Approved wood stove for 950 Sq. ft. 40 year old mobile home?

[muskiediver]

We have a 40 year old plus mobile home. About 950 Square feet. We are using a Beckett force air oil furnace. The bills recently have cost $300 plus per month and we need to consider an alternative. We are looking a wood burning stove as an alternative. I am not sure if a boiler is require or if the heated air can be used. The wood burning furnace will be the main supply, oil the back up. We were looking at wood burning furnaces we can hook into our current oil burning furnace. Does anyone here have any suggestions?

We are in Michigan

I am concerned if we put a wood stove in the liiving room (front part of trailer)
The warm air will not reach to the back of the trailer where the rooms are.
The oil furnace is located in the back.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Jimbob]

We have a "cottage"which is an old trailer, 12x60, I think. In the Living Room there is a Drolet Adirondack, it works well, and is mobile home approved.
The bedrooms are ~ 5 to10 degrees F cooler than the living room, which is good beause it's nice to have those rooms cooler anyway.
Whatever stove you get, make sure it is Mobile Home approved, and has close installation clearances.

Here's one that would work well:
http://www.drolet.ca/en/products/wood/adirondack

And another. This one has closer install clearances, but is more costly:
http://pacificenergy.net/pacificenergy/vista.php

 

[jeff_t]

A wood burning furnace would be way too much for that space. Plus, I'm not sure if you'll find one approved for mobile home installation. A boiler will be way expensive.
Look at stoves from Englander, 13NC and 17VL. You can move air around with a couple of strategically placed fans. You want to move cold air towards the heat source. Lots of people have success with this.
Whatever you do, be safe. Make sure it's installed to manufacturer's specs and local code. Pay attention to clearances.

 

[Fsappo]

We have a 40 year old plus mobile home. About 950 Square feet. We are using a Beckett force air oil furnace. The bills recently have cost $300 plus per month and we need to consider an alternative. We are looking a wood burning stove as an alternative. I am not sure if a boiler is require or if the heated air can be used. The wood burning furnace will be the main supply, oil the back up. We were looking at wood burning furnaces we can hook into our current oil burning furnace. Does anyone here have any suggestions?

We are in Michigan

I am concerned if we put a wood stove in the liiving room (front part of trailer)
The warm air will not reach to the back of the trailer where the rooms are.
The oil furnace is located in the back.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Go to your local Hearth Shops, ask to see mobile home approved stoves with about a 2.0-2.5 cubic foot firebox, Buy a fan or two that install in the corner of doorways and use that to push the heat down the hall. Skip the furnace.. You'll be fine

 

[begreen]

To the above I would add, ask about close clearance, convective stoves that have easy hearth requirements. The Napoleon 1400, Avalon 1750 or the Pacific Energy Super 27 are examples that fit these requirements.

 

[darkbyrd]

I do 600 ft^2 with my old circulating stove, which is quite oversized for my similar-age trailer. I put a window fan (actually 2 fans in one housing) mounted at the ceiling, blowing down the hall towards the bedrooms. A little shrink-wrap plastic over the poorly sealing crank-to-tip-out windows to cut out the drafts, and we have no problem staying warm (except when the stove operator spaces out). It was a tight fit, and had to take out two windows on the back wall to make room for the stove. Using a heat shield along the wall behind the stove, cement board underneath, and venting the stove straight out the back wall (no vertical stove pipe in the house at all) it's not terribly awkward. I did, however, have to get underneath and add more support to the floor to handle the weight of the stove, the original wood wasn't going to cut it (when it warms up, I need to brace under the fridge as well). You're in a much colder climate than I, but I don't think you will have a problem staying warm with a good stove. Look into ways to force air to circulate, or use the furnace blower. Good luck

 

[Pagey]

You can find a number of new stoves that are mobile home approved on the market today. Look for "jacketed" convection stoves (i.e., they'll usually have heat shields on the back and sides). As an example, take the Lopi Endeavor like I use. It is mobile home approved and has very low CTC (Clearance To Combustibles) requirements. Just take the time to do your research and see how much room you have for floor protection, etc.

 

[DBoon]

Lopi Answer might be the right size - it is jacketed like it's bigger brothers, but won't blast you out of your home with heat.

 

[muskiediver]

d see how much room you have for floor protection, etc.

Please explain what this means?

 

[Fsappo]

How about having your local hearth shop explain it to you. What the hell is going on these days. Are folks scared to actually go speak face to face with an expert, touch and feel what they are planning to buy? Is there a forum section for bitter old retailers to go post?

 

[muskiediver]

How about having your local hearth shop explain it to you. What the hell is going on these days. Are folks scared to actually go speak face to face with an expert, touch and feel what they are planning to buy? Is there a forum section for bitter old retailers to go post?

