New Build - Need advice on Heating appliance

[tpm1952]

Hello All,

I would like to get some opinions on what type of installation I should consider for a new home design that we are currently planning. The style of home is a ranch, approx 1900 sq ft. I would like to place a wood burning FP in our Living room area. (The room size (not set set in stone) is approx 17 x 17)

Iam considering the Jotul F 500 but Iam not sure I want that large of a footprint for the hearth (I estimate a 4 x 6 area). Another option would be an insert but I believe this option would not be as efficient.

Because we can design this any way we want Iam interested in any and all suggestions from the experienced users on this site for comments/recommendations. Any pics would be great too !

The stoves lines I have been looking at are Lopi and Jotul but I'am open to any suggestions.

Thanks for any help ... Tom (Michigan)

 

[Grisu]

When you desire the look of a fireplace then you need to go for an EPA-approved zero clearance fireplace like the Osburn Stratford, Pacific Energy FP30, or KozyHeat Z42 to name just a few. That will be installed like that (does not need to be a corner install):

An insert goes into a masonry fireplace which would be a way to complicated and expensive in comparison. Efficiency of a modern ZC fireplace is similar to a modern stove. The cost will be higher but the resale value of the home may also be increased.

For the freestanding stove: You can get stoves with relatively tight clearances but it will take up some space; I would calculate with a 4x4 area. What is the purpose of the stove? Ambiance, supplemental heat, primary heat? Will a heating load analysis be done on the new house? That will help in sizing the stove/fireplace correctly.

 

[tpm1952]

Thanks for the reply ...
The purpose of the stove would be secondary heat (Main house heat source will be Radiant floor)
Primary purpose is BTU's, then ambiance then cooking ability.
Based on my calc I would need a 4 x 6 ft hearth to set the Jotul on. But this seems to take up a lot of room space so Iam not convinced that this is my best option.

Do they make decent heating ZC fireplaces now ?

Thanks TOM

 

[Grisu]

Jotul states the minimum hearth for the F500 as 54.5”W X 50.5”D. However, you will need some room for tools and additional wood. Not sure how small you think you can go. A minimum of 4'x4' is a rather typical hearth requirement for a medium-sized stove.

EPA-approved ZC fireplaces use the same technologies as modern stoves to achieve similar efficiencies. Take a look at the units I mentioned but there are certainly more. They will take up some space though and the enclosed chase may make the room look smaller than a freestanding woodstove.

 

[DickRussell]

I would like to get some opinions on what type of installation I should consider for a new home design....., approx 1900 sq ft. ....I am considering the Jotul F 500

OK, when I read "new home," I couldn't resist offering my standard advice for a new build in a heating climate, which is first to make it superinsulated, if only to make it supercomfortable in winter and summer, besides cutting the heating bill in half or more. For a superinsulated house of that size, which isn't all that big, you can expect the design outside temperature heat loss to be on the order of 15,000 BTU/hr. For a house of "ordinary" (just to code) construction, expect 2-3 times that. The Jotul 500 specs say its maximum firing rate is 70,000 BTU/hr, or over four times your needs for a well built house. Clearly you need to decide first iswhat you want the house to be in terms of comfort, before you decide how to heat it. Then you can pick a woodstove with perhaps twice what the calculated heat loss is expected to be, and probably no more, or you may not be able to run the stove properly without cooking you out of the place. The extra cost to go superinsulated isn't that much (perhaps 5%) for a new build, but you get to decide this once, before the house is designed. Trying to beef up the external shell to cut heat loss and eliminate drafts after the build is expensive and doesn't yield the same result. You can pay for a good part of the extra cost of going superinsulated in the shell by skipping that radiant floor heating, which won't yield the same "comfortable on the piggies" result in a superinsulated house without overheating the place into the upper 70s.

For more info on all of this, do a lot of heavy reading on sites like www.buildingscience.com and www.greenbuildingadvisor.com. This stuff isn't rocket science these days, and it's been well hashed out on sites like those two above.

 

[begreen]

What will be the construction of the house from an insulation standpoint? Are there special energy saving features being built in? It can be made very snug and that will affect stove sizing. Has a heat load calc been done yet for the home? If the insulation is good and wind sealing tight you may want to go smaller. A good compromise might be the Pacific Energy Alderlea T5.