Burn Rate Question

[hydestone]

I am considering replacing my Jotul 602 with a large (or extra large) Dutch West stove. My wife is concerned we will burn through too much wood, the house will be too warm, and thinks we do not need a stove that big. I agree on the conserving wood part but I would love to wake up to a nice bed of coals in the morning instead of relighting each day before work or avoid running to the basement to trim a 1/2" off a 17" log on my chop saw so that it will fit inside the stove. My questions are:

Will I actually burn through more wood?
Can I damp down the stove and let it burn without my living room pushing 90 deg F?

Any other concerns with using a much larger stove than I probably need for the space?

 

[Martin Strand III]

I like a bigger stove, by 1/3 to 1/2, over that recommended by the dealer or mfg. Here's why.

Early and late season, when it's not blustery and you don't need all that heat, you DECREASE THE FUEL LOAD and burn it hot. You'll save wood this way and burn clean compared to filling the large firebox and chocking down the air.

When the snow flies and the thermometer drops, INCREASE THE FUEL LOAD and still burn it hot. Being oversized, you'll enjoy being warm on those occasional subzero days and nights where a smaller stove just doesn't have the punch.

It's simple and has worked for me for many years.

Aye,
Marty

 

[begreen]

Hard to say without knowing more about the house, location and current stove setup. You probably will go through more wood, but how much more depends on how used to continuous comfort you get . Going from the 602 to a large CDW stove is a big hop. There are inbetween sized stoves that might do a great job at long burns, yet work well in a smaller home, so tell us a bit more about the task at hand.