a Hearthstone Green Mountain 80 in stock, for $3600. I really like the looks of the stove, and have plenty of dry wood so I am thinking about pulling the trigger on it. Thoughts?

 

[bikedennis]

That one requires an 8 inch flue.

 

[psu927]

That one requires an 8 inch flue.

Yes, I did see that. Thankfully I have an 8" flue

 

[tabner]

Well after browsing and doing a ton of research, I found a local dealer that has a Hearthstone Green Mountain 80 in stock, for $3600. I really like the looks of the stove, and have plenty of dry wood so I am thinking about pulling the trigger on it. Thoughts?

I am currently heating about 80% of my house with the GM60, overall I am happy with it. It is a stove that requires high draft though, I would worry your flue system may be a little lackluster for this stove.
However, I have found if I load it N/S it breathes and burns much easier, so this may be a potential solution for you.

 

[psu927]

I am currently heating about 80% of my house with the GM60, overall I am happy with it. It is a stove that requires high draft though, I would worry your flue system may be a little lackluster for this stove.
However, I have found if I load it N/S it breathes and burns much easier, so this may be a potential solution for you.

Thanks for the info, I do know my chimney has always had a great draft, and it falls within the parameters set in the GM80 manual, so I'm thinking it will be ok.

 

[tabner]

Is your flue lined and/or insulated?
Just because the old fisher drafted hard, doesn’t mean a new stove with baffles and catalyst will draft hard.

 

[psu927]

Is your flue lined and/or insulated?
Just because the old fisher drafted hard, doesn’t mean a new stove with baffles and catalyst will draft hard.

It's inside the home, and clay lined. If I have a problem I would install a liner and extension

 

[psu927]

Got the stove today. Dealer gave me $400 off so with tax I paid $3500. I have never burned a catalytic stove, but the fire here was started using the top down method. (this is my first fire, after my "seasoning" fire) Yet to see if the chimney will be sufficient. It falls within the height spec, but my flue is 8X12 which is a bit oversized. Seems to be doing ok, however I am used to opening 2 screw dampers on the front of my fisher and the thing blazing within 12 minutes. Any tips or advice? Burning oak, 16-22% moisture

 

[psu927]

Got the stove today. Dealer gave me $400 off so with tax I paid $3500. I have never burned a catalytic stove, but the fire here was started using the top down method. (this is my first fire, after my "seasoning" fire) Yet to see if the chimney will be sufficient. It falls within the height spec, but my flue is 8X12 which is a bit oversized. Seems to be doing ok, however I am used to opening 2 screw dampers on the front of my fisher and the thing blazing within 12 minutes. Any tips or advice? Burning oak, 16-22% moisture

View attachment 289906

So getting down to some of the larger pieces, had to crack the door to keep it going. As soon as I crack the door, it takes off. Just doesn't seem to be getting quite enough air from the draft control. Catalyst not engaged yet

 

[BKVP]

You'll need enough draft to sustain combustor activity. So, when the fire dies out, is the combustor staying active? You piece size is fine so long as MC is with suggested range.

 

[stoveliker]

15 ft is borderline. 22 pct is too wet, so on average borderline.
Is the chimney lined with a stainless liner (preferably insulated)?

 

[stoveliker]

I see your chimney is not lined. That's the first thing to do (apart from drier wood).

 

[psu927]

15 ft is borderline. 22 pct is too wet, so on average borderline.
Is the chimney lined with a stainless liner (preferably insulated)?

No, just a clay lined masonry stove. (see my above post about it being too large). I am aware I may need a liner, I am hoping I can get my for the year and install one over the summer. Hearthstone manual says chimney should be 15' to the floor, I just tested a few pieces, they average 18% moisture. But the pieces already in the stove may be on the high side. They came from a different part of the stack.....