PE Vista Classic or Jotul F 3 CB

[thechimneysweep]

Sheath your swords, code ninjas!

Actually, the stove pictured is a PE Classic GAS stove (the rectangular opening above the door and the direct vent pipe are the giveaways), and if those drapes are at least 2" behind the stove, the installation is perfectly legal. The gas model is approved to stand 2" from combustibles, and the floor protection only needs to be the size of the footprint of the stove.

 

[Roospike]

Sheath your swords, code ninjas!

Actually, the stove pictured is a PE Classic GAS stove (the rectangular opening above the door and the direct vent pipe are the giveaways), and if those drapes are at least 2" behind the stove, the installation is perfectly legal. The gas model is approved to stand 2" from combustibles, and the floor protection only needs to be the size of the footprint of the stove.

2 points for Tom ! He is correct (good eye), its a gas model and one of the stoves i was looking at for the back of the house in a room i was / am going to rebuild.

Just a nice looking model so i thought i would post the pic .

I'm thinking black Porcelain Enamel this time around , one whorehouse red model per home is perfect , two in a home would just look funny.

 

[Willhound]

I'm not knocking the 3CB, but I would go up to the Castine at least if you want to burn 24/7. That is why we upgraded from the 3CB. But be sure you have good draft for the F400 if you are going to rear-vent it. To my knowledge the PE stoves are strictly top vented. This is one of the reasons why we don't have one, though in retrospect its performance is good enough that I might put up with an offset in the pipe.

Y'all know how I'd vote on this one. Summit all the way. Or Spectrum 27.
The top vent vs. rear vent thing caught my eye though. Rear vent will not pass code here, period. It's top vent or nothing.

 

[Gunner]

Let us know what you decide on and how it works out for you.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

I find it strange that there even being compared. I would expect to see somehting like PE vs Lopi, or PE vs Quad, PE vs new englander.. you get the point.... They look totally different. Which one looks better to you?
The vista is a larger stove then the 3 cb and it has close to the same emissions, which means that it has a comparable efficiency. The spectrum stacks up better to the castine then the 3 cb.

Whats the most important feature to you in a new wood stove? Is it looks? is it emmissions? Heating capacity? Quality? There are lots of ways to skin a cat. For example if clean burning was your top priority then the VC or quad would be far cleaner the the two you are looking at....

 

[Marty]

... its a gas model and one of the stoves i was looking at for the back of the house in a room i was / am going to rebuild...

Say it aint so Spike. I thought the Summit heated the lawn the greenhouse and the next farm house over with a little to spare.

 

[BrotherBart]

First ya gotta decide how many cases of beer a stove you need should hold. Then you can do a stove brand by stove brand comparison based on best stove quality with the capacity you need. One case is about a three hour burn. Two cases six to seven. Three cases ten or so. Four cases gonna be burning in the twelve to fourteen hour range.

Beats the hell out of the manufacturer's measurements.

 

[begreen]

I find it strange that there even being compared. I would expect to see somehting like PE vs Lopi, or PE vs Quad, PE vs new englander.. you get the point.... They look totally different. Which one looks better to you?
The vista is a larger stove then the 3 cb and it has close to the same emissions, which means that it has a comparable efficiency. The spectrum stacks up better to the castine then the 3 cb.

Whats the most important feature to you in a new wood stove? Is it looks? is it emmissions? Heating capacity? Quality? There are lots of ways to skin a cat. For example if clean burning was your top priority then the VC or quad would be far cleaner the the two you are looking at....

Agreed, that's why I discouraged considering the 3CB. It's not a 24/7 stove unless you never sleep. But the Spectrum and the Castine are similar because they both work in close clearance installations. The better half went for the Castine based on looks. But based on my neighbors experience and what Tom has posted though, I think the PE Spectrum has a much longer burn time.

 

[bcnu]

When you have a 900 sq.ft. room in a 1500 sq.ft. house, it is important to consider that some of the heated air will disperse into the rest of the house, even though it isn't your intention to heat those areas:


I sure wouldn't mind having the stove heat more of the house. It's just that lots of the posts mention you won't, or might not get a lot of heat down a hallway or to a bedroom. But I'll take any I can get!

 

[Roospike]

... its a gas model and one of the stoves i was looking at for the back of the house in a room i was / am going to rebuild...

Say it aint so Spike. I thought the Summit heated the lawn the greenhouse and the next farm house over with a little to spare.

Oh , dont get me wrong .......... the Summit will heat the whole house + two blocks of the neighborhood , the add on back room gas stove would be more for aesthetics and also back up heat if needed. No furnace in the home ( 100+ years old house ) and had two warm morning gas heaters at one time beofore we owned the place and we took them out right away. With the gas back up stove we could be gone for more then two days without issue. I just cant see putting in central heat for $6000.+++ for back upheat and no added visual of fire like a gas stove.

 

[bcnu]

Elk, thanks for your reply. You have hit on much of what I'm trying to accomplish in purchasing a stove. I thought I wanted a Jotul, but am open to others. I did a calculation on Woodheat web site and came up with a range of 28000-30000 btu to heat the 900 sq ft of space I have(taking into account factors like ceiling height, etc.) So I've been figuring the listed BTU output for each stove at around 60-70% . I used some wrong numbers when I first did the BTU calc ans was only looking at 25000 BTU - so the Jotul 3 seemed to fit. Now, I'm convinced it's too small and won't hold a fire as long as I want Castine and many others, including some of the PE's. will also work. The major brands are all readily available in stores fairly close by. It seems like when I get close to a decision I find something new, or more interesting to look at. Maybe that how it works - but this is my first and perhaps last, stove purchase. So I don't mind doing the research and asking questions. The replies on this thread alone have helped me refocus on what I want/need in a stove.

 

[elkimmeg]

As you notice some of us love our stoves and influence others to join in the love affair.
Through all this is finding what pleases your eyes, has decent quality, and will meet heating expectations.

If you every wanted to view an open fire some manufactures make an optional fire screen that clips in place.
Note open fire option is for attmosphere and not a heating mode.
My suggestion is to visit some retail shops, armed with the knowledge you have gained and ask questions.
The next step is finding a good dealer you
are confortable with. Ask him about permitting. Ask him about grades of connector pipe.
You know, though more expensive, 22 gage welded seam pipe ,is superior to snap fit 24 gage

I would have to weed back to your first threads to review your chimney / venting situation.
If marginal, then double wall connector pipe might be an advantage, for closer clearance and less heat dissipation = stronger draft.

Also if he sell a smokeless top loading stove like the Harman OakWood have him explain the convience the ability to stack the stove better

BTW at 42,000 BTUs the Harman Oakwood should be a consideration. IT has the secondary thermatically controled air feature

Also the new Lopi Leyden
the quada-fire Island Royal all quality stoves with top loading.
These are attractive cast iron stoves but may not be the look you want

Hopefully you can compare it to the Castine side by side comparisons

good luck and keep up posted

ps by placing small box fans along the floor and blowing the cooler air from the back rooms, one can move warmer air into those rooms