Advice on stove selection

[chemical_man]

Hello All,

Found this site though a search, looks pretty darn good and filled with advice! Last year we moved into a new place and after spending too much in oil to heat, I'm getting a stove for supplement heat (ideally 80% of heating...).

I'm down to a few models (from dedicated heating dealers) and after seeing some reviews on one of them, thought I could send it here.
Making the cut are:

Regency F2400
Pacific Energy Super 27
Osburn 2400

What would you pick?

Thanks!
CM

 

[Grisu]

Hi, welcome to the forum. In order to give you some valuable advice we will need a lot more information from you. Could you please tell us:

1. Where are you living; how cold does it get there?
2. How much space do you want to heat?
3. How well is your house insulated?
4. Where will the stove be located in the house compared to the other rooms?
5. What kind of wood do you plan on burning?
6. What kind of burn times would you like to have?
7. Any particular style you prefer?
8. Would you prefer S-N or E-W loading?

In addition, get your wood cut, split and stacked NOW. You will have just about 8 month for drying which will not even be enough to get it down to the desired 20% moisture content but you may get it to a burnable stage. Look for species that dry quickly such as ash and pine, make small splits, stack them in single rows well exposed to sun and especially wind and top cover the stacks.

 

[chemical_man]

I was thinking of the wood, I had pretty much forfeited getting 8 ft for this winter and I'd have to buy seasoned cut-split wood (as much as I like overpaying for wood...).

1. Nova Scotia, Canada. This winter has been winter-like, well below -10C for prolonged periods (-25 at night).
2. 2000 sq ft would be OK.
3. It was built before the chitty builders came around, it is decent for the most part. The roof blown-in has settled, will add when things warm up.
4. Basement underneath the kitchen/dining room (popular rooms).
5. Oak, Maple, ash if available.
6. Long, overnight heat and hot coals in morning.
7. Not really tied to anything at the moment.
8. Don't care, as long as it loads.

The main reason I came on here is that the Regency's seem to have more negative reviews than the Hearth store led on (shockingly, I know...). While I liked it, I don't want trouble for a stove.

 

[Grisu]

Thanks for providing the additional info. For your climate and house specs you will need a large stove with a firebox size of around 3 cu ft. The PE Super is definitively too small you would need to upgrade to the PE Summit. That stove has a lot of loyal followers here. Similar for the F2400; the Regency F3100 would be appropriate. Only the Osburn 2400 with its 3.2 cu ft firebox is correctly sized. I have read here a lot of good impressions about the Osburn stoves. One of their sale reps is a member here under the name Fyrebug. You could PM him if you have some questions. Other models to take a look at:
Englander NC-30: Can often found as a bargain for $700 to $800 at Home Depot in the spring. Reliable no frills heater with lots of satisfied owners here.
Drolet Myriad: Another budget stove but from a Canadian company.
Pretty much any large stove should give you 10 to 12 hr burn times with good, dry hardwood. If you want to extend that take a look at catalytic stoves such as Blaze King or Woodstock where you can go up to 20 hrs according to some people here. For more brands and reviews take a look here https://www.hearth.com/talk/link-forums/stove-reviews.35/ or try the forum search.

Usually, we recommend here to put the stove in the main living area because they are space heaters. There is no guarantee that the heat will rise sufficiently upstairs. You may end up with a hot basement and an only lukewarm first floor. Is the basement finished and insulated? Slab and concrete walls retain a lot of heat. You may end up heating the ground more than your house. Not saying that putting the stove in the basement can't be done but there are also quite a few people here who were really disappointed about their results.

If you want to buy your wood be aware that most sellers do not really sell seasoned wood aka cut, split and stacked in rows (not a large heap) for at least a year. Inquire about that when you order the wood. Tell the seller you will be there when he drops off the wood to test the moisture content. Split a few pieces and read with a moisture meter the center of the freshly exposed surface. Reject the load if the reading is consistently above 25% or negotiate to pay only for green wood. For your own processed wood try finding ash first as it usually dries fastest of the species you mentioned. Oak will need at least 2 years better 3 to 4.

 

[begreen]

I agree with Grisu, it sounds like you will need a 3 cu ft stove unless the house floor plan is closed off into many areas closed off from each other by doorways.

Will you be trying to heat from the basement or from the main floor? What is the total sq ft of the house (and does that include the basement)?

 

[chemical_man]

Fully finished basement, thermally insulated floors and walls. I'll have to look at what the sellers can do for me, hopefully they'll do something to entice me to upgrade...

We're often in the basement and the kids like to play there, one of the reasons I want to locate there. In-laws have a similar house with the PE27 and it works quite well for them.
Tot. footage is 2500, this is including rooms that would be cut-off, so 2000 would be a good estimate.

