I have settled on the Drolet Deco Nano for this year, reasoning:
- $2k less than the Fireview (factoring in the rebate), and I don't want to commit to a 3k wood stove right now
- Fits better on the existing hearth pad
- Won't be as damaged by less seasoned wood
- Doesn't need the chimney to be as tall - 12' at sea level, I currently have 14' from the stove top, so I'll try it as is and extend if necessary
We may be really annoyed by the short burn times by the end of the season. If that's the case, we have plans to make a 500 sq ft barn on the property into a rentable living space, so we can transfer the Drolet into the barn and buy the Fireview next year.
After some more investigation into the insulation and heat loss of the house and potential energy generated by the solar greenhouse, I believe we will only need about 32k BTUs on the coldest day/night of the year (assuming cloudy, no solar gain), and more like 20k on an average January day. That is to heat the whole house, not just the main living room, and we'll be doing some special wiring on the propane heater so it only runs the fan most of the time, to circulate air in the house. The greenhouse will also have duct work running straight to the heater, so heat from the greenhouse can be circulated as well, using the pre-existing central air system.
