Cannot find exactly what I need

[Robert Fuller]

We had a Vermont Castings Defiant circa 1975. 3 times now I have apparently not built fires properly because I caused warps and cracks. The latest crack to appear is in the top of stove where it joins the flue.

We need to replace this but I have specific needs because we use it to heat the house. I have a forced air furnace blower directly next to where the stove used to sit, so ducting is not a problem.

1. Need to be able to heat up to 2500 sq ft of 1959 vintage home with NO WALL INSULATION. The old VC Defiant did an admirable job while we had it, so size wise that worked.

2. DO NOT need glass or decorative embellishments because it is located in a furnace room in basement.

3. Prefer brick lined so if I mess up with the fire again at least I can replace the brick instead of having to replace the whole unit.

4. It needs to be able to pull combustion air directly from the outside. I have a window 4 feet from the location so this is no problem. However, for safety I want the combustion to be sealed off from the room. We had an issue where combustion gasses were being pulled out of stove thru the vents on the old Defiant and do not want to fill the house with smoke again.

5. Needs to burn plain wood. Not corn, not pellets, just plain wood. I have a wood shop and harvest my own trees for lumber. The scraps end up in the wood stove.

Any recommendations are welcome. We have looked at a US Stove model 1557M but this appears to pull combustion air from in the room instead of from outside.

 

[webby3650]

Most new stoves have an option that allows combustion air to be drawn from outside. Since you had a Defiant I assume you have an 8" chimney? Have you considered a wood furnace? There are several out there that are very efficient. http://www.psg-distribution.com/index-en.aspx

If you want to go with a stove, then a Blaze King King model would fit the bill. Super long burn times, a truly set it and forget it stove! And they offer a solid door, no glass if that's what you like. (broken link removed to http://www.blazeking.com/EN/wood-king.html)

 

[BKVP]

Most new stoves have an option that allows combustion air to be drawn from outside. Since you had a Defiant I assume you have an 8" chimney? Have you considered a wood furnace? There are several out there that are very efficient. http://www.psg-distribution.com/index-en.aspx

If you want to go with a stove, then a Blaze King King model would fit the bill. Super long burn times, a truly set it and forget it stove! And they offer a solid door, no glass if that's what you like. (broken link removed to http://www.blazeking.com/EN/wood-king.html)

The Blaze King's have the benefit of direct connection to the firebox. However, the fresh air venting cannot rise above the the height of the firebox...just an FYI based upon OP's original post.

Chris

 

[Grisu]

Hello Robert,

Welcome to the forum. Your wishes are actually not that outrageous. What you want is a large stove that throws some serious heat and preferentially connects to an 8-inch pipe, correct? Webby already pointed you to the BK King, certainly a good choice for your application. Then there is the Kuma Sequoia: http://kumastoves.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=15 or the Hearthstone Equinox although that one is probably too "good-looking" for your needs. (broken link removed to http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/store/wood-products/wood-stoves/equinox)
A recently released stove is the Regency F5100: http://www.regency-fire.com/Products/Wood/Wood-Stoves/F5100.aspx
There is also the Buck 94NC: (broken link removed to https://www.buckstove.com/model-94nc.html#.UoLp3kDCH7I)

All of those stoves have a very large firebox of more than 3 cu ft and should have no problem to replace your Defiant. However, they are not necessarily cheap. If you are on a budget you can try the Englander NC-30. Not quite as big as the others mentioned, it has a 3 cu ft firebox and is a very capable heater with lots of satisfied owners here. It can be found for $900 at HomeDepot and other hardware stores and is therefore a lot cheaper than any of the other stoves. However, it us usually run with an 6-inch flue, not sure if it is possible to connect it to an 8-inch one. The forum member Stoveguy2esw sells them so you can write him a private message to ask about that.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

I'd be concerned why the VC was damaged so badly. Overfiring? Might want to consider something close to bullet proof to avoid any future overheating concerns.

 

[mliiiwit]

Do you kiln dry the lumber you're burning? I've read that it is easy to over-fire a stove when burning kiln-dried lumber. Not sure how likely that is, but with a lot less moisture to burn off, a lot less heat energy is lost to stove-drying the wood. I have a supply of kiln dried furniture grade lumber millwork trimmings that I use - most of which is 1"x1" or smaller oak, maple & other good hardwoods) as kindling because it starts fast and burns hot. Based on using it as kindling, I can believe that over-firing is possible if an entire load of kiln-dried were burnt without extra precaution and foreknowledge of the risk.

 

[Robert Fuller]

I'd be concerned why the VC was damaged so badly. Overfiring? Might want to consider something close to bullet proof to avoid any future overheating concerns.

