Questions from Japan

[RobertVL]

Greetings from Japan
I live in Japan and little info is available to help me choose a wood stove
Been hanging out here for a couple of weeks and doing alot of research
With oil at $4.25/gal I need to explore new kinds of heating
Only one wood stove specialist in the area , they came and measured everything and gave me an estimate of $7000 to install a VC Everburn Small 2477 and a stainless double chimney
My neighbors are all running cheap cast iron stoves and they paid $1200 for everything but they clean the chimney each week
I will be burning 50 year old pine barns(free) and the wood is mostly 4x4 or larger
House is a big farmhouse totally uninsulated , I know......insulate it . I have 4 years left on the loan and I will be building a smaller insulated home in 5 years or so
Will only be heating the living room , dining and kitchen 18x30 and I need the temp to stay above 65 degrees for 70 hours a week(when I am home and awake) the 4 bedrooms have their own kerosene heaters ventilated to the outside

Questions
Burning scrap lumber can damage good stoves.
1)My choices are VC Everburn or a Jotul F100 ($7000)or a medium $$$$ cast iron stove with a 6" double chimney ($4000) or a real cheap cast iron with a cheap 4.25" chimney ($1200)

Cleanburning stove with a double chimney is best
2)Which produces less creosote build up , when both are run on 50 year old barn pine......cheap stove with a double chimney vs cleanburning stove with a single chimney

Thanks

Robert VanLane
Aomori Japan

Will be using this kind of chimney setup , height will be 17.7ft

 

[begreen]

Welcome Robert. A clean burning stove will produce less creosote, but ultimately, creosote production will be a matter of how cool the flue gases are. Can you provide more information about the "real cheap" alternative? Likewise, what is the medium $$$ stove? It's hard to comment on non-specific stoves.

Man, your stove prices are painful. Given the high prices, maybe contact Tom at www.chimneysweeponline.com and ask about having him ship a stove to you? I'm thinking a Pacific Energy Spectrum would be the right fit for your needs.

 

[Apprentice_GM]

Greetings Robert!

1) I have burnt scrap timber/lumber for many years. It's a great fuel for a scrounger like me, free, completely and utterly seasoned and burns extremely clean due to it's lack of moisture. It burns hot due to very low MC, so that may be why you need to be careful burning it, but other than that I can't see why it's a problem. I have some friends that also burn it with excellent results. My chimney/flu is very clean for the number of years burning, especially as I only burn at night, so am always starting fires from cold (you'd usually expect more build-up, although the reduced burning time per day helps).

My favourite is hardwood fences, that has been seasoning for many years. The palings are great for getting going or you can stack 5 or 6 together for longer burns, whilst the posts and rails are great long burners. Also ex railway sleepers, they are terrific, but harder to cut up. I always use the drop saw with a rough blade, it's one of those compound slide ones so can cut quite wide timber. Chainsaws blunt too easily cutting super seasoned aussie hardwood, not sure about seasoned pine.

2) I would go for the cheap stove and save your money, especially as you will sell and move on in a few years. Unlikely to get your money back or most of it if you spend the $$ on the expensive gear. Using what others do is simpler for sales time "real estate agent just says "it has a fireplace" and most buyers won't know the differences". Especially as your wood is free. I wouldn't worry so much about insulating, it's not THAT cold there in winter, well compared to some US mid west winters anyway, and the humidity is so bad the rest of the time airflow is essential to reduce mould and mildew. For thousands of years Japanese built houses without insulation and good airflow building tricks for non winter seasons.

Hajememushita, watashi no nama wa Daebidoh Suda demo koko watashi no nama wa Apprentice_GM desu. Watashi no okah san wa nihongin desu. Watashi wa ego no sensei '96 kara '98 deshita (Tama City, demo watashi no ii-eh wa Koyodai, Inagi, Tokyo deshita). Yoroshiko Onegaishemusu! Gommennasai watashi no romaji wa choto hen desu. Watashi no hatsuong wa onagi desu!

 

[karl]

Wow. As I was reading that, I kept thinking I hope he doesn't mean US Dollars. I hate to see someone burn a less than safe stove or waste wood, but if he can one for $5200 dollars less, I would be cleaning my chimney every week too.

My advice would be to get ahold of Tom and buy two stoves. Then sell one of them over there to a neighbor and you might end up with a free stove.

