True North 20- features

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Buttermilk

New Member
Mar 1, 2024
6
Arkansas
Thank you begreen for the more economical suggestion of the TN 20.
1. I am wondering if it can be cooked on like the Super LE.
2. Does it require an electric powered blower to effectively heat the house?

I have looked into the Drolets as well, after reading comments about the radiant factor. The 1800 is possibly more our size than the Austral, but maybe doesn’t have the same radiant and cooking capacities? Problem is I havent found a dealer for the Drolets here in Arkansas. We are needing to get a full installation with pipe and all. I am daunted to diy/ find a someone to install. There is a PE dealer close by that would do it all.

Here is a photo of our layout. Don’t mind the yellow. It’s 1550 sqft single floor. Pretty open but for one bedroom that would share a cinder block wall with the back side of the hearth. Temperature wise, it can get to single digits about a week or two but otherwise 20s-70s in the winter.

We want to be able to cook on top (tea water, bone broths, soups, biscuits). And would prefer not to have to have an electric fan blowing constantly. Just a basic, low maintenance stove that can keep itself burning for the better part of the night.

Thank you for any suggestions and insights!

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The TN20 is a value tube stove made by PE. The stove top is like the Super LE, directely over the baffle in the stove. It will get up to 500-650º in normal running of the stove. Hot enough to boil a large pot of water. It will heat very similarly to the Super LE.

Whether a blower is needed or not is more a matter of the stove location, space constraints (walls, doors, etc.), the rate of heat loss of the area, and how quickly one wants to heat it up. In lieu of a blower on the stove, a ceiling fan or a basic table fan placed on the floor and run on low speed can often be all that's needed. For example, our stove has the blower but we rarely use it because the stove is centrally located and our normal temps are in the 32-45º range in winter. However, when it drops into the low 20s I often have the blower running on medium speed to help convect heat to the farther areas away from the stove. I do this together with running the stove at a hotter temperature.
 
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We were going to go with a Drolet Escape 1800 initially but the deal fell through and I’m glad we got a PE stove. They have a good reputation, seem built tough and I really like loading N/S vs E/W.
Drolet is supposed to be a good value stove too.
 
I think we will go with the TN20. They quoted me at $1700 and another $225 for the blower. A much more digestable amount since we are also paying for pipe and installation.
Thank you for the help! I really have no idea how I would have come this far without the forum. I look forward to contributing once I get her going!
 
Buttermilk said:
I think we will go with the TN20. They quoted me at $1700 and another $225 for the blower. A much more digestable amount since we are also paying for pipe and installation.
Thank you for the help! I really have no idea how I would have come this far without the forum. I look forward to contributing once I get her going!
Click to expand...
Stock up with dry firewood now. Pine and softwood will dry in 6 months if properly stacked. Oak and hedge will take a couple of years.
 
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