See my requirement 3 in original post. I am sure this was caused by my improper operation of the stove so I am looking for a material that will be more forgiving or at least less expensive to replace.

 

[Robert Fuller]

Do you kiln dry the lumber you're burning? I've read that it is easy to over-fire a stove when burning kiln-dried lumber. Not sure how likely that is, but with a lot less moisture to burn off, a lot less heat energy is lost to stove-drying the wood. I have a supply of kiln dried furniture grade lumber millwork trimmings that I use - most of which is 1"x1" or smaller oak, maple & other good hardwoods) as kindling because it starts fast and burns hot. Based on using it as kindling, I can believe that over-firing is possible if an entire load of kiln-dried were burnt without extra precaution and foreknowledge of the risk.

No, almost all the wood I burn is just air dried. After milling a log, the scraps are stacked in driveway till I can cut them (and split if needed). Sometimes it takes me a year or more to get around to this, and then after stacking I let the wood air dry another season before using.

Most if not all the damage was caused by over firing, and that probably resulted from me loading the stove with too much wood so it will burn longer. I suspect that having such a huge load of wood caused it to build up a really hot fire during the night but by morning it had burned itself out to just a couple embers. The automatic draft regulator was also probably set too wide.

 

[Grisu]

See my requirement 3 in original post. I am sure this was caused by my improper operation of the stove so I am looking for a material that will be more forgiving or at least less expensive to replace.

Not sure if you will have much luck with that requirement. All modern stoves are lined with firebricks but those are there more for heat retention not as an easy replacement after an overfire. No matter which stove you get, they are steel boxes. If you overfire them, you will crack them. Stay here and you will soon know how to operate a modern EPA-stove properly. You will be rewarded by plenty of heat, low wood consumption and safe operation.

 

[Jags]

The Defiant may have done an amiable job of heating, but you were overfireing the stove to get the job done (as you admitted). Consider something with MORE firepower so that the unit does not need to be overfired. It really does sound like a job for a wood furnace or the largest of stoves that you can get your hands on (BKK).

 

[Robert Fuller]

Hello Robert,

Welcome to the forum. Your wishes are actually not that outrageous. What you want is a large stove that throws some serious heat and preferentially connects to an 8-inch pipe, correct? Webby already pointed you to the BK King, certainly a good choice for your application. Then there is the Kuma Sequoia: http://kumastoves.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=15 or the Hearthstone Equinox although that one is probably too "good-looking" for your needs. (broken link removed to http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/store/wood-products/wood-stoves/equinox)
A recently released stove is the Regency F5100: http://www.regency-fire.com/Products/Wood/Wood-Stoves/F5100.aspx
There is also the Buck 94NC: (broken link removed to https://www.buckstove.com/model-94nc.html#.UoLp3kDCH7I)

All of those stoves have a very large firebox of more than 3 cu ft and should have no problem to replace your Defiant. However, they are not necessarily cheap. If you are on a budget you can try the Englander NC-30. Not quite as big as the others mentioned, it has a 3 cu ft firebox and is a very capable heater with lots of satisfied owners here. It can be found for $900 at HomeDepot and other hardware stores and is therefore a lot cheaper than any of the other stoves. However, it us usually run with an 6-inch flue, not sure if it is possible to connect it to an 8-inch one. The forum member Stoveguy2esw sells them so you can write him a private message to ask about that.

Lots of helpful info Grisu. Budget is a concern, which is why we are looking at the US Stove model 1557M wood furnace. List on that is $1399. I have looked at the stoves carried by HD online but the local stores do not have any display models. The Englander model you mention does not state in specs if it is lined with firebrick (I hope it is) so I am wary of purchasing that model. I would prefer something that I can connect directly to the existing duct/blower, which is literally 40" above and 28" to the left of where the top of the old Defiant used to sit.

I will try to connect with Stoveguy2esw to see if he can offer any helpful tips.

 

[begreen]

If this is in a residence and not the basement, get the Englander 30NC. Yes it is firebrick lined. No you can not connect this or any other wood stove to a ducting system. You would need a wood furnace for that. Mechanical code says that any wood stove must be at least 10ft away from the return grille.

 

[Robert Fuller]

I have decided on the Englander 28-3500 wood furnace. Based on the code requirements mentioned in previous post, and based on the sizing suggestions made in other posts, this model (and price) best fit my needs.

Thank you all for the helpful info!

Now, is there anybody near Coatesville, PA that is willing to help me carry this beast into the house?

LOL

 

[begreen]

Sounds good. Keep us posted.