Buying a new stove would like some feedback

[1RadCJ]

Hi, I am buying a new stove for my brand new house and I am looking for ideas from the experts. First off my house is a 3000 SqFt cape in central MA. I designed and built it (didn't nail every board but did nail many) myself so I know every square inch and can provide any info needed. I am going to put the stove on the 1800 Sqft first floor in the 20X18 family room with 9 ft ceilings, the first floor is an open concept and I am aiming to heat the whole floor. I currently have propane forced hot air and want to take as much load off that as possible.

I have burned a VC Vigilant for many years and in my opinion the new VC Defiant is a beautiful stove that I would love to have in my house. However I am not sure that I trust the new VC's for reliability and many here are not exactly jumping up and down recommending them. My house is something of a replica 1780 New England cape with wide pine floors, pine timber frame beams, etc. so the stove's appearance is very important and we would like something along the lines of the defiant. I recently saw the Quadrafire Isle Royale and that is a fine looking stove and gets good reviews, are there any others that I am missing that fit the visual appeal of the VC and the functionality of the Quadrafire? Also am I short changing the new Defiants? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[begreen]

Welcome. Is there a floor above the 1800 sq ft floor? The Quad IR is a great stove and a good choice.

 

[firefighterjake]

Lots of folks like the Quad IR . . . if you're looking for some well regarded stoves with similar looks you may also look at Pacific Energy's line up and Jotul. Some folks also would recommend the stone look with Woodstock and Hearthstone being the two biggest manufacturers of soapstone stoves.

 

[Jags]

Lots of purty stoves out there. I would be looking at big stoves for sure. The quad IR is a fine stove at 3.0 cuft. A very solid performer. I would be looking at that size or up, if it were me.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Lots of folks like the Quad IR . . . if you're looking for some well regarded stoves with similar looks you may also look at Pacific Energy's line up and Jotul. Some folks also would recommend the stone look with Woodstock and Hearthstone being the two biggest manufacturers of soapstone stoves.

Agreed.

Also, skip VC all together. They might be good this year, they might not be, but one thing you can count on: they will be over priced

 

[1RadCJ]

Thanks for the replies. Yes there is a floor above that is roughly the same size and there is a an attached garage with a room over that as well. When you add the SqFt of the room over the garage the house touches close to 3700 SqFt but I that room is separate from everything and not over the main part of the house.

I agree the VC's are way expensive.

One other thing I wanted to mention was I really do not think I want a catalytic stove as they seem to require maintenance not needed with non-cat stoves. I am willing to forgo some additional heat from the cat if it means less maintenance. If I am being hardheaded on this point let me know, I am not an expert on cat stoves. Also the stove will be in the room where we sit and watch TV so if I expect to heat the whole first floor can I expect some times we will be blasted out of the room when the stove is really roaring - like with my old Vig?

 

[Jags]

Don't let cat maintenance scare you off. In general it should be a once or twice per season task. Some stoves easier than others. If your first floor 1800 sqft is open you won't get blasted out. The key is the ability to move the air.

 

[rideau]

Don't know how you are framed, but that is a big house for pine beams and joists. If you get a large cast iron or soapstone stove, be aware of your weight loads. You may want to put a support in the basement under the stoves. I know I needed Doug Fir beams and joists to meet code with my 16 foot span.

 

[Sunfish]

In your shoes I'd be looking hard at the larger Jotul stoves. I had a problematic high maintenance VC and was glad to get rid of it 6 years ago!

 

[1RadCJ]

Don't let cat maintenance scare you off. In general it should be a once or twice per season task. Some stoves easier than others. If your first floor 1800 sqft is open you won't get blasted out. The key is the ability to move the air.

My father has a cat stove and he loves it but just had to replace the cat @ over $200. He has a DW. With cat stoves it is real important that the wood be seasoned properly correct? Not that I burn a lot of unseasoned wood but sometimes the oak that I burn is not 100% seasoned. As far as moving the air has anyone ever talked about using the forced air furnace fan to move the air? I can turn just the fan on in my furnace and there is a return in the room the stove will be.

Don't know how you are framed, but that is a big house for pine beams and joists. If you get a large cast iron or soapstone stove, be aware of your weight loads. You may want to put a support in the basement under the stoves. I know I needed Doug Fir beams and joists to meet code with my 16 foot span.

When I was doing the drawings for the house I spent many nights running load calcs on different wood species to get the right support without hundreds of beams. This house is more of a hybrid than a true P&B in that the first floor is traditional 2X10 on reinforced tripled up 2X12 girts, the second floor is supported by the post and beams so you get the look on the first floor with the more open concept. The house has a center Chimney and large fireplace (not where the stove is going) and is not 100% open as there are some partition walls but is more open than most houses. BTW the beams are Doug Fir.

