I've been using wood stoves for some time but only recently discovered your great forum.
The main stove we use is in the kitchen/DR/LR area. It's a cat Encore (circa 2008) that I have a love/hate relationship with. It's easy to start (the 20' good drafting chimney doesn't hurt), is very efficient (I think much more so than the Isle Royale I have in the family room--love that stove!), and throws out more heat than you'd think possible from such a small package. That's the love part. The hate part is the maintenance. After just one season the cat was so badly bowed (like some pictures I've seen on this forum) that it had to be replaced. I don't know if it was covered by the warranty or just by the dealer, but we didn't have to pay for it. Two years later when I saw that I had to re-gasket a few weeks ago and checked the cat again, it was again badly warped.
I ordered a ceramic cat to replace it but no way am I going to have to go through this every couple of years. It takes all the fun out of everything, not to mention the expense. Out it goes. Fortunately, I'm finishing the in-law-suite (this is a big house) and am going to move the Encore there. Since it will only get a little use per season, maybe it will last longer.
That brings me to the point of this novel: what to replace the Encore with. It's in front of a large rock fireplace and my dealer says that it would be a simple remove one/install the other. My wife has her heart set on the Hearthstone Heritage (matte black). My questions are this:
1) is this (the Heritage) a good, reliable stove?
2) if I'm use to the Encore in terms of ease of starting, output, and efficiency, will I be disappointed by the Heritage?
3) will I "feel" the soapstone stove differently? I know the Encore has a higher BTU rating (actually much more than I needed), but is there a difference in the "feel" of the heat? Is it more diffused or does it still feel like a hot metal box in the room?
4) since the stove is against the fireplace, how far out does it have to be to be able to open the side door to at least 90 degrees? (why in the world do side loading stoves have doors that open from front to back instead of the more practical back to front???)
The main stove we use is in the kitchen/DR/LR area. It's a cat Encore (circa 2008) that I have a love/hate relationship with. It's easy to start (the 20' good drafting chimney doesn't hurt), is very efficient (I think much more so than the Isle Royale I have in the family room--love that stove!), and throws out more heat than you'd think possible from such a small package. That's the love part. The hate part is the maintenance. After just one season the cat was so badly bowed (like some pictures I've seen on this forum) that it had to be replaced. I don't know if it was covered by the warranty or just by the dealer, but we didn't have to pay for it. Two years later when I saw that I had to re-gasket a few weeks ago and checked the cat again, it was again badly warped.
I ordered a ceramic cat to replace it but no way am I going to have to go through this every couple of years. It takes all the fun out of everything, not to mention the expense. Out it goes. Fortunately, I'm finishing the in-law-suite (this is a big house) and am going to move the Encore there. Since it will only get a little use per season, maybe it will last longer.
That brings me to the point of this novel: what to replace the Encore with. It's in front of a large rock fireplace and my dealer says that it would be a simple remove one/install the other. My wife has her heart set on the Hearthstone Heritage (matte black). My questions are this:
1) is this (the Heritage) a good, reliable stove?
2) if I'm use to the Encore in terms of ease of starting, output, and efficiency, will I be disappointed by the Heritage?
3) will I "feel" the soapstone stove differently? I know the Encore has a higher BTU rating (actually much more than I needed), but is there a difference in the "feel" of the heat? Is it more diffused or does it still feel like a hot metal box in the room?
4) since the stove is against the fireplace, how far out does it have to be to be able to open the side door to at least 90 degrees? (why in the world do side loading stoves have doors that open from front to back instead of the more practical back to front???)
