Two stoves vs one

[CR220]

I live in a large house that has always been hard to heat, but I've always managed to pull it off. Until this winter,I was using just a colony hearth model c200 fireplace insert, which is adequate by itself until temps drop below 25f outside. Once temps drop below this, I was in the position of running the insert wide open constantly, and would go through tons of wood in a week. This winter I added a wonderwood stove to a room in the basement on the opposite end of the house from the insert, and the difference was striking. The house is staying very warm without a struggle. By adding an extra stove, logic says that I should have increased my wood consumption. The problem with this logic is that I seem to actually be using less wood. How could this be? The only explanation I can offer up is thus: each stove is being operated in its respective max efficiency range, which makes each stove need less wood. I will submit to you all that two stoves being operated at half throttle will use less fuel than one stove at full throttle. Could this be true?

 

[EbS-P]

Makes sense to me. One thing I wonder is that by keeping the house temps more consistent you reduce the convective drafts that make you feel colder. We probably notice temperature changes more than consistent low temps. Running a steady convection urn rather than a blasting hot radiant heat probably helps.

I think the fewer reloads the more efficient a stove can run.

 

[Gearhead660]

If your heat load is greater than the output of the 1 stove/insert, it makes sense. I am heating a big old farmhouse solely with wood. I have 3 wood burning devices. The insert does a good job until temps get down below 40*f. Then I switch over to running the Myriad 2 stove. That does good until is gets into the single digits. That's when 1 burner doesn't cut it and I run the stove and wood furnace. Running 2 allows then to fully run through the cycle, burning down the coals. Thus extending the time between reloads.