Wood stove recommendation for ~3,000 sq feet

[ryanthefireguy]

Hi all. This is my first season burning wood and this has been a great resource to operate my old Valiant wood stove. I'm looking to upgrade after this season to something larger and more efficient. A little about the setup. This is an old farmhouse in Massachusetts that was gutted last year and we now have blown in cellulose insulation. The previous owner built a great room off the main house structure in the 90s and we assume that is when the stove and chimney were installed. It is not in the most ideal location, I have a box fan blowing into the woodstove room in the door opening to help push warm air out into our main living space. My sweeper said the chimney currently has a clay lining and would need to have a 6" diameter stainless steel liner installed with any upgrade, so I'm trying to find an EPA approved stove to take advantage of 26% off of that install. (Quoted $2300) We are about 2800 sq feet and the valiant doesn't heat the whole house if the temperature gets below 25 degrees Fahrenheit.. We have a first and second floor heat pump which also doesn't work optimally when temperatures get really cold. House layout below. Would love to hear what you all recommend. Thanks!

 

[ryanthefireguy]

Any replies? Should I add more information? Thanks

 

[stoveliker]

I think the upstairs will be hard to heat, as is the master bedroom; wood stoves remain space heaters.
Kitchen, and family and dining rooms should be possible if that opening is indeed as wide as it seems.

So I don't know if a new stove would much change the heating picture. Nevertheless, it will change your wood consumption (per BUT output; i.e. if you go bigger, you may still use the same amount of wood).

Is the 2800 sqft equaly divided over the floor you have drawn and the floor above? Sizing the stove will be a compromise: if you want significant heat upstairs, your great room might be overheating. Likely some fan moving cold air down (and warm air up the stairs to compensate) would be needed.
Or you choose to only heat the bottom floor (as drawn).

If your home is leaky (old windows, and thru-the-wall leaks), I think at least a 3 cubic ft firebox is what I'd do. (You mention blown in insulation, but is that attic alone? How are the wall and floors?)

Some remarks about styles that appeal to you (regardless of whether the stoves are suitable) would help point you in a good direction too.

 

[Highbeam]

2800 SF is well above the rated heating capacity of most any stove. Go big. Wouldn't even consider anything under 3 CF.

 

[bunfoolio]

My jotul f500 Oslo heats my 3200 sqft house in MA. Its newish at 8 years old with great I insulation. It works great until single digits and wind. Then it needs help from the furnace. Your layout looks to be a challenge for the master and upstairs. For you I would think bigger the better. You might have a very warm kitchen and dinning room.

 

[stoveliker]

Again, if you aim to heat 2800 sqft (and half of that is upstairs), there are issues with getting the heat to that second half.
If not, but it's 1400 sqft, it's possible, though your bedroom is going to remain relatively cold regardless. The family room could be dealt with using some (serious) fans.

At 1400 sqft leaky, a 3 cu ft stove would work. More than that the bigger the better. (Hence my "at least 3 cu ft").

 

[ryanthefireguy]

Thanks for the replies everyone. To clarify some of your questions.

• The upstairs portion is only above the main structure and is part of the 2800 sq ft. There is nothing above the great room where the wood stove is located and it's a cathedral ceiling. So, we are probably looking at 1200 sq ft on first floor.
• Surprisingly enough, the upstairs does get heated well. It is always one degree above the temperature on the thermostat located in the family room.
• Windows are mid range and blown in insulation is in all exterior walls. Basement isn't insulated.
• Regarding style, not much preference at all there.

 

[newhampshaguy]

with a ceiling fan and box fans going, i can get the downstairs and two of three bedrooms (excluding the one farthest away from the stairwell) with my VC Defiant in a 2900 sq foot colonial. Bedrooms closest to the stairs in the lows 60's even on cold nights. stove is located in a great room similar to what you mention

 

[EbS-P]

How important are looks? Would you prefer modern or classic styling?

I tried to take advantage of the tax credit. It wouldn’t have saved me money over the budget Drolet I ended up with. I’m in the camp get what you like even if it’s not going to get you any free money.

You have heat pumps it’s a great solution for the cooler weather. I like my tube stove and Heatpump combo. No real need for low and slow. Personally I’d choosing a Pacific Energy T6. No tax credit but that also means no catalytic converter. It’s not going heat 3000 sq fr in the dead of winter but going larger means an 8” liner. Can you fit that?

 

[begreen]

It’s not going heat 3000 sq fr in the dead of winter but going larger means an 8” liner. Can you fit that?

The T6 takes a 6" flue. Rumor is that PE is testing a +75% HHV unit, but that is not confirmed and not sure which stove. The Summit/T6 are at 74% so it's not a big stretch.

 

[stoveliker]

The T6 takes a 6" flue. Rumor is that PE is testing a +75% HHV unit, but that is not confirmed and not sure which stove. The Summit/T6 are at 74% so it's not a big stretch.

I actually think that simply retesting could bring it over the limit. That's a variability that I would expect even for non-cordwood testing...

 

[begreen]

Yeah, and the 75% is a completely arbitrary ruling based on a previous metric. 73% would have been a better mark IMO.

 

[Todd]

Maybe look at the Woodstock Ideal Steel. 3.5 cu ft firebox and takes a 6” flue.

 

[Highbeam]

Yeah, and the 75% is a completely arbitrary ruling based on a previous metric. 73% would have been a better mark IMO.

But then all of the 74% people would be ticked off! You can't win. I don't think it was all that arbitrary, since at 74% many more stoves would have qualified and caused this credit to cost more. Fingers crossed that PE can get that 75.

 

[Highbeam]

Maybe look at the Woodstock Ideal Steel. 3.5 cu ft firebox and takes a 6” flue.

That stove is only 3.2 cubic feet according to famously optimistic woodstock and users complain that the extremely sloped roof makes a lot of that unusable. Still, it's a nice stove and can hang with anything else over 3 cubes.