Small fire boxes, design flaws, etc.

[virgina.stjohn]

What I am looking for (to replace my 80's something Silent Flame wood stove insert) is an insert with the largest firebox. Some are only 9" inches tall. I also want the air to circulate around the stove (as with old one) & be directed out both sides & the top of the front of the stove with variable speed blower & thermostat to shut blower off when not hot enough. Also want efficiency rating for tax incentive. Don't care about air wash nonsense. Don't care about ash pan.

I saw a stove in an agricultural store the other day that had the firebrick flush to the bottom of the door. Who does that? Duh. Ashes & coals would be all over the floor. The inside bottom of the stove I have been using since '89 has about 2" drop from the opening so you have plenty of space for a nice bed of ashes/coals & they don't spill out onto the protrusion below.

It would seem with these shallow clearances from top to bottom it would be a pain to remove ashes while you still have a bit of coal remaining. I really like to get in there & move the coals to the back, ashes to the front to remove them & carry on with business. Trying to heat 1900 square ft. My old stove would hold coals for 24 hours. Am I a fool to expect that with any new models?

I am so tired of looking for hours @ a time all over the internet. Half of the things I have tried to research do not even list steel thickness. Additionally, these new stoves will require that I shorten my logs & probably have to split smaller. Just what I wanted to do (not). Any suggestions & links would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jack768]

Might consider a Jotul Rockland . . . I don't own one, but those who do on this site seem pleased. Another option would be the Blaze King Princess insert.

 

[webbie]

Steel thickness means little. I've seen stoves made of sheet metal last 20 years or longer......

As to holding coals for 24 hours - maybe it's possible, but at the same time not realistic in terms of actual heat production. One should think in terms of a burn with decent heat - of perhaps 8-10 hours. Sure, some stoves can last longer, but in general you start dealing with low efficiencies and dirty burns....

You do have it correct that many stoves are not thought through.....enough! You are the consumer and should look until you are content that your main desires are being met.

As a guide, I'll start with the idea that a Silent Flame probably has about a 3.5 cubic foot firebox - or maybe even a little larger. BUT, newer stoves are more efficient and therefore will produce the same heat with less wood. Considering that you are looking for a long burn, this might mean that you shop for units as follows
1. Non-cat - 3 cubic foot or larger firebox
2. Cat - 2.5 cubic foot or larger firebox.....

Some examples, assuming they fit, might be:

Kuma Sequoia
Blaze King Princess
Buck 80
Osburn 2400 - Avalon Olympic or Lopi Freedom
Country Flame - larger insert(s).
There are many others similar.......look at both the log length and the firebox cubic feet.

Another option are stoves...on the hearth. Many hearth.com members find these to be better overall heaters - and you have a lot more options.

Either way, don't just settle for anything. You have the right idea.....look for something that meets your criteria!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum virgina.stjohn.

Do please realize that the newer stoves will burn different and more efficient so it is difficult to compare the new with the old. A good example is that when we purchased our last stove, the firebox was about half the size of our old stove. Yikes! Yet, we burn half the wood and stay a whole lot warmer to boot. We do not have an ash pan and that is fine even though it is our first stove without an ash pan. We like it now. I also agree with Craig in that the coals after 24 hours are basically meaningless as you get little or no heat benefit. Holy smokes we can have coals after 3 days but the only benefit is in restarting the stove as it is just a tad easier.

Keep looking and good luck to you.

 

[Highbeam]

While I agree that a flush floor is really bad, some would say that a 2" depth from door to floor is silly. That might only allow for a weeks worth of ashes when the blaze king guys get something like 9 inches to store those coals and ash.