Zero Clearance Fireplace or Woodstove

[BrianTB]

Like a previous poster my head is getting ready to explode from options. Current situation as a background. Heating a seasonal 700 SF single story on exposed pier foundation, insulated poorly (at best R-Whatever) with a 4 year old Enviro1600 woodstove (rated to 1600sf). Works well - great burn time. House we are moving from 3years old1100sf bungalow, well insulated and sealed , HRV etc, full basement, natural gas heat but we have an RSF Topaz rated to 1500 sf. The Topaz will heat the house no problems, in fact you need to close off doors to keep temps down in bedrooms sometimes. Even when we only burn it for 6 or 7 hours in the evening overnight the furnace does not come on (set to 64) and there are some coals to start a fire in the morning if we like. We have never burned 24/7 with it though.

Currently building a new house - 1288 sq, on piers again but with insulation skirting (R14), well insulated and sealed, low E windows planning to use wood as the primary heat source. House has large central room with rooms opening directly off central room (no halls). We will have a solarsheet installed for shoulder seasons and a propane gas gravity as a backup. We are torn between moving the Enviro1600 over, going with a Topaz or moving up to the Opel 3. Long range plans may include a smaller woodstove in one of the side rooms to keep it cozy (Jotul 602 or Marine stoves Little Cod).

We burn primarily white birch with some poplar that gets mixed in.

Comments and suggestions please

Brian

 

[jrousell]

I think you could probbaly make due with the topaz, but I am not sure that it has as many ducting options as the opel. I sure do like the bigger firebox of the opel, it makes it easier to load( in my opinion). If you have experience with the topaz, and like it-- then that might be a good fit for you. Opel might be overkill


as for deciding between a stand-alone stove or one of teh RSF units- that comes down to what style you like more than heat output-- becasue both can get the job done...

 

[InTheRockies]

I think you'll find the open floor plan will suit you well for heating with a wood stove. The house I live in now is fairly small, 1200 sf, and it has open floor plan. The wood stove sits in a stone/masonry alcove that is on the outside, south-facing wall of the living room end of the great room. The two bedrooms and bathroom are off the great room. I heat with wood (although I do have a forced air propane furnace with whole house humidifier). It is so much easier to heat this house than the 3 story townhouse that I had back in the DC suburbs of Maryland.