Wood stove for 24x24 chalet

[Ralf]

Gents,

I have a 24x24 chalet (about 600 sqf). Its an open place with a closed bedroom of about 12x12. We have electric baseboard and oven, so I don't really intend to cook on the wood stove, it's going to be used mainly for heating and ambiance. I'm in northern Quebec, Canada so our temperature can reach as low as -40C in the winter and we are heating from september to end of may.

I love old wood stoves, the ones that are maybe not so clean, but burning hot and made of 100% cast iron. I grew up with an old Belanger wood stove/oven and I'm very attached to these. However, I want to do the right decision in choosing the stove and I understand these units changed a lot and are a lot more tricky since EPA certification if mandatory.

I was looking at a Jotul F602CB because it's made of 100% cast iron and because we hear alot of good things about Jotul Quality. It's rated at 800sqf, so that would seem like a logical choice.The Morso 2B was also a close contender and I even looked at the Jotul F118CB for a little more punch. I would like these stove even better with a bigger window but their "windowed" equivalents seems to not be rated as good. However, I took the time to read alot on this forum and I'm now pretty confused. It's seems like there are units that are far superior in term of heating and burn time. I'm also worried that these stoves could be too small to be practical when loading the stove and that the burn time could be no more than 2-3h in the real world. I'm also confused about radiant vs convection. From my understanding, the convection unit could provide a more comfortable heat and reach the closed room more efficiently. Then I looked at the PE Vista for being a good compromise.

I'm also worried about the size of the stove, as I'm reading alot of great comments on the PE Super 27 but would it be way too hot my 600 sqf chalet? Should I look more at something like the PE Vista or an Alderlea T4 for a combination of radiant and convection heat? What about the Jotul F3CB? Would that be a good option?

Please let me know what you would choose, I'm open to any manufacturer

Thanks for your help

 

[Grisu]

For such a small space a small catalytic stove would probably be best although your low winter temps may require some more "fire power". What are you using currently for heat and how much fuel do you usually use during the coldest months? How well is your house insulated?

The advantage of a catalytic stove is that the heat output can be more easily regulated to give you low but constant heat. The stoves you mentioned will all burn rather hot in the early stages and then taper off in temps during an extended coaling stage. Those cycles will be less pronounced with a cat stove. In addition, cat stoves usually have longer burn times even with small fireboxes. Non-cat stoves with a firebox of approx. less than 1.8 cu ft. usually don't allow overnight burns. Thus, you will need to feed them at night or start a new fire from scratch in the morning.

Some small catalytic stoves to consider: Woodstock Keystone, Blazeking Sirocco 20 or Chinook 20, and the Buck stove 20.

 

[Ralf]

Very interesting! I saw alot of good comments about the Keystone in other posts and I'll definitely take a look in that direction now that I better understand the benefits of a Catalytic system. From my understanding, am I correct in saying these stoves require a little bit more maintenance? I understand that some part need to be replaced on a regular basis?

We are currently insulating the Chalet with R41 for the roof and R20 for the walls. Up to now, we used the chalet only in the summer because it was not insulated. We are now going to use it 12 months a year instead of only 3 months!

 

[Grisu]

The major "maintenance" point with a cat stove is that the catalyst will need to be replaced about every 5 to 8 years although BlazeKing has tested some that even after 10 years were still working ok. When shopping around you can ask how much a new cat costs. Other than that, you should take out the cat a few times per season and brush off the ash and check your doorseals occasionally as failure of those is the major reason for a reduced cat lifespan according to BlazeKing. While that all sounds like more work, be aware that with the longer burn times you will actually spend less time tending the stove. Another point to consider: Putting anything other than firewood, approved firestarters, and b&w newspaper in there may harm the cat. No treated or painted wood, colorful magazines, or even your trash. Nevertheless, that stuff should not be burned in a non-cat stove either although it does not really harm the stove.

Since you don't know yet what your heating needs really are I suggest trying the Woodstock first. They have an unconditional 6-month return guarantee. You picked the wrong size or you don't like the stove, just return it for a refund. If you are living close to Sherbrooke, the company is just down south along I-91 (in Lebanon, New Hampshire). Quite a few people here visited the factory to pick up their stoves themselves. Otherwise, they don't have a dealer network, so you need to have it shipped to your place.

Finally, no matter which stove you decide on: Please be aware that you will need dry, seasoned wood with an internal moisture content of less than 20%. To achieve that you need to split and stack the wood in a sunny and windy location for a minimum of 1 year, many denser hardwoods need 2, some (like oak) even 3 years to dry out enough. If you haven't done so already, I would get the wood ready at your home as soon as possible and then start shopping for the stove. For the coming winter look for softwoods and ash, as they have a chance to be dry enough with just one summer. I highly recommend to cover at least the softwood on top. I would also get the wood already for the winter after, so it has a chance to season for 2 years.

 

[Ralf]

Grisu, I can't thank you enough for your help. You couldn't believe what the local dealers are saying about catalytic systems. They are clearly not experts and I consider myself lucky to have found this site before making a huge mistake in my purchase.

I looked at the cat stoves that you mentioned and I fell in love with the Blaze King Sirocco 20. It seems like this one is a champ with a 83% efficiency and a 20 hour burn time! What do you think about the 20 hour burn time? Is it just marketing or does this stove clearly stands out from all of his competitors?

Also, I am curious about the added benefit of the soapstone of the woodstock stove. Does it really make a huge difference ?

Thanks!!

 

[Grisu]

As far as I have heard here, catalytic stoves got a bad rap about 20 to 30 years ago when the EPA introduced stricter emission standards and manufacturers tried to cope with them. They put catalysts in to clean up the exhaust but had no real engineering knowledge in this area. BlazeKing and Woodstock stayed with the technology and have really refined it for a great wood-burning experience.

Since I do not own either of those stoves, I could only rehash what others had said before. I suggest trying the forum search and/or open a new thread asking for experiences mentioning the two stoves in the title. I would also encourage you to call Woodstock and ask for owners in your neighborhood. Many woodburners are happy to show off their stoves to interested buyers, so you can "feel" the soapstone heat for yourself. Maybe a BlazeKing dealer in your area can do the same. Regarding the 20 hr burn time: There is no real definition for that term; I would realistically expect 12 to maybe 16 hours on a load of mixed hardwood and set on low. As said before: Seasoned wood is key!