Best wood stove for me?

[yhbae]

I've read all the articles that were recommended to read before posting, plus I've been lurking in this forum for a while, but I still can't figure out what I need. My needs are not quite the same as it is for most people.


We plan to purchase a land (most likely with lots of live trees) early next year and build a small (1200 sqft) bungalow in it without a basement. It will be located north of Peterborough, Ontario (only slightly warmer than Minneapolis).

It will have a propane based central heating but we'd like to use wood as much as possible.

We are looking for a stove that works in the following criteria:

- Open space of roughly 500 sqft. This is living, dining and kitchen rooms combined. Ceiling will be 9ft if that matters.
- The house will have multiple large south facing windows with appropriate overhangs for cutting off summer sun. All insulation (inc. windows) will be above Ontario's required standards. I'm still debating how much money I want to spend into extra insulation beyond what's required.
- Much of the trees are softwood in this region. Although we will probably buy some high quality aged wood, we will probably try to burn as much of our own stuff possible. We expect that we will need to clean the chimney more frequently than usual. We will also plant trees that will eventually give us better firewood.
- Looking for a way to also transfer heat into other rooms of the house. I could build ducts within the insulated envelope and locate duct intake above the stove, but from what I have read, this approach works 50/50. In the worst case, we will use a small fan on the floor to manage the heat distribution.

I believe that poor quality wood doesn't work well in catalytic stoves so that may be out.

Given this, how much BTU do I need? Also, what type/brand stove would work best for me? We are expected to live in this house for 25+ years so we don't mind investing into some quality.

Thank you!

 

[snaple4]

How many btuh you need depends on how your house is built, which Cardinal direction it faces, how many and how big the windows are, the height and size of overhangs, what type of ground cover in front of the windows, the color of your roof.... Lots of things go into accounting (properly) what your hourly heat requirements are. The HVAC company that installs your heat system should be able to provide you one.

HVAC return above stove is against code. If designed a certain way it will move heat around the house but still unsafe. Better idea is to have returns in cold bedrooms and push that air into stove room. This could be done easily with in-line duct fans. More expensive ones are quieter and adjustable.

mare you planning on being home a lot or gone for longperiods of the day?

two of the more pushed brands are Blaze king and Woodstock. What brands do the dealers carry that are near you? As long as the wood isn’t wet, full of metal, or isn’t rotten then a cat stove should work just fine on soft wood.

 

[jetsam]

- Looking for a way to also transfer heat into other rooms of the house. I could build ducts within the insulated envelope and locate duct intake above the stove, but from what I have read, this approach works 50/50. In the worst case, we will use a small fan on the floor to manage the heat distribution.

If your draft reverses and you have a HVAC intake above the stove, you are pumping carbon monoxide directly into your bedroom. Not suggested (also against code for the above reason).

My best suggestion with new construction is to put the stove at ground level in a big open central room with large openings instead of narrow doorways. The more open that stove room is to the rest of the house, the less you will need to worry about moving air.

I believe that poor quality wood doesn't work well in catalytic stoves so that may be out.

People do like to say that. It is absolutely untrue for my stove, happily. Bear in mind that there is some truth to the idea that people who don't know anything about stoves are better off with a stove that doesn't have a low setting. They can burn wet wood and sweep once a year and have far less chances of running into trouble than if they did have a stove that burned low. But saying that a car with brakes is no good because you can make it go slower is pretty disingenuous.

At any rate, you should have decent wood after the first year.

Given this, how much BTU do I need? Also, what type/brand stove would work best for me? We are expected to live in this house for 25+ years so we don't mind investing into some quality.
Thank you!

If I was in your shoes, I'd already have picked a BK King, though I might be the only one to say that. It gets overlooked because it is a "big" stove- but it turns way down and can burn a load for days with decent wood.

 

[bholler]

If your draft reverses and you have a HVAC intake above the stove, you are pumping carbon monoxide directly into your bedroom. Not suggested (also against code for the above reason).

My best suggestion with new construction is to put the stove at ground level in a big open central room with large openings instead of narrow doorways. The more open that stove room is to the rest of the house, the less you will need to worry about moving air.



People do like to say that. It is absolutely untrue for my stove, happily. Bear in mind that there is some truth to the idea that people who don't know anything about stoves are better off with a stove that doesn't have a low setting. They can burn wet wood and sweep once a year and have far less chances of running into trouble than if they did have a stove that burned low.

