Am I Being Silly?

[30WCF]

I have an 1100sqf house in central NC. I have been running a England or Summers Heat, or whatever brand and you want to call it, in 2000sqf flavor stove for about 5 years. I got the 2k size cause it was a deal at the time, and I thought I’d rather have overkill than underkill. Now, I only ever run 2 splits and a time. If I burn 3 splits, you can’t stand it, and I get a little worried if I see 650-700 on the stovetop since the book says 600, if I recall correctly. That’s probably just my naive self, trying to follow the rules and all, but about 400 at the stove top is about right for the space as well.

I’ve been looking for about a year at other options. I’m was all about a nice enamel stove for a while, a soapstone, or something nice, but I don’t think I want to spend $3k till I know what fits.

My stove is also too big for the room aesthetically.



So I’m thinking of trying out a smaller stove, but it looks like, in general, at 1100sqf, I’m either maxing out a stove, or right back where I am.

So do I keep slow rolling what I have, or go with an Drolet Fox2 https://www.drolet.ca/us/en/wood-stoves/db03186/ or US Stove Defender https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...defender-wood-burning-stove-on-legs-us1100e-l ? These meet my clearances without either building something or putting it further out into the living room of an already small room by using some 45* bends in the pipe.

I like the stepped stovetop and legs better on the Defender better. I like the fox on the door of the Fox, and its North American manufacturing gives me a fuzzier feeling.

The US is an E/W loader, and the Fox is a N/S loader. This means that the US is going to appear a little more inline with the wall than the Drolet, even though based off flue location, they will both extend into the room roughly the same.

Seems like for the size of them, the N/S loading will be better than trying to stuff a small box E/W, and potentially spilling against the glass as it burns down.

 

[ratsrepus]

If the stove is taking off like it appears it is, try a butterfly or key damper in the pipe and slow down the draft.

 

[30WCF]

Thats and old pic, I imagine that’s just on light up in that pic. Kinda like all the stock
photos from the manufacturers.

 

[DonTee]

I think he means taking off like 650-700 degrees stove top temp...

My last stove was like that. Sometimes it would take off and I couldn’t control it very well. I put in a key damper and it helped. I had too much draft I think.

 

[30WCF]

1953 house, so defiantly some leaks, and probably about 15’+\- of 6” pipe.

 

[EbS-P]

what length is your wood cuts now? Get a a stove with a glass door. Deco or the spark are the same firebox (I think). US stove’s reputation is about as bad as it gets in the stove industry.

I’m not super happy with the turn down Abdul if my 2020 approved Drolet 1800i bit it’s hooked up to 24’ of insulated 6” liner.

Look at stoves from true north. Honestly this year considering the high demand and still distrusted supply id probably just keep what you have add a damper to see if it makes any difference. Split big and stay away from pine (burns to hot and fast) poplar would be a good wood to try and burn big 6” splits.

 

[30WCF]

Splits are decent size.



Some of these got split again. This was just splitting them quick with a maul to get them off the side of the road. The ones that are stacked are finished product.

I’ve only been burning oak, hickory and ash. A little Bradford Pear, but I try to avoid it.

 

[brenndatomu]

Keep what you have, put a damper in.
I had a Defender...worked ok, but an easy breather that would zoom up to 7, even 800* sometimes...went through wood pretty fast too.

 

[ratsrepus]

The Englander was an entry level stove sold at home Depot, (sorry brother bart in Heaven). If your looking for longer burn you'll have to get your wallet out

 

[30WCF]

This is tonight. 500* and there is hardly anything in it.

 

[begreen]

If you don't mind a shorter burn time, then downsizing to a Morso 2B, 2110, or VC Aspen might be a better fit.

 

[Hogwildz]

The Englander was an entry level stove sold at home Depot, (sorry brother bart in Heaven). If your looking for longer burn you'll have to get your wallet out

It has a 3-1/2 cf firebox, and cruises right along with anything other similar stove with similar sizing. He already said he doesn't want to shell out 3k+ for another stove.

 

[30WCF]

Would burn times really be effected with a smaller stove if I’m only loading a split or two at a time over coals in this one?

 

[30WCF]

Looking at the Aspen C3
Am I reading that right? 3” to combustibles on the back wall? I do have double wall pipe.

https://downloads.hearthnhome.com/installManuals/8390-950i_Aspen_C3_Install.pdf

 

[begreen]

Yes, with a double-wall vertical venting configuration. However, it doesn't hurt to exceed the minimum.

 

[30WCF]

I have the VC Aspen C3 ordered.
Looks like it will fit nicely.

Only thing I’m a little iffy about is the spring controlled air intake damper.

If I’m thinking correctly, the spring heats up, expands and the damper begins to close down. If that spring starts to fail, it would likely fail in the closed/expanded position as it wears out, so the only issue would be insufficient draft. However, if it failed open, what would happen?

Part 2:
What happens if you over fire or have a chimney fire and you cover the air intake on the back? Not that a dealer or professional would recommend this, but what would happen?

 

[Rearscreen]

Check for tightness/air leaks around door gasket.

 

[30WCF]

So the VC C3 is here. The dealer said I didn’t need an adapter when I ordered it. Guess what. I need something, because the 6” double wall is the same size at the vent collar.
What is it that I need?
Otherwise it’s cute and look like it will do the trick.

 

[30WCF]

Will this fit into the stove collar and inbetween the two layers of double wall?

 

[begreen]

Oh how I wish there was a standard mandated for flue collar ID and all double-wall was standardized for that diameter.
Alas, it is not. You may need the appliance adapter from the stovepipe manufacturer, but check it's sizing. VC stoves can be challenging this way.

 

[Ashful]

Would burn times really be effected with a smaller stove if I’m only loading a split or two at a time over coals in this one?

Not really, assuming you're going non-cat to non-cat. The 2-3 splits you're loading now aren't buying you much time. The same amount of wood in a different stove set to a similar burn rate, will give you similar time.

If you go to a cat stove, you may be able to load more wood, burn lower, and get more hours per load at the lower output. But then again, maybe more hours is not what you want in NC.

 

[30WCF]

I was getting plenty on time. 6-8 hrs on a couple splits, and I could always relight off a decent bed of coals in the morning.

 

[Ashful]

I was getting plenty on time. 6-8 hrs on a couple splits, and I could always relight off a decent bed of coals in the morning.

Then you can expect about the same, with the same amount of wood in a smaller stove.

 

[30WCF]

Although I don’t feel good about a permanent fix on the pipe, I got a small break in fire going.

I ran to lowes and grabbed a couple things to try. The male/male adapter was way too small.
I also got a single wall telescoping adapter. I trimmed it and crimped it to fit into the collar, and trimmed it to slide between the layers of my double wall pipe.

I’ll keep looking, but atleast I have a low break in fire for tonight. I’m sure I’ll kick the LP heat on in a while.

 

[30WCF]

It also looks like I can easily be exceeding minimum requirements if I go single wall. I could put the double wall in the attic for storage if needed again. I only had the double wall to meet the requirements of the old stove to keep it from protruding into the room so far.