small stove suggestions

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Prof

Prof

Minister of Fire
Oct 18, 2011
717
Western PA
So I'm having a small workshop built, about 300 sq ft. It will have good insulation and windows. I'm looking for suggestions for small wood stoves. I don't want to have to make miniature fire wood--i.e. I want the stove to be able to take a 16 inch split. I also want some view of the fire. I'd be happy to hear any ideas.
 
When you consider minimum clearance and hearth pad requirements for a stove of any size, many of the smaller and cheaper ones having higher clearance requirements, are you really sure you want to dedicate that sort of space to a stove? I mean, it could be up to 10% of your entire shop dedicated to just the stove.

Also, what's your usage profile? Heating a cold shop up on a Saturday, and then letting it go cold on Monday is the perfect recipe lots of rusty equipment. Do you expect to keep it heated 24/7? Intermittently? Desired burn time?

I ask because I looked at all of this, thinking I was going to put a stove in my shop (1200 sq.ft.). In the end, I just installed a minisplit, and couldn't be happier. It's my favorite place to work on a 90 degree day, as I keep it about 72F when working in there in summer. It's also dry, so no issue with a rusty table saw top.
 
Ashful said:
When you consider minimum clearance and hearth pad requirements for a stove of any size, many of the smaller and cheaper ones having higher clearance requirements, are you really sure you want to dedicate that sort of space to a stove? I mean, it could be up to 10% of your entire shop dedicated to just the stove.

Also, what's your usage profile? Heating a cold shop up on a Saturday, and then letting it go cold on Monday is the perfect recipe lots of rusty equipment. Do you expect to keep it heated 24/7? Intermittently? Desired burn time?

I ask because I looked at all of this, thinking I was going to put a stove in my shop (1200 sq.ft.). In the end, I just installed a minisplit, and couldn't be happier. It's my favorite place to work on a 90 degree day, as I keep it about 72F when working in there in summer. It's also dry, so no issue with a rusty table saw top.
Click to expand...

I hadn't thought of the potential for condensation. I would probably only heat things up a couple times per week. I accept that burn times with a small stove would probably be in the few hour range, so I don't expect much there. I think putting a heat pump in the shop when we don't have one for the house might be a tough sell to my wife though.
 
The Englander 17 has very decent clearances, and punches pretty hard for its size. Obviously it has a small firebox limiting burn time, but 300 square feet of well insulated shop will be a breeze to heat.
 
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This condensation issue will largely depend upon how much you use and heat your shop. I have a much larger shop, but also a much larger stove, so the principle is the same. It is also very well insulated, but I also have an enormous amount of thermal mass in the insulated concrete pad. I need a reasonably constant temperature for the wood storage, glues, varnishes, etc., and so keep mine about 65 deg. f. Because of the amount of insulation it is only necessary in my climate to burn twice a week except in the coldest conditions. Usually I need two, occasionally three loads to get the building up to about 68 deg., and will not burn again until the interior drops to about 62 deg.

I've never had any issue with condensation in the winter, although I did have to add an air conditioner to keep everything from rusting in our summer humidity here in Missouri.
 
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Prof said:
I hadn't thought of the potential for condensation. I would probably only heat things up a couple times per week. I accept that burn times with a small stove would probably be in the few hour range, so I don't expect much there. I think putting a heat pump in the shop when we don't have one for the house might be a tough sell to my wife though.
Click to expand...
Don't tell her it can cool! I can't really force my solution on you, but for my usage and needs, the minisplit was ideal. I have it set for auto-changeover, with min temp at 55F and max at 80F, and just bump it to whatever makes me comfortable when I go out there weekends and evenings.

On the subject of wives, mine really appreciates that I can now spend my 90 - 100 degree-F Saturdays in July rebuilding windows and frames in my air-conditioned shop, rather than hibernating by the TV in the house. Same goes for 20F days in January!
 
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I'm probably biased but Morso makes tons of very small stoves. Some of the convection models (traditional and cylindrical) have very tight clearances but almost all the smallest ones will require shorter wood except the 2b.
 
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For a space that small i would recomend a small dorect vent gas heater or even a small pellet stove. Even small stoves will quickly overheat the space
 
If the space is coming up from cold I don't think it will overheat. And if it does open the door.

Just found out about this little fellow last night. Not sure if you have a dealer nearby or what it sells for yet.
http://truenorthstoves.com/en/products/gas/tn10-wood-stove

Not sure if this dealer is in your neighborhood

Duvall’s Warm Traditions
500 S 3rd Avenue
Elizabeth, PA
15037
Tel: (412) 384-6972
 
begreen said:
If the space is coming up from cold I don't think it will overheat. And if it does open the door.

Just found out about this little fellow last night. Not sure if you have a dealer nearby or what it sells for yet.
http://truenorthstoves.com/en/products/gas/tn10-wood-stove

Not sure if this dealer is in your neighborhood

Duvall’s Warm Traditions
500 S 3rd Avenue
Elizabeth, PA
15037
Tel: (412) 384-6972
Click to expand...
Thanks--there is a dealer 20 mi from me.
 
if it was me i would get one of those electric ones that hang from the ceiling with the fan. you dont loose any space. the concrete will hold the heat and keep your tools from rusting, if you keep a thermostat on it and set it for 50 or 60, wouldnt cost much to keep a small space that temp
 
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