B Vent/Natural Vent

[secco]

Hello All,
Two years ago we bought a house that had a wood stove that was in bad condition and a chimney liner that had all but rusted away, unbeknownst to us. In the intervening time we've come to find out that our only option is a b vent propane stove and specifically a Jotul Allagash 300 BV because of the restriction of the size of the fireplace opening. There is evidently a 4-5 month wait so I'm considering buying a used model. There are a couple for sale in my area but I'm wary about the safety of buying used. Is there a typical lifespan to these appliances? Is Jotul really the only company that makes a BV? I've searched the internet and find that Vermont Castings used to make some natural vent models-might those be potential options? Any help is appreciated!

Thank you!

 

[Lennox65]

Hello All,
Two years ago we bought a house that had a wood stove that was in bad condition and a chimney liner that had all but rusted away, unbeknownst to us. In the intervening time we've come to find out that our only option is a b vent propane stove and specifically a Jotul Allagash 300 BV because of the restriction of the size of the fireplace opening. There is evidently a 4-5 month wait so I'm considering buying a used model. There are a couple for sale in my area but I'm wary about the safety of buying used. Is there a typical lifespan to these appliances? Is Jotul really the only company that makes a BV? I've searched the internet and find that Vermont Castings used to make some natural vent models-might those be potential options? Any help is appreciated!

Thank you!

Aside from the obvious inefficiency of the B Vent technology, in my experience, B Vent units tended to be reliable and aged well.
The pilot assembly and damper switch/ spill switch are the only parts that tend to need replacement and i have seen some units that have gone 10 or more years with absolutely no service required.

 

[secco]

Aside from the obvious inefficiency of the B Vent technology, in my experience, B Vent units tended to be reliable and aged well.
The pilot assembly and damper switch/ spill switch are the only parts that tend to need replacement and i have seen some units that have gone 10 or more years with absolutely no service required.

Thank you for the information!

 

[rwh63]

I’ve had a Vermont Castings Radiance b-vent model 2600 since 1996. Overall it has been very good. A couple of gas valve replacements, a couple of glass gaskets. Big worry with this stove though is the stainless steel burner top plate has been unavailable for years. The plate has cut outs that direct the flames into a pattern. Those slots deform over time and the plate needs replacing. NLA!

The generation after the 2600 I believe does not have a replacement gas valve available.

 

[secco]

I’ve had a Vermont Castings Radiance b-vent model 2600 since 1996. Overall it has been very good. A couple of gas valve replacements, a couple of glass gaskets. Big worry with this stove though is the stainless steel burner top plate has been unavailable for years. The plate has cut outs that direct the flames into a pattern. Those slots deform over time and the plate needs replacing. NLA!

The generation after the 2600 I believe does not have a replacement gas valve available.

View attachment 305454

Thank you for the information! Really appreciate it!

 

[stovelark]

Jotul is not the only MFR who made b-vent stoves (we sold Jotul and Hearthstone B-vent models) but I'd say Jotul is probably the best b-vents that I've seen. The B-vent Sterling by Hearthstone was a real heater, but they are 20-30 years old now. Jotul still produces the Allagash and Sebago B-vent models, so used ones are more readily available.