Looking to buy Century Heating CW2500, but leary of it heating 1500Sq/Ft

[Matt93eg]

Hey guys,

New here.

My Wife and I have just under a 1,500SQ/FT home. Its brick, single story and was build in the early 1980s. There is currently a Black Bart Model 3200 Wood Insert in the fireplace. It however is just pushed in the hole and does not have a SS liner. We have burned it some this winter since we had a cold week last week. I do not want to burn this stove anymore until I put a liner in it. I started pricing the liner and had all that figured out when I thought about the idea of buying a new stove.

I came across the CW2500. I can get it shipped to my house for $854.46. I have spent a couple days researching this stove and was about to take the plunge on it but I guess I got the last minute jitters. Will this stove be enough to heat our home with the right seasoned wood and a good operator(me)? We have a heat pump but want to use this as our primary heating and use the heat pump as secondary. I have access to plenty of wood. I guess the firebox size of the CW2500 worries me. I am used to loading up the Black Bart with 5 to 6 decent splits about 9pm before bed and getting up at 5:30am and still having a good bed of coals. So I am sure I will have to tend to the smaller firebox size more often which I can adjust to, I will also have to figure out how the EPA stoves burn because I have no experience with them. I just don't want my Wife and I to spend our hard earned money on this stove only to be disappointed and wishing we would have just left the Black Bart in and run a liner.

So the options are to stick with the 33 year old black bart and install a liner. Or go with the Century, and of course with a liner. I love the viewing glass to, that suckers me in. The Black Bart just has solid doors.

Any help and opinions would be great. Also I live in Harrisburg, North Carolina so the winters are not that long and sometimes not that cold, other times we get a good cold winter.

 

[Bones]

I would guess it might be a tad small for 1500 sq/ft with a 1.45 cu/ft fire box.....

 

[Dave A.]

If you only sleep 4 or 5 hours or you don't mind getting up in the middle of the night you should be okay with the small Century. I'd suggest looking at the larger Century (or the Drolet 1800), it's not too much more.

 

[Grisu]

Would the Black Bart take a 6-inch liner? If yes, I would do that now and keep my eyes open for a nice used insert with a firebox around 2 cu ft. or look at the inserts Dave A. suggested. Another option would be to find a used rear-venting stove and run the flue through the chimney. Depends on the depth of your hearth and the height of your lintel. Btw. If that is an exterior chimney an insulated liner is highly recommended. Plus, do you have a block-off plate already? https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/make-a-damper-sealing-block-off-plate/

 

[BrotherBart]

Would the Black Bart take a 6-inch liner?

With a hundred dollar boot to mate that big rectangular hole in the top of it to a liner.

 

[Matt93eg]

Grisu, The black bart made boot that mounts to the rectangle vent that transitions to a round is 8". So I assume this meant they recommend and 8" liner. Not to say it wouldn't draw with a 6".

Looks like we better scrap the idea of the CW2500, thanks for the opinions. Not what I was wanting to hear but that's life. We will look at other models.

 

[Matt93eg]

Also, I don't see a Free Standing Stove working. I think that would be the way to go, cheaper prices plus you can get a stove with a pretty big firebox. I haven't been able to find a free standing stove that I feel would work. Our Hearth is raised off the floor 8 to 10 inches. Fireplace dimensions are roughly 41 1/2"W x 20 1/4"D x 27 1/4"H. If the hearth was level with the floor it would be easy to get around this but with the raised hearth and the 27 1/4 inches from the hearth to the lintel its hard to find a free standing stove that will slide in the firebox.

I also am no expert on all this stuff.