Good points on wood deliveries RE: moisture. Though around here I'm sure that will go over well (people feel entitled!), the main problem people have is being shortchanged on delivery, I long planned on being present when they came.

 

[madison]

- Consider effort/logisitics of getting 3 cu ft of wood to the basement 3 to 4 times/day.
- Distributing the heat to rest of the home from the basement will be an issue
- Short changing of c/s wood is common in my experience, stick with the same guy and you can usually come to terms.

 

[ddddddden]

. . .I'll have to look at what the sellers can do for me, hopefully they'll do something to entice me to upgrade. . .

The price for a 3-cu-ft stove is typically not a whole lot more(~20% maybe) than for a 2-cu-ft similar model from the same mfr.
(broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/pacsup27.htm)

(broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/pacsumm.htm)

Wait another month for off-season, or maybe a bit longer up there, and there will be enticement aplenty.

 

[begreen]

A Super 27 or Spectrum will probably do the job for you. It will just take more frequent feedings, a lot more during very cold weather. If the heat is going to stay mostly in the basement, that may work out ok. However, if the intent is to also heat upstairs, I would go for the Summit. It won't necessarily make it hotter downstairs (unless you want it to be), but it will definitely increase time between reloads. The Summit is roughly equivalent in size to the Osburn 2400. Other Canadian stoves you might want to check out are the Enerzone 3.4. (broken link removed to http://enerzone-intl.com/product.aspx?CategoId=1&Id=443) and the Napoleon 1900 (broken link removed to http://www.napoleonfireplaces.com/products/1900-pedestal/).

One thing to think about is how the heat will get upstairs. If you use the basement a lot I suspect you will not want to have to keep it at 85F in order to get it up to 70F upstairs. If the stove is at one far end of the house and the stairway at the other, then this could be an issue, particularly if there are partitions between the stove and stairway.

 

[chemical_man]

- Consider effort/logisitics of getting 3 cu ft of wood to the basement 3 to 4 times/day.

Basement walk out. The whole basement is not underground.

 

[chemical_man]

Wait another month for off-season, or maybe a bit longer up there, and there will be enticement aplenty.

You clearly haven't been here ever! What, in your opinion, would be a good discount on such stoves?

 

[ddddddden]

Nope, Mt. Washington = the farthest north I've been

I would be looking for at least 20% off, but you never know. . .members here have scored lightly-used floor models at the end of the season for a bigger discount. If you are flexible about which stove you want, that helps. Just go around to all the local shops and see what they would like to be gone.

 

[chemical_man]

Grisu (and others), I've been calling around to see what split wood costs (notice I don't bother with seasoned?). Around these parts they seem to think this year they can charge $299 a cord. I asked about how long the wood has been seasoning for and they said they cut and split when they deliver...... I asked them at that point what gives them the gall to charge a seasoned price for basically green wood, which will take 1-2 years to become proper firewood? Their response: it's up to me to stack it so it dries out for the fall. Seems obvious that moisture meter won't be needed.

For sheer entertainment now, what does a reputable honest logger sell cut-split for in other parts?

 

[jtb51b]

With those prices for wood, is it possible to break even with wood heat?

Jason

 

[ohlongarm]

Hello All,

Found this site though a search, looks pretty darn good and filled with advice! Last year we moved into a new place and after spending too much in oil to heat, I'm getting a stove for supplement heat (ideally 80% of heating...).

I'm down to a few models (from dedicated heating dealers) and after seeing some reviews on one of them, thought I could send it here.
Making the cut are:

Regency F2400
Pacific Energy Super 27
Osburn 2400

What would you pick?

Thanks!
CM

In your climate go as big as possible,I'd look at the Summit I know some who have them and they seem satisfied,check them all out pros,cons and then choose.

 

[Pallet Pete]

Grisu (and others), I've been calling around to see what split wood costs (notice I don't bother with seasoned?). Around these parts they seem to think this year they can charge $299 a cord. I asked about how long the wood has been seasoning for and they said they cut and split when they deliver...... I asked them at that point what gives them the gall to charge a seasoned price for basically green wood, which will take 1-2 years to become proper firewood? Their response: it's up to me to stack it so it dries out for the fall. Seems obvious that moisture meter won't be needed.

For sheer entertainment now, what does a reputable honest logger sell cut-split for in other parts?

Ouch ! Around here its $75 a face cord for oak and anywhere between $45 and $75 for ash-maple-pine. A reputable dealer is 1 in a million around us so we cut most of our wood. The one good dealer near us sells 6 month split and stacked with date stamps on the wood as well as discounted racks of pine and other dry softwoods. its still $75 a face for Oak $65 a face for ash. basically the same price the difference is the sucky guys all do it as cheap as possible screw the customers and lie all in the name of a quick profit for the same rate as the good guys while the good guys all do it to stay in business and get a customer base.