At any rate, you should have decent wood after the first year



If I was in your shoes, I'd already have picked a BK King, though I might be the only one to say that. It gets overlooked because it is a "big" stove- but it turns way down and can burn a load for days with decent wood.

A king in 1200 sqft? Why spend the extra money for a huge stove and 8" chimney. Not to mention having to look at a king when any number of smaller stoves will work very well?

 

[jetsam]

A king in 1200 sqft? Why spend the extra money for a huge stove and 8" chimney. Not to mention having to look at a king when any number of smaller stoves will work very well?

See, I didn't mention you by name, but I thought of you.

I'd be all over the King for low heat output and loading once every couple days, though he would want to do small hot loads the.first year with the wet wood.

Your weird fashion thing where certain stoves don't look purty enough isn't shared by everyone.

Still, "King" is not going to be a popular answer in this thread, I'll give you that.

 

[bholler]

See, I didn't mention you by name, but I thought of you.

I'd be all over the King for low heat output and loading once every couple days, though he would want to do small hot loads the.first year with the wet wood.

Your weird fashion thing where certain stoves don't look purty enough isn't shared by everyone.

Still, "King" is not going to be a popular answer in this thread, I'll give you that.

It is not a weird fashion thing. It is not wanting a stove that ignores just about every visual design principle there is sitting where I have to look at it every day.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

A king in 1200 sqft? Why spend the extra money for a huge stove and 8" chimney. Not to mention having to look at a king when any number of smaller stoves will work very well?

Right on , some of their smaller stoves are much better looking. And a better fit for a small space.

 

[bholler]

Right on , some of their smaller stoves are much better looking. And a better fit for a small space.

Absolutely. They make some very good looking stoves that would work very well in the space and not require an 8" chimney

 

[bholler]

There are also many stoves available from other manufacturers both cat and noncat that would work well also. It depends upon what is important to them

 

[yhbae]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

- 80% of the windows will be facing south.
- Some windows will be quite big. We do want some nature in our daily views, after living within crowded Toronto most of our lives.
- Length of the overhang will be just enough to cover most of the summer sunlight. This house will receive winter sun, but from what I hear, this area gets a lot of cloudy winter days. Nothing like passive solar though - the floow will be low maintenance wood or laminate.
- Ground cover will be mostly perennial flower garden, at least towards south.

I don't want to break any code, so I'm going to throw out that intake idea. That inline duct idea is interesting!

One thing I forgot to mention, we will be vacant from this property during Jan/Feb and March - going south! (We will probably stay home more as we age over time). I guess the best option is to set the thermostat to 10C (50F) and go away? But outside those months, we are going to be at home most of the time, actively working on the gardens, etc. December is pretty cold too, sometimes reaching below -25C (-13F).

Propane in this area is really expensive though, hence another reason to bump up the insulation.

Getting back to the stove - still not sure what fits the best. Get a large one and burn slowly or get a small one and burn fast? Ideally, we'd like to burn overnight (is that dangerous?). Don't really want to pay for propane if I can help it.

So if I'm reading this right, the cat stove still could work for my situation? Also, do I need to clean the chimney just once a year or more often?

And finally, any suggestion on some decent brands?

Thanks again!

 

[begreen]

Insulate and seal very well and design the plumbing for full & easy drainage. Put RV toilet antifreeze in the sink traps and toilet. A power outage during a polar express while you are away could create a real mess.

If the place is very well insulated with triple-pane glass you will be able to get away fine with a smaller stove. Do you have a particular style that will fit best, contemporary, traditional? Or will a black box work fine?

 

[carg3]

The OP used the term "envelope". If it's a true envelope house as I understand the concept, it's basically two exterior walls, with offset studs, both insulated. Never built one, but they were popular north of the border for a time. I remember reading that they were too tight, with less than desirable air exchange, and people were getting sick. Wouldn't that be a perfect candidate for an outside air kit, regardless of stove choice?

 

[bholler]

The OP used the term "envelope". If it's a true envelope house as I understand the concept, it's basically two exterior walls, with offset studs, both insulated. Never built one, but they were popular north of the border for a time. I remember reading that they were too tight, with less than desirable air exchange, and people were getting sick. Wouldn't that be a perfect candidate for an outside air kit, regardless of stove choice?

