Hey all, now that I have an Osburn 2000 insert being installed in my fireplace, my brother in law is on the wood heat train. He lives in a ranch, about 1800 sq feet with full basement but no existing stove or fireplace. It looks like the previous owner had a stove in the basement because there is a double flue chimney and a concrete block wall between the current furnace and a pipe comes out of the chimney and is capped off on the other side of the block wall. So probably the basement was heated with a wood stove just so the heat radiated up through the house. Looking for recommendations. Low maintenance is key as I know if he has to mess with the fire, air flow, etc pretty often he wont use it. Open to ideas and suggestions. Thanks!
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Is this a daylight basement? Carrying loads of wood down basement stairs can get old.
Is the basement insulated? Does he have several cords of firewood already split, stacked, and drying for a couple years?
Is the basement insulated? Does he have several cords of firewood already split, stacked, and drying for a couple years?
There's a chance the chimney will need a stainless steel liner. He will definitely need to mess with the fire on startup and then on reload a few times a day.
It is a “walk out” basement so no stairs for loading wood into the house, but only at a small section at the back. The rest of the basement is under ground. It’s poured concrete foundation, no additional insulation and no insulation under the main floor (basement ceiling). We think there is already a liner in the chimney but it will be inspected first.
Are the walls of the basement insulated? If not, get a big 3 cu ft stove. Then there is the question of how the heat will get upstairs. If the stove and stairwell are somewhat central to the floorplan that will help.
As you know with your stove, dry fully seasoned wood is important to have a satisfactory fire. Poorly seasoned wood means a lot more futzing with the fire.
As you know with your stove, dry fully seasoned wood is important to have a satisfactory fire. Poorly seasoned wood means a lot more futzing with the fire.
For less messing with the stove, either a fixed burn rate stove (would not be my choice) or a stove with a thermostat might be right.
I think there is a VC with a thermostat? There are many complaints about VC stoves though..
Blaze Kings have really a set it and forget it operation. I load, and on Long Island NorEasters when it's 15 F and 50 mph winds, I load twice a day, dial in (20 mins) and don't need to come back until 12 hrs later. It's even output because of the thermostat. If it is really cold and I need to warm up the home, then 10 hrs. But my house is fairly well insulated. I hear from the basement (insulated) of 825 sqft. A 1200 sqft ranch on top and a 500 sqft second story on top of that.
It is a cat stove though, and he may want a noncat; one does need to buy a new cat every x years.
Heat won't radiate to higher floors. You need to enable convection. That works best if you so have a path for cooler air to come down in the basement.
I think there is a VC with a thermostat? There are many complaints about VC stoves though..
Blaze Kings have really a set it and forget it operation. I load, and on Long Island NorEasters when it's 15 F and 50 mph winds, I load twice a day, dial in (20 mins) and don't need to come back until 12 hrs later. It's even output because of the thermostat. If it is really cold and I need to warm up the home, then 10 hrs. But my house is fairly well insulated. I hear from the basement (insulated) of 825 sqft. A 1200 sqft ranch on top and a 500 sqft second story on top of that.
It is a cat stove though, and he may want a noncat; one does need to buy a new cat every x years.
Heat won't radiate to higher floors. You need to enable convection. That works best if you so have a path for cooler air to come down in the basement.
What model is your Blaze King? We are still researching but we think the previous owners of the house had some kind of venting to the main floor to make use of the stove that used to be in the basement.
I have a Chinook 30.2
But that's not important (all "30 fireboxes" of BK are the same, except for the outside aesthetics).
I very much like my BK, But I do believe there are one or two other thermostat-operated stoves, that might warrant looking into. @begreen would know.
Other folks also claim that their stoves don't need much user interaction, so don't stare yourself blind on one brand (even if it's claimed to be fantastic).
Regarding the vent: yes, I have that too. But making a hole to move air allows also to move CO, fire, and smoke. Code may require a firedamper (closes when it gets hot, no electricity required).
I have a register on my LR floor. Then a metal boot, metal duct between the joists to the side wall in the basement, then an elbow, then a fire damper. Below that flexible duct, an inline fan, another boot, and another register. The fan sucks the coldest air from my LR floor and deposits it on the basement floor. That pushes the warmest air near the ceiling of the basement up the stairs to my living floor.
But that's not important (all "30 fireboxes" of BK are the same, except for the outside aesthetics).
I very much like my BK, But I do believe there are one or two other thermostat-operated stoves, that might warrant looking into. @begreen would know.
Other folks also claim that their stoves don't need much user interaction, so don't stare yourself blind on one brand (even if it's claimed to be fantastic).
Regarding the vent: yes, I have that too. But making a hole to move air allows also to move CO, fire, and smoke. Code may require a firedamper (closes when it gets hot, no electricity required).
I have a register on my LR floor. Then a metal boot, metal duct between the joists to the side wall in the basement, then an elbow, then a fire damper. Below that flexible duct, an inline fan, another boot, and another register. The fan sucks the coldest air from my LR floor and deposits it on the basement floor. That pushes the warmest air near the ceiling of the basement up the stairs to my living floor.
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