Pete

 

[Todd 2]

Canada weather, I would choose the PE summit. I have one of them but the Woodstock stove is what I'm using currently. It is a very well made, easy to use, low maintenance stove with a good warranty. Steel vs steel its a top contender in my book.
Begreen has stated a very good point about heat transfer to upstairs, even with a centered stair well in my house I half to keep the basement 82-85 to keep the upstairs 72-74. And when the temp drops lower than average with the harsh wind, I can't hold them temps upstairs. Granted your home is insulated better than mine but your winter is much colder.
If you are OK with a really warm basement the 3 cubic ft fire boxes would be my pick.

Todd 2

 

[Swedishchef]

Chemical: in what part of NS are you located? Yarmouth is very different than Sydney..

Wood on average in NB (I am originally from NB) goes for $250 a cord. And unfortunately there are not many that sell it seasoned. I know of one guy 1 hour from Campbellton on the Quebec side that sells about 200 cords a year and his wood is all at least 1 year cut/split/stacked. I think you should be able to find wood cheaper than $299. Do you have a chainsaw? Splitter? Or access to one? I know that some guys will deliver 8 foot wood for about $125 a cord. you just have to saw, split and stack.

As for stoves I can only speak from my experience. I have my Osburn 2300 in my basement. My house is a bungalow, 1325 square feet or so. My basement walls have R10 spray foam on the concrete and R14 Roxul between the studs. I close off about half of my basement when I want to heat to rise upstairs. In -20C I can get my stove to keep the upstairs at 21 or 22. Beware: it takes time to get that to happen. The basement has to be about 25-27 C for 2-3 hours before the heat really is felt everywhere upstairs. My only access to the main floor from the basement is my staircase. No cold air ducts in the floors, etc.

Best advice here has been told already: if you're considering heating with wood, start finding a wood source right now. Some white birch/spruce would have time to season before next winter. Keep the stacks facing the wind, out in the open so that the wind blows thru the stacks.

Best of luck and welcome to the forums!

Andrew

 

[Redlegs]

Welcome to the forum!
I can speak for the Osburn 2400 (mine is an insert model) . It throws a loy of heat. I am heat more than 3000 sq ft . It is in the downstairs of a raised ranch...kinda like a walk out basement situation. Even down to our low this winter of 4, it heated the house by itself.

Are you considering the stove as the primary heating source, or just supplemental, or maybe just sometimes augmenting the homes other system. I only ask, b/c going at this from or other may shade the advice folks offer.

 

[chemical_man]

With those prices for wood, is it possible to break even with wood heat?

Jason

As sad as it is to say, probably! Fuel oil is ridiculous now and will only get worse and that is likely the case for the cost of wood around Halifax.

On a good note, I did get a call back from a local guy who sells as $240 a cord and his newest stock is 2 years old and he brings a full cord (so they say....). Some friends bought from a company who were good and charged $250 last year, 20% increase this year for whatever reason (they are the ones in my last post at $299), others charge as much as $315...

8 ft logs, the hard thing is to find someone who does it, a lot of people have stopped doing that because there is less profit I assume... I did find find someone who delivers 8 ft, just have to iron out if the guy can unload in a reasonable spot. There's this perfect spot for logs but as luck would have it overhead electrical lines are too close, so a no go...

 

[chemical_man]

Ouch ! Around here its $75 a face cord for oak and anywhere between $45 and $75 for ash-maple-pine. A reputable dealer is 1 in a million around us so we cut most of our wood. The one good dealer near us sells 6 month split and stacked with date stamps on the wood as well as discounted racks of pine and other dry softwoods. its still $75 a face for Oak $65 a face for ash. basically the same price the difference is the sucky guys all do it as cheap as possible screw the customers and lie all in the name of a quick profit for the same rate as the good guys while the good guys all do it to stay in business and get a customer base.

Pete

Lately, I am asking myself WhyTF I'm sticking around this place between everyone wanting top dollar for crap and employers not wanting to pay you for your skills.....

 

[chemical_man]

Most people seem to like PE over Regency... Regency have a bad reputation that I am not aware of?

 

[begreen]

No, Regency makes decent stoves. You might also take a look at Enviro and Osburn if this is a cost issue.

 

[Swedishchef]

Lately, I am asking myself WhyTF I'm sticking around this place between everyone wanting top dollar for crap and employers not wanting to pay you for your skills.....

It is tough to make a go at it in the Maritimes these days. Where do you live?

 

[chemical_man]

Swedishchef: Halifax, came back here for family; that's getting harder to justify...

On another note, how do you like your Osburn?
They've made the cut now. Yesterday I called around for chimney installers as the two "main" companies here both gave me a price that seems excessive. One of the company owners gave me a good quick quote and offers Osburn stoves (and said he can get me a good deal). I had his local partner come by last night and take measurements, waiting on what he has to offer.