Can anyone identify this stove?

[chrisrappl]

I built a new home in the early 90s and installed this stove which I bought from a friend who's wife would not let him put it in their new home. I think it was purchased in Holland, NY.

I am now in the process of trying to decide on a stove to install in my present home and the more I read, the more confused I get.

I really liked this stove. If I remember correctly it was soapstone, had a side door for loading, an easy ash removal system and the glass stayed pretty clean.

I'm sure that stove technology has progressed since then, but maybe if I can identify the manufacturer, I can find a current model.

Thanks

 

[webby3650]

It's a Hearthstone. Maybe an H1? I'm Not to up on old models though so I can't say the model for sure.

 

[begreen]

Hard to be sure from this picture but it looks like a single front door. With that stone pattern I'm going to guess it's a Hearthstone H2. The H1 is larger and has 5 smaller stones across the top front face and double front doors.

Hearthstone is still in business making good soapstone and cast iron stoves. How large a space would the new stove be heating?

 

[chrisrappl]

It had a single front door which I didn't use very much. I loaded the wood through the side door.

My current application:

2700 Sq Ft Raised Ranch in Raleigh, NC

The stove will go on an inside wall in the living room in the center of the house. The living room (270 sq ft) is open to the kitchen, front hall (which connects to the bedroom hallway) and the stairs to the second floor. 1st floor is about 1,600 sq ft, 2nd floor is about 1,100 sq ft. (only about half is open from the stairs).

My plan is to place a stove fairly close to the wall so that it doesn't extend out into the living room too much. There will be nothing on ether side of it. I will build a factory chimney assembly (probably DuraTech) through the first floor ceiling(square ceiling support box with shroud), through the 2nd floor (1 hr fire rated enclosed), through the second floor ceiling into the attic space (firestop radiation shield / attic insulation shield and out the roof near the peak.

This should give me a good drafting assembly since it is in the center of the house and is inside the whole way.

I have read everything I could find posted about choosing the right stove and have read all of the reviews on this site. Every time I think I have a stove picked out, I learn something else and then am not so sure.

My plan is to come home after working outside and have a warm fire for a few hours. Since my home is all electric, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if the heat pumps didn't have to run so much, especially in colder weather when the strip heat might come on to supplement the compressor.

Raleigh is pretty mild, but this past winter there were many nights when I wished I had a stove, so my plan is to have it installed and ready for next winter.

I have about 2.5 full cords of oak, maple and pear cut, split, stacked and covered since last spring.

Right now I think I'm leaning towards the Osburn Matrix with the soapstone panels and a blower, but I don't know. I do like the way it looks, think the fire box may be large enough for my use, and the rear clearance with double wall stove pipe is about 6".

I like the idea of getting a Buck stove since they are made close by and I might even be able to pick one up at the factory in Spruce Pine, but their rear clearance is a bit of a mystery to me.

I'm willing to pay a decent price to get a good stove that will perform well, be a joy to operate and last as long as I will. I'll be retiring in a few years and am looking forward to cutting wood and sitting around a fire

 

[begreen]

Some stoves are better shielded or more convective than others. Better shielding and less side and rear radiance help reduce clearances. I would consider a ~3 cu ft convective stove with a lot of mass. That has worked very well for us in our house in a milder climate. Some stoves will allow a clearance reduction if there is an NFPA 211 protecting wall behind it. This needs to be clearly specified in the stove documentation to be possible. Lopi and Pacific Energy make good stoves with close clearances. A mid-sized Buck should also do the job, the decision there will be cat or non-cat.

FWIW, Osburn makes good stoves. The Matrix is like the PE Neo series and the Regency Alterra. Good looking but with a serious functional flaw, no ash lip. That means much more frequent ash and ember spilling onto the hearth.

PS: My personal preference is for a stove with a squarish firebox. This allows more loading options and with N/S loading eliminates any logs rolling up against the glass.

 

[chrisrappl]

I had a few concerns with the Matrix. No ash lip was one. The other concern was the plug in the fire brick for ash removal. It might just be easier to shovel out the ashes from the fire box. But I'm sure it is a good stove and it looks real nice with the soapstone panels. I just learned about the Quadra-Fire 3100 Limited Edition. It is the same design of stove over storage but it does have an ash lip and the stove itself (3100) is a pretty well proven design. The fire box is kind of small and might be a concern. I think it is designed for N to S loading with 16" wood. Since I'll be cutting my own wood, 16" won't be a problem. It is designed to allow you to place your own 12" ceramic tiles in the sides. This would be pretty neat to use the same tile on the stove as I use for the hearth pad.