Folks want to make sure they know what they are talking about. I don't believe what one person tells me. I believe a group of experts. And in this instance, there are many ways of doing this. ANd many different opinions and ideas. Plus people who actually installed a fireplace and wrote an opinion. Which I find invaluable. Any salesman anywhere is ultimately trying to get you to buy. We here are just speaking about our experiences, thus more trust. I hope that makes sense.

I may not buy from a local fireplace store if their prices are a lot more expensive than the internet (many places offer free shipping).

Bitter old retailers - lol. Sounds like a new website!

 

[jeff_t]

How about having your local hearth shop explain it to you. What the hell is going on these days. Are folks scared to actually go speak face to face with an expert, touch and feel what they are planning to buy? Is there a forum section for bitter old retailers to go post?

My closest 'local' hearth shop is about 40 minutes away. I think I can buy most major makes of stoves an hour or so away. The closest BK dealer is about 90 minutes. We seem to be stove shop poor around here. The closest HD, and the one by my work, don't even sell stoves. I'm in Lima, OH twice a week for work, and I drive by two big shops, less than ten minutes apart.
So, with that said, I'm gonna find out all I can for myself. I'm going to be pretty well informed before I make the trip. It's not as simple as running up town for me. I'd like to support the local guy, but there isn't any.

 

[Fsappo]

How about having your local hearth shop explain it to you. What the hell is going on these days. Are folks scared to actually go speak face to face with an expert, touch and feel what they are planning to buy? Is there a forum section for bitter old retailers to go post?

Folks want to make sure they know what they are talking about. I don't believe what one person tells me. I believe a group of experts. And in this instance, there are many ways of doing this. ANd many different opinions and ideas. Plus people who actually installed a fireplace and wrote an opinion. Which I find invaluable. Any salesman anywhere is ultimately trying to get you to buy. We here are just speaking about our experiences, thus more trust. I hope that makes sense.

I may not buy from a local fireplace store if their prices are a lot more expensive than the internet (many places offer free shipping).

Bitter old retailers - lol. Sounds like a new website!

Yeah, sorry about that. This is a place where folks should be able to ask questions and research. I had a bad moment there and I apologize for it.

 

[Pagey]

d see how much room you have for floor protection, etc.

Please explain what this means?

Stoves require some form of floor protection to guard against both radiant heat and embers that escape during reloads. Some stoves require floor protection that meets a minimum insulating value (called an R value). Others, like my Endeavor, require only ember protection, as they have bottom heat shields.

Be sure to read the manual for any stove you are interested in to check the floor protection requirements for both the size of the protection and any minimum R value. This site is where my dealer ordered my "hearth pad," as they are often called. This will give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

http://americanpanelhearth.com/Product Line/Product Line.htm

Of course many people simply make their own.

 

[DanCorcoran]

"Be sure to read the manual for any stove you are interested in to check the floor protection requirements for both the size of the protection and any minimum R value."

muskiediver,

You may know this, but owner's manuals (with full clearance requirements and operating instructions) are available for download at the manufacturers' websites. These are great to read before buying....

 

[48rob]

I know you didn't ask, but I want to point out that the fresh water plumbing in mobile homes is run in the space between the floor, and underbelly material that holds up the insulation below it, and relies on radiant warmth from the heat duct system also run in that space to prevent the pipes from freezing.

There are/were a few manufacturers in that era and before that ran the plumbing above the floor in a chase along the exterior wall, but not many.

I'm not saying a wood stove wouldn't work in your home, only that the plumbing needs to be considered if heat will no longer be pumped through the ducting system every 10-15 minutes.
A small fan near the woodstove pushing warm air into the ductwork would probably do it...and of course would help keep the far ends of the home warmer.

A long time ago, I had a wood burning furnace at one end of a mobile.
It had a duct adaptor that allowed it to work the same as any forced air furnace, pushing hot air through the ductwork.

Rob

 

[coaly]

Goldilocks on eBay for $300 at the PA - Ohio border. With blower! Listed and Mobile home approved. All oxygen burning appliances must not burn indoor air and be built for reduced clearance in manufactured housing.
The ball feet under this stove for sale are NOT used in a mobile home installation. It pulls air up through the pedestal from under the home through a hole cut in floor. I'll give you $20 + shipping for the steel balls you don't need.

 

[PapaDave]

Franks! Your first post reminded me a little of the movie "Grumpy Old Men". :lol: I had one of those days yesterday.
I also have only one shop somewhat close (about 20 minutes away), and have been in there to ask questions and purchase pipe. They are SOMEWHAT knowledgeable about the products they sell.
No pressure to buy, but can be reluctant to provide "free" info.
I'm pretty self reliant, so do my own research and would prefer to get many ideas from folks. Even that is no guarantee of completely accurate info, but this site seems to have an abundance of people who DO give good info. You're one of those.
Take a nap or something.
muskiediver, I have friends who also live in a mobile home and they have an Englander 13. Their's is about 1000-1200 sq. ft., and it heats that place quite well, and is MH approved.