Suggestions for Southeast home 2200sf

[NoobyFireEastCoast]

Hello,
So I am very new to all this, only going into my second season heating just with wood. Would love some suggestions, here is my information down below and then some questions.

1. 2200sf home, split level, 600sf basement, 1000sf main room, 600sf upstairs with all bathrooms and bedrooms.
2. Old wood stove in the basement, it can put out a lot of heat, enough to clear the basement and the rooms upstairs on high, on low only burns for 6 hours and barely keeps the heat steady when the outside temperature goes below 32. Eat wood like its no ones business. Heats the rooms decent, but the main living area gets almost no heat.
3. Fireplace in the main room, looking to put in an insert.

I have called around and done some research on big name brands. I would love a catalytic stove, just because the burn times are so much better typically, and I personally hate waking up in the middle of the night to feed it, let alone hauling that much wood everyday downstairs. No one seems in my area to just sell blaze kings (princess was my top choice), there are dealers but they need to install them which runs like 9k+. Would love to just buy one, or even better buy one used to save some money, but I can't find anything. Buck stove is big here, but the only one that really catches my eye is the 91, which is much more massive than I need. Anything else around me seems to have bad ratings (looking through used facebook marketplace).

Any suggestions on what I should go with, or if the BK is the recommendation where I could get one? I don't mind driving 5 hours one way to get one, just don't know where to look. Thanks so much!

 

[JKE28]

I am in south eastern VA. I went with the PE Alderlea T6 this summer, and love it. I looked at the blaze king Ashford 30.2 as well but I personally couldn't bring myself to another Cat stove after my Vermont castings stove. I get about 8-10hr burn times with it. I think the 30+ hour burn time for BK is a little crazy, and I wouldn't hang up on that being the reason to buy it. The store I bought mine from was in Chesapeake Va. The place was called All Pro fireplace they will sell you a BK and let you take it home to install like I did with my PE.

 

[begreen]

Are there any Regency dealers in the area? If so the i2450 is worth considering. The Pacific Energy Summit would also work if it fits. If you are trying to save some $$ it's hard to beat the value provided by the Drolet Escape 1800.

 

[30WCF]

Hello from Greensboro, about an hour up the road.
I’ve got much too different a layout than you to help, but you are at the right spot.

 

[EbS-P]

Are there any Regency dealers in the area? If so the i2450 is worth considering. The Pacific Energy Summit would also work if it fits. If you are trying to save some $$ it's hard to beat the value provided by the Drolet Escape 1800.

I’m down in Wilmington. I did a DIY instal of a Drolet 1800i. It’s plain looking but get the job done. We don’t have super expensive electricity and winters aren’t that cold. You won’t ever break even spending 9k on a wood burner even if you get the wood for free.

If looks are important (you wanted a Princess sooo…..) check out Osborn. If you want the best value you can’t beat the Drolet. I can get 8 hour burns on low with long leaf pine. The cat stoves seem good but it will be 60 tomorrow. I just run the heat pump dirt the day a fire at night. And if I’m up early I’ll light one tomorrow morning. Had one going today. But with a heat pump it handles everything quite cheaply down to 45. After that you need hour burn cycles or shorter.

 

[NoobyFireEastCoast]

Thank you all so much for that information. I had a feeling that a lot of the information about the bigger stoves were not super relevant to my location, so its nice to hear that a smaller, less expensive brand will work for me from the experts. I totally agree that (while I do have basically free wood, just need to spend labor and gas) I would never recoup the cost of 9k+. I just don't want to make a mistake and have to redo the entire thing next year.

Looking around online, at used stoves. Are there any other brands you all would recommend? Here are some that I can find commonly around me:

1. Dutch west
2. High valley 2500 (non catalytic)
3. Vermont castings resolute acclaim
4. Vogelzang
5. Appalachian

Any of those stand out or should I avoid, or should I look for? If not I will go with the Drolet, just wanted to ask. Thanks!

 

[EbS-P]

I’ll speak to what I know.
Vermont casting stoves require considerably more maintenance. Used stoves could need 1000$ in parts to function correctly.

Vogelzang is rubbish

Appalachian had decency quality decades ago. But I believe are not in business any more.

I searcher the NC used stove market for a year. Most of the offerings were junk. Do you want a project that needs repair before it’s installed or a new working unit that just needs installed.

Things as a southerner you should know. I had a stove I installed upstairs. And then the basement was too cold so I had to install a second. Oak takes forever and then another year to dry. Finally stuff that was split in over 2.5 years ago is dry enough to burn but needs another summer.

Pine is great. Our dense yellow pine dries in a summer but is ideal after two. You won’t burn your house down with pine. It absolutely need’s covered from all rain.

You should just insist on an insulated liner. You will want a fire when it’s 55 out. And the insulation offers safety and performance at higher outside temps.

Get good at building and lighting fast hot fire. Top down lots of kindling.

If you are a competent DIYer the install is not hard and the forum is super helpful to ensure you know how to install it correctly. Biggest issues is roof access.

Drolet is still the best value. The trio kit the. Adding an insulation kit from Rockford is the cheapest solution. I spent a year pricing everything out.

You will need to sweep the liner. Top down is easy for me. Bushes or a rotary cleaner. I’m doing it every other year now.

Build a woodshed enough for 3 years worth. I can burn a cord a year.

 

[30WCF]

I might have one for you depending on what you want. I have to run it by my FIL first. He has asked me about my old stove a few times. I keep telling him to load it up and take it, but he wants to pay me. Maybe if I tell him I got a buyer he will poop or get off the pot.

Anyway. It’s been wrapped in plastic with those absorbent bags of beads you’re apparently not supposed to eat according to the drawing on the bag.

I took it out last year and replaced it with a smaller stove for my space. It was just too big for our space.

Englander/Summers Heat 2000 from Lowe’s. Bought it 7-8 years ago maybe.

I’d say light use. Close clearances to combustibles. Fan. An hour away from you. $500 pick up only.

Here is a link to the manuals. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Summers-Heat-2000-sq-ft-Wood-Burning-Stove/999918844

 

[Eman85]

Before you buy a stove have the chimney inspected. Is it a masonry chimney?

 

[begreen]

Thank you all so much for that information. I had a feeling that a lot of the information about the bigger stoves were not super relevant to my location, so its nice to hear that a smaller, less expensive brand will work for me from the experts. I totally agree that (while I do have basically free wood, just need to spend labor and gas) I would never recoup the cost of 9k+. I just don't want to make a mistake and have to redo the entire thing next year.

Looking around online, at used stoves. Are there any other brands you all would recommend? Here are some that I can find commonly around me:

1. Dutch west
2. High valley 2500 (non catalytic)
3. Vermont castings resolute acclaim
4. Vogelzang
5. Appalachian

Any of those stand out or should I avoid, or should I look for? If not I will go with the Drolet, just wanted to ask. Thanks!

If this is intended to be a 24/7 primary heater, then none of the above. A Drolet or Englander will get the job done and will be under $2k. An Englander 32-NC is still selling for around $1000 and is a serious heating machine.