Buying a stove next spring/summer, recommendations needed!

[rightnitro]

Hey guys, I live in a 24x36 colonial two floor with basement. I live in Southern NH. I have a big Moe in the basement, 28' chimney. When this thing is fired up, the first floor gets to 76° easily. But, it's a dirty stove (I have to sweep the chimney every year), regardless of how perfectly I burn. My wood is all below 20% moisture, two or three years seasoned oak and maple. Anyways, I want to pick up a new stove, looking to spend $3-4k if needed. I don't want to get into the mechanics of this stove, I want a new one.

I don't need the heat output of this thing, 72° would be fine on the first floor. Looking for something efficient.

Thanks.

 

[all night moe]

I don't need the heat output of this thing, 72° would be fine on the first floor. Looking for something efficient.

BK owners will chime in here.
3...2...1...
Nothing beats the efficiency of a Blaze King.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Tell us about your chimney. Internal or external, metal or masonry, what is it's diameter?

 

[rightnitro]

It is an 8" brick chimney. The chimney is external. House built in '75.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Ok. You'll want to get an insulated liner installed. Newer stoves put much less heat up the flue than the old ones do. A liner will help with draft control and creosote prevention.

 

[rightnitro]

Is that one of those high dollar stainless liners?

 

[Pinesmoke]

Yes, one of those high dollar liners.

I'm not sure what you are expecting out of a new stove as far as sweeping your chimney. I've done that just prior to the season's first fire since I've been burning. Seems.....prudent.

 

[Wildflush]

Insulated liner is also safer retaining heat and produces less creosote when using seasoned wood.

 

[Eman85]

You're still going to have to sweep the chimney every year. How much efficiency do you think you'll gain?

 

[bbc557ci]

Yup, chimney cleaning at least once per year regardless of the stove brand.

 

[begreen]

An insulated liner will help keep flue gases hotter. This in turn reduces creosote accumulation by keeping the flue above the condensation point of creosote.

Before point out some stove options, are the basement walls insulated?

 

[BKVP]

We should always remember too that bit about NFPA 211. According to NFPA 211, when you inspect a masonry chimney, there needs to be a 2" clearance to ALL combustibles for interior wall chimneys and 1" clearance to exterior wall chimneys.

More often than not, this is not practiced by builders. Using a insulated liner will provide the peace of mind and additional safety measures we all want in our homes.

Also, UL1390 is nearly completed. This will be the first standard to be used when installing a solid fuel heater into a masonry chimney. Insulated liners are part of the standard (so far).

BKVP

 

[Pinesmoke]

More often than not, this is not practiced by builders

Your inspectors must not be the pricks ours out here are. I can garrantee a tear down for NFPA fail out here.

 

[BKVP]

Your inspectors must not be the pricks ours out here are. I can garrantee a tear down for NFPA fail out here.

Agreed...so the insulated liner is optimal....

BKVP

 

[rightnitro]

I'm hoping for a night and day increase in efficiency. Are you saying that a brand new blaze King stove, for example, isn't going to save me a ton of wood?

 

[BKVP]

I'll let other chime in on their real world experiences.. those that own a Blaze King. I don't know what you define as a "ton". Most folks realize about a 1/3rd savings versus their old stoves. But this clearly varies user to user.

As is often noted here, the greatest reduction is amount of fuel used is most often achieved but improving the tightness of a home. More insulation, tighter windows etc. The benefit of doing these things is it also help in the summer for those using AC systems.

BKVP

 

[EatenByLimestone]

“Night and day increase in efficiency “ is subjective. Real world results will depend on many factors from the individual stove, flue system, quality of the wood being burnt, and operator’s skill.

A new stove will burn cleaner and transfer more heat to the room, that’s heat not going up the chimney and why you need a liner, but there is only so many btu in a load of wood. Stoves are not magic.

 

[rightnitro]

I mean the home is pretty tight. All new Andersen 400s, 2x6 walls all insulated. Tight doors... Not really much to do in those areas.

The stove is an old hog and I have to believe wood stoves from 40 years ago are nowhere near as good as stoves of today.

 

[BKVP]

I mean the home is pretty tight. All new Andersen 400s, 2x6 walls all insulated. Tight doors... Not really much to do in those areas.

The stove is an old hog and I have to believe wood stoves from 40 years ago are nowhere near as good as stoves of today.

You are correct! I would expect that any modern stove would be light years more efficient than a 40 year old model.

BKVP

 

[Eman85]

The one thing a newer stove allows you to do is burn low and slow without clogging up your chimney. You can burn low and slow with old homemade steel stoves but you obviously create creosote in your chimney and risk a chimney fire. There is only so much heat potential in a piece of burning wood depending on the species and moisture content. Newer stoves are sealed tighter giving better control of temperatures.

 

[BC_Josh]

I think a Temp Cast masonry stove is $7K but my dad has one and they're probably the cleanest stove around, in terms of how often you'll need to clean the chimney (which is typically never). They're beautiful. You build a hot fire in it once or twice a day, then close the damper and the fire bricks emanate the heat all day long. Thing weights two tons but, man, it's a great system. Needs extra footings to stand on too. But, with the cost of a chimney liner and a new stove, maybe this kind of stove would suit you.

 

[Da16652]

Hey guys, I live in a 24x36 colonial two floor with basement. I live in Southern NH. I have a big Moe in the basement, 28' chimney. When this thing is fired up, the first floor gets to 76° easily. But, it's a dirty stove (I have to sweep the chimney every year), regardless of how perfectly I burn. My wood is all below 20% moisture, two or three years seasoned oak and maple. Anyways, I want to pick up a new stove, looking to spend $3-4k if needed. I don't want to get into the mechanics of this stove, I want a new one.

I don't need the heat output of this thing, 72° would be fine on the first floor. Looking for something efficient.

Thanks.

Have you researched Woodstock Soapstone?

 

[begreen]

I'm hoping for a night and day increase in efficiency. Are you saying that a brand new blaze King stove, for example, isn't going to save me a ton of wood?

A good EPA stove can be 20-25% more efficient. So yes, that could end up saving one cord in 4 or 5.

 

[rightnitro]

I have not looked at Woodstock... I'll check them out. Thanks everyone for the info.