In your shoes I'd be looking hard at the larger Jotul stoves. I had a problematic high maintenance VC and was glad to get rid of it 6 years ago!

Thanks I have looked at the Jotul's and I am not sure I am crazy about the look. I have not ruled them out but there are at a few stoves ahead of it on the list. I want that old school New England look in the stove which VC does well. It is a shame about VC as I really want to like them but I need reliability too.

 

[Jags]

As far as moving the air has anyone ever talked about using the forced air furnace fan to move the air? I can turn just the fan on in my furnace and there is a return in the room the stove will be.

Yep - don't plan on that working well. Many have tried, few have succeeded. And yes, a cat replacement is probably gonna be somewhere around 5 year intervals if treated properly. Maybe longer.

 

[Ashful]

Jotul Firelight. It's the only reliable big stove on the market that's anywhere near as beautiful as that Defiant for which you lust. They look at home in my 1770's home.

Never seen a 3000 sq ft 1780's cape with an open floor plan. Must be an interesting reproduction. Got photos?

 

[begreen]

This is a big house. You are going to want at least a 3 cu ft stove, maybe even 2 stoves. If you want cast iron, take a look at the following:

6" vented cast iron:

• Jotul F600
• Quadrafire Isle Royale
• Hearthstone Mansfield (new)
  
• Lopi Cape Cod (new)

6" vented steel, cast iron jacketed

• Pacific Energy T6
• Jotul F55 Carrabasett

Also consider:
6" vented soapstone

• Heartstone Mansfield

8" vented soapstone

• Hearthstone Equinox

8" steel and very large

• Blaze King King Ultra
• Kuma Sequoia

 

[begreen]

Jotul Firelight. It's the only reliable big stove on the market that's anywhere near as beautiful as that Defiant for which you lust.

The Quadrafire Isle Royale is beautiful, very reliable and 3 cu ft. The Hearthstone Manchester is also beautiful and big. Though this stove is a new model the Bennington it replaced was a solid performer.

 

[Sunfish]

Thanks I have looked at the Jotul's and I am not sure I am crazy about the look. I have not ruled them out but there are at a few stoves ahead of it on the list. I want that old school New England look in the stove which VC does well. It is a shame about VC as I really want to like them but I need reliability too.

I bought the VC we had in the late 90s'. Loved 'the look', but they still had a good rep as far as I knew then. The Jotul has been Much better! & I always thought they looked similar?

 

[1RadCJ]

I bought the VC we had in the late 90s'. Loved 'the look', but they still had a good rep as far as I knew then. The Jotul has been Much better! & I always thought they looked similar?

Jotul Firelight. It's the only reliable big stove on the market that's anywhere near as beautiful as that Defiant for which you lust. They look at home in my 1770's home.

Never seen a 3000 sq ft 1780's cape with an open floor plan. Must be an interesting reproduction. Got photos?

I took another look at them on the website and you guys are correct they are very nice looking stoves and I will now definitely consider them as an option. I feel like the store that I went to that had Jotul on display did not have these models on the floor. These are very similar to the VC look. I'm glad I asked otherwise I may have completely missed these models.

I will post a couple pics of the house after work I don't have them on my work PC. It is a big house but still has the warmth of a cape style house particularly with the post and beam. But it costs a lot to heat!

 

[1RadCJ]

This is a big house. You are going to want at least a 3 cu ft stove, maybe 2 stoves. If you want cast iron, take a look at the following:

6" vented cast iron:

• Jotul F600
• Quadrafire Isle Royale
• Hearthstone Mansfield (new)
  
• Lopi Cape Cod (new)

6" vented steel, cast iron jacketed

• Pacific Energy T6
• Jotul F55 Carrabasett

Also consider:
6" vented soapstone

• Heartstone Mansfield

8" vented soapstone

• Hearthstone Equinox

8" steel and very large

• Blaze King King Ultra
• Kuma Sequoia

There are a few here I have not seen yet but I will certainly look into. Thanks.

 

[Ashful]

I took another look at them on the website and you guys are correct they are very nice looking stoves and I will now definitely consider them as an option. I feel like the store that I went to that had Jotul on display did not have these models on the floor. These are very similar to the VC look. I'm glad I asked otherwise I may have completely missed these models.

I will post a couple pics of the house after work I don't have them on my work PC. It is a big house but still has the warmth of a cape style house particularly with the post and beam. But it costs a lot to heat!

I am familiar with that problem. The prior owner of this house was using roughly 1500 gal. oil plus 500 gal. propane to heat this place, every year. We cut that down very drastically with two wood stoves.

I suspect your local dealer may have shown you the F50 or F55, both more art-deco to modern stoves, not as traditional as the F600. I also like the styling PE stoves, but do think the Jotul is just marginally closer to the VC Defiant you had already mentioned.