need advice choosing stove

[potter]

Hi everyone-
I know this a common request and have read the moderator's advice... but here goes, I'd appreciate any advice.
I've recently purchased a small stone house in western New York. Open space, under 1000 sq ft, loft bedroom, cathedral ceiling.
Early 80's construction skylights and older windows, moderate insulation, big fireplace, not as tight weather wise as I would like. Currently heated with 35000 b.t.u.s propane gravity heater, which is alnost never turned to the highest setting. Half basement is another 400 sq. ft.. Large stone chimney with three races, one for fireplace, one for propane heater and one for this stove. The stove would be in the basement, there are grates allowing air movement upstairs. I'm looking to move to using wood 24/7, I work at home so I think I can take this on.
Local stove company was out and are suggesting an Avalon Ranier. I'm concerned about the burn time, I'd like to load it up at night and have a coal bed in the morning..... The last stove I lived with was an older Vermont Casting that I could stuff full, these new stoves seem very different. So I've thought about upsizing to the Olympic, but would it broil us? Also, have access to the Lopi versions of these.
The other stove I looked at is the Harman Oakwood. Cast Iron, top loading more like the old VC. The stove will be backed up against the base of the stone chimney- would a radiant stove (cast iron) deposit more heat than a convection stove? Any ideas?
I am limited to stove choices not many dealers within range.

 

[begreen]

The Rainier is a good stove. Very easy to run and built well. Just a thought here. It sounds like you are looking for 24/7 heating and burning. Are you opposed to cat stoves? If not, maybe consider a Woodstock stove for long burns. If you prefer non-cat, maybe consider the Pacific Energy Spectrum or Classic for a good long burn.

One question, is the basement well caulked at the sill plate and well insulated? If not, figure up to a third of the heat going to the soil surrounding the foundation.

 

[Todd]

Sounds like your a good candidate for a soapstone wood stove. Check out Woodstock and Hearthstone. You can go a little bigger with the soapstone stoves and not get the searing hot blast you get with most steel and cast stoves. Soapstone is also excellent for 24/7 burners.

 

[potter]

The nearest Pacific Energy dealer is an hour plus away..... don't know if they would install out here. But will call for prices...
Can I ask for a comment about the Harman? Yes, I am looking to go 24/7, and the basement is stone with foamboard on the exterior, stays warm and dry.
Thanks for your help.

 

[savageactor7]

Hi Potter...how ya doing this morning? Hell...I'd just go to the closest stove place and start looking around getting some ideas you can actually 'see'. Personally I'm not too keen on keeping a stove in the basement...unless that's the main room the family hangs in all the time. Good luck.

 

[BJN644]

The nearest Pacific Energy dealer is an hour plus away..... don't know if they would install out here. But will call for prices...
Can I ask for a comment about the Harman? Yes, I am looking to go 24/7, and the basement is stone with foamboard on the exterior, stays warm and dry.
Thanks for your help.

If you are looking for a 24/7 burner than yes, the Oakwood is an excellent choice. I am happy with mine, but it does need that bed of coals to work as designed and with that acheived it will provide long overnight burns, 10 hours easily. And nothing beats a top loader as far as I'm concerned. The cooking grill option is a must have too, we BBQ all winter long with ours.

 

[potter]

nearest Pacific energy dealer's phone disconnected.....would like to have local support and support locally..

 

[potter]

Just bumped into the Lopi leyden on line- not mentioned to me by the lopi dealer...any thoughts?

 

[begreen]

The Lopi Leyden and the Avalon Arbor are sister stoves out of Travis. They are both downdraft stoves and work well according to users. You also might check on the Harman Exception. It should be a bit less money than the Oakwood.

The question is how well these stoves work at a low burn for hours. The house is small and well insulated. It shouldn't need a big heater like the Oakwood, especially with the good job done on the foundation insulation. My concern is heating comfortably during the shoulder seasons. Downdraft stoves normally like to be brought up to ignition temperature and then the reburner is engaged. But I thought they don't idle at a low temp as well as the cat stoves. The Woodstock and the PE Spectrum or Alderlea T5 do pretty well in this regard, that's why the suggestion. Comments from Oakwood, Exception, VC and Leyden owners? I'd be interested to know too.

 

[potter]

Thanks-
Wish there were a few more dealers in this area. I don't think there will be a problem with the stove in the basement, there is a stairwell and a number of open iron grates and the floor joists are open above the stove, below our living, kitchen space. Our loft bedroom is a concern because it could be where the heat ends up ( all open space) House was originally off grid, cookstove in kitchen, stove in basement where this one is going..... We don't want to give up the kitchen space, so that leaves the basement.
House has a beautiful open fireplace which heats the space directly in front it nicely, but of course devours wood and leaves the rest of the house cold. Couple that built it were serious back to the landers in early 80's- used to cut ice from the pond and store it in the barn. Very admirable, but now divorced.

 

[begreen]

There is the option of putting in a good insert in the fireplace if the basement is not frequently used. As far as the loft goes, put in a ceiling fan and have it blow in reverse (upward) in the winter to break up heat stratification.

 

[potter]

Thanks for the fan advice, we have one in the living kitchen space, same roof heighth. Wife will not allow the use of the fireplace- it really is a work of art- arced stone opening rumford like back. It's a joy to sit in front of on a cold winters night. We're both artists so sometimes aesthetics wins over practicality.
I hope some of the other stove owners you mentioned will chime in about the harman and lopi downdraft. Maybe the ranier would do just fine- but I'm on a mission to deprive the propane company of my money.