I know nothing about gas

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Dill

Feeling the Heat
Oct 14, 2008
329
Northwood NH
I'm good with woodstove but hopeless with gas so I'm looking for help.
My house has a 700sq ft, 5 room apartment attached that my mother in law just moved into. She's not home enough to keep a wood stove running. So we're looking into gas stoves, since I also like the fact it will keep going in an outage, since we lose power quite often.
Ideally I'd like a corner installation vented out an outside wall. What is the difference between dv and B vent?
There are a number of used stoves around me in my price range (I'd like to stand under 1k),
Lopi Sturbridge and Berkshire
Hearthstone Tuscon and Sterling
a couple VC models
and Waterford

Any recommendations?
 
DV draws combustion air from the outside thru one pipe & vents outside thru a different one. They may be separate pipes (Co-linear) or an outer & an inner pipe (Co-axial). Some DV units can s vent straight out the rear of the unit without any rise in the vent. B-Vent units draw combustion air from INSIDE & vent outside... AFIK, ALL B-vents require some rise in order to vent properly. Of the models listed, I am familiar with the Hearthstone units & some of the VC models. Generally, they are good units, but I'd stay away from VC due to the constant management turnover...If you can get the unit venting & install for less than $1K, go for it. A new Tucson with minimal venting probably sells for just about $3k without install...
 
Okay so if I'm looking for a rear vent its probably a DV that I should find right? I'd rather not poke another hole in the roof if I can avoid it.
Does the stone part of the heartstones hold the heat like the wood fired models? And what brands have good thermostat controls?
 
Okay so if I'm looking for a rear vent its probably a DV that I should find right? I'd rather not poke another hole in the roof if I can avoid it.

Some DVs are vented straight off the rear. Some have a reversible flue collar, that will allow you to vent ALMOST directly horizontally, or to go up a couple feet & then turn to the outside. Make sure what you are looking at has venting available. Some of the older Hearthstone DV units used a larger vent than is most commonly seen on today's units...

Does the stone part of the heartstones hold the heat like the wood fired models?

Generally speaking, no. The Hearthstone woodstoves are cast iron & soapstone. While there are soapstone panels available, more often than not, the panels are granite. The woodstoves also have 2" thick stone. The gas units have stones that are about 3/8" thick...

And what brands have good thermostat controls?

You can use just about ANY millivolt t-stat, but most folks will use Skytech remote contols...
HTH...
 
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