 

[RobertVL]

Welcome Robert. A clean burning stove will produce less creosote, but ultimately, creosote production will be a matter of how cool the flue gases are. Can you provide more information about the "real cheap" alternative? Likewise, what is the medium $$$ stove? It's hard to comment on non-specific stoves. Man, your stove prices are painful. Given the high prices, maybe contact Tom at www.chimneysweeponline.com and ask about having him ship a stove to you? I'm thinking a Pacific Energy Spectrum would be the right fit for your needs.

It seems to be the double chimneys that are really expensive
Been checking chimney prices and $2800 - $3700 is what it is going to cost to buy and another $600-$800 to install
The VC Everburn small is $3500 and I can get the shop display for $2700 , usually Japanese shops dont discount
The cheap and medium stoves are made in China
Medium stove $2700 plus installation
Small stove $1200 plus installation

Thanks

Robert VanLane
Aomori Japan

 

[RobertVL]

Greetings Robert!

2) I would go for the cheap stove and save your money, especially as you will sell and move on in a few years. Unlikely to get your money back or most of it if you spend the $$ on the expensive gear. Using what others do is simpler for sales time "real estate agent just says "it has a fireplace" and most buyers won't know the differences". Especially as your wood is free. I wouldn't worry so much about insulating, it's not THAT cold there in winter, well compared to some US mid west winters anyway, and the humidity is so bad the rest of the time airflow is essential to reduce mould and mildew. For thousands of years Japanese built houses without insulation and good airflow building tricks for non winter seasons. Hajememushita, watashi no nama wa Daebidoh Suda demo koko watashi no nama wa Apprentice_GM desu. Watashi no okah san wa nihongin desu. Watashi wa ego no sensei '96 kara '98 deshita (Tama City, demo watashi no ii-eh wa Koyodai, Inagi, Tokyo deshita). Yoroshiko Onegaishemusu! Gommennasai watashi no romaji wa choto hen desu. Watashi no hatsuong wa onagi desu!

Everybody thanks for the advice . I think I will look into one of the cheaper stoves.

David I am glad you had a chance to visit and work in Japan, it's nice to be able to understand a little about your wife's heritage. And I think it helps you relate more to her. My wife is Japanese too and it has taken along time to understand Japan and Japanese thinking and culture

Unfortunately I live in the north of Japan and although it is not that cold , probably 25 degrees average, but we do get alot of snow 2ft/day x 30days. Older houses have entrance doors on the 2nd floor. Last season was not so bad but part of our roof collapsed and the barn is leaning 1ft and neighbors tell us ohhh it used to be twice as much snow before global warming.

Thanks

Robert VanLane
Aomori Japan

 

[Bugboy]

2ft/day X 30 days = 60 foot of snow in a month! How do you find your house after the first week?

 

[RobertVL]

2ft/day X 30 days = 60 foot of snow in a month! How do you find your house after the first week?

No thats just per season . We get 2 or 3 blizzards a week. If you love snow it's a great place to live.

Thanks

Robert VanLane
Aomori Japan

 

[begreen]

Do you know how much it would cost to have a stove shipped from the states?

 

[thechimneysweep]

We just shipped an Alderlea T4 to the dock in Tokyo for customer pickup: 450 lbs, $305.00 ocean freight. I don't know what additional taxes or duties might have been payable at that end.

 

[begreen]

I'd go for a PE stove over any of the other choices. It sounds like Robert could save money and end up with a more appropriately sized stove by going that way.

 

[RobertVL]

We just shipped an Alderlea T4 to the dock in Tokyo for customer pickup: 450 lbs, $305.00 ocean freight. I don't know what additional taxes or duties might have been payable at that end.

I would buy from ChimneySweep in a second
The Japanese duty and taxes are reasonable , BUT the freight company charges ALOT to clear customs ( $500+) just for the paper work
And they charge me additional $1000 to ship to my house in Northern Japan
I get most of my purchases shipped through the US Post Office because the Freight companies overcharge

Thanks

Robert VanLane
aomori Japan

 

[RobertVL]

We just shipped an Alderlea T4 to the dock in Tokyo for customer pickup: 450 lbs, $305.00 ocean freight. I don't know what additional taxes or duties might have been payable at that end.

But if you shipped it to Hachinohe or Aomori I would jump on it

Thanks

Robert VanLane
Aomori Japan