Any decently built new construction should be tight enough that it would require outside air

 

[begreen]

The OP used the term "envelope". If it's a true envelope house as I understand the concept, it's basically two exterior walls, with offset studs, both insulated. Never built one, but they were popular north of the border for a time. I remember reading that they were too tight, with less than desirable air exchange, and people were getting sick. Wouldn't that be a perfect candidate for an outside air kit, regardless of stove choice?

My brother in law built his house in the early 80s with staggered 2x4 construction and a well-sealed vapor barrier. They have not had this issue. The house is amazingly easy to heat. They only use about 2 cords of wood a year in NY state.

 

[carg3]

That's where I'm at, upstate NY (which begins WELL north of the city). Didn't know anyone built them in these parts. I can see a code officer scratching his head and wandering off perplexed. Do they have an air exchanger?

 

[bholler]

That's where I'm at, upstate NY (which begins WELL north of the city). Didn't know anyone built them in these parts. I can see a code officer scratching his head and wandering off perplexed. Do they have an air exchanger?

I have seen a few here in pa.

 

[yhbae]

My wife loves watching fire burn. I suppose something that looks classic with plenty of window space in front would be nice.

This house will need ERV for air exchange as the house will be pretty air tight.

That is an important point about losing power while we are away. Need to mention that to the contractor.

So given all of the above, if this was your situation, which stove would YOU get?

 

[carg3]

It was well ahead of it's time., as code dictates tighter and tighter, but when I left the home building trade two years ago, there was talk of mandatory air exchangers or whole house fans. Don't know if they did it, but it seemed contrary, not to mention expensive for the buyer. There was also talk of mandatory sprinklers in single family homes, but someone came to their senses. Building codes can be a curious thing.

 

[bholler]

It was well ahead of it's time., as code dictates tighter and tighter, but when I left the home building trade two years ago, there was talk of mandatory air exchangers or whole house fans. Don't know if they did it, but it seemed contrary, not to mention expensive for the buyer. There was also talk of mandatory sprinklers in single family homes, but someone came to their senses. Building codes can be a curious thing.

Sprinklers in residential construction was a great idea. I don't know why they caved on that so easily.

 

[carg3]

Sorry, didn't mean to get off topic on your thread. I defer to the experts.

 

[happycamper]

Right on , some of their smaller stoves are much better looking. And a better fit for a small space.

you need a Regency xl wood stove

 

[bholler]

you need a Regency xl wood stove

What is a regency xl?

 

[happycamper]

I've read all the articles that were recommended to read before posting, plus I've been lurking in this forum for a while, but I still can't figure out what I need. My needs are not quite the same as it is for most people.


We plan to purchase a land (most likely with lots of live trees) early next year and build a small (1200 sqft) bungalow in it without a basement. It will be located north of Peterborough, Ontario (only slightly warmer than Minneapolis).

It will have a propane based central heating but we'd like to use wood as much as possible.

We are looking for a stove that works in the following criteria:

- Open space of roughly 500 sqft. This is living, dining and kitchen rooms combined. Ceiling will be 9ft if that matters.
- The house will have multiple large south facing windows with appropriate overhangs for cutting off summer sun. All insulation (inc. windows) will be above Ontario's required standards. I'm still debating how much money I want to spend into extra insulation beyond what's required.
- Much of the trees are softwood in this region. Although we will probably buy some high quality aged wood, we will probably try to burn as much of our own stuff possible. We expect that we will need to clean the chimney more frequently than usual. We will also plant trees that will eventually give us better firewood.
- Looking for a way to also transfer heat into other rooms of the house. I could build ducts within the insulated envelope and locate duct intake above the stove, but from what I have read, this approach works 50/50. In the worst case, we will use a small fan on the floor to manage the heat distribution.

I believe that poor quality wood doesn't work well in catalytic stoves so that may be out.

Given this, how much BTU do I need? Also, what type/brand stove would work best for me? We are expected to live in this house for 25+ years so we don't mind investing into some quality.

Thank you!

Recency xL wood stove
very good stoves
can put vee pcs of wood in them burn time
for long burn

 

[bholler]

Recency xL wood stove
very good stoves
can put vee pcs of wood in them burn time
for long burn

Again what is the regency xl? Are you referring to the 5100/5200?

 

[happycamper]

Again what is the regency xl? Are you referring to the 5100/5200?
[/QUOTe
im taking a bought the largest stove regency makes
the XL model F5100
www.regency-fire.com