I have a 3 story house and the wood stove is on the main floor. Total sq ft for the main floor and 2 bedrooms upstairs is 1800. I like the look of both the cape cod and the BK Ashford 30, trying to figure out which one would work best. My vent us double wall class 'A' pipe approximately 15 feet long. floor plan is open with 8 foot ceilings. Any advice would help, thank you.
Cape Cod or Blaze King Ashford 30?
- Thread starter koconnor
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
- Status
3 story house? 2 story house with a basement or 3 stories above ground? What levels are you trying to heat?
Either stove will heat 1800 sq' if that's all you need to heat. BK get my vote, I owned a Lopi before my BK but the BK wins hands down for a 24/7 heater.
Either stove will heat 1800 sq' if that's all you need to heat. BK get my vote, I owned a Lopi before my BK but the BK wins hands down for a 24/7 heater.
The house was originally 2 stories and they added the bottom level for two bedrooms and the master bedroom. I have a separate furnace for downstairs and looking at adding some other heat source down there in the future. The wood stove is on the main level and will heat that plus two bedrooms upstairs. All three levels are above ground though. Why is your vote for the BK over the Lopi, just curious??
The Cape Cod did not stand up well for webby3650 . Of course that is only one data point and it was an early model, but something to consider. Check to see if they now have a flameshield for the cat.
I have read how the heat shield has warped due to high heat and that was the only downside to the cape cod. I like that it has a nice fire show though vs The BK. How does the thermostat work on the BK on top though and does it open and close on its own or do you have to do it manually?
This is my first wood stove so I'm trying to learn as much as I can over a short period of time. Not sure what a hybrid is over a regular stove. I'm looking for a stove that is going to be stupid friendly, somewhat easy to clean out the ashes and is going to last quite a while. My wife and I like the look of the BK Ashford 30 and the Cape Cod. Is the cat enclosed inside of the stove? What other maintance is required for the BK?
If you are a first time stove owner and looking for simple and easy I would consider the Jotul 55, Enviro Boston 1700 and the PE Alderlea T6.
Do you know how tall the flue would be on this stove? That may also factor in if it's short.
Do you know how tall the flue would be on this stove? That may also factor in if it's short.
I have 8' ceilings and just had the pipe replaced for the flue which is 6" diameter and 15' long to the cap. One picture shows the stove that came with the house when I bought it. The other is where it connects to the flute
Attachments
![[Hearth.com] Cape Cod or Blaze King Ashford 30?](/talk/data/attachments/170/170433-d44438cb4d816dfd4dd680a512b0cefe.jpg?hash=mzBNg0q6Qo)
![[Hearth.com] Cape Cod or Blaze King Ashford 30?](/talk/data/attachments/170/170434-46f93af6c83b8b692e6e90f672a3ddfd.jpg?hash=KdzJsSVFnt)
Isaiah53
Member
I would go with the Ashford 30, unless you are all in for appearances and don't plan to use it a lot. You are in a relatively small house and mild climate. The BK will give you much better control at low fire. My only reservation would be your 15 ft of chimney height which is at the minimum recommended. Several Ashford owners have had issues with smoke smell with marginal draft. If you could add some height it would help.
I originally had my heart set on a Cape Cod for its looks, but my Lopi dealer thought it was much too large for my 1000 ft2 downstairs rec room and bedroom area. When BK came out with the Ashford it was a perfect match for our desire for a cast iron appearance with low turndown. I was also was discouraged by some negative issues on the Cape Cod with regard to mechanical integrity (which was new at the time) that were reported on this site by one experienced stove installer. I believe the Cape Cod is a true cast iron stove, while the Ashford is a steel box stove with cast iron panels to dissipate the heat. I just think the cast iron wrap is is a much better design as cast iron is more difficult to fabricate, does not flex and can be easily cracked from excessive stress. It also eliminates a lot of gasketed joints which are a potential source of air leaks.
Having said that, there are a couple of very satisfied Cape Cod owners on this site, but I would still prefer the BK for turndown. I think the Cape Cod may roast you out of a 900 ft2 floor area. I am very satisfied with my Ashford 30.
I originally had my heart set on a Cape Cod for its looks, but my Lopi dealer thought it was much too large for my 1000 ft2 downstairs rec room and bedroom area. When BK came out with the Ashford it was a perfect match for our desire for a cast iron appearance with low turndown. I was also was discouraged by some negative issues on the Cape Cod with regard to mechanical integrity (which was new at the time) that were reported on this site by one experienced stove installer. I believe the Cape Cod is a true cast iron stove, while the Ashford is a steel box stove with cast iron panels to dissipate the heat. I just think the cast iron wrap is is a much better design as cast iron is more difficult to fabricate, does not flex and can be easily cracked from excessive stress. It also eliminates a lot of gasketed joints which are a potential source of air leaks.
Having said that, there are a couple of very satisfied Cape Cod owners on this site, but I would still prefer the BK for turndown. I think the Cape Cod may roast you out of a 900 ft2 floor area. I am very satisfied with my Ashford 30.
Heftiger
Feeling the Heat
One concern would be that the stove will be run on it's lowest setting most of the time. If so the fire view may be minimal with the BK.
That is a very good thing for me. I'm in Northern Ca also (Auburn) where would you recommend purchasing?
Heftiger
Feeling the Heat
I'm on the other side of the Sierra's, so I'm not familiar with the dealers in your area. I did live in Davis for a while though.
I'd invite you to come look at our install, but it's a 4 hour drive through the recent snow storm. [emoji16]
I want it to heat the house and that is first priority over the fire show. I can always open the damper and let in more air for a fire show. I know it will burn through wood pretty fast though
It snowed all the way down to Colfax, it was very pretty though. Glad I don't live where I would have to shovel snow though. Thank you for the info. I'm leaning towards the BK. It has good looks and it very functional.
Heftiger
Feeling the Heat
The fire show is nice to have, but you'll get over it (we still get a nice fire show every once and a while). I'd trade a fire show for low maintenance any day for a primary heater.
The flue is 15' from where it connects at the ceiling. Just replaced the original pipe. 6" class A pipe
I bought my Cape Cod last year and love it. I was a newbie to the world of Wood Burning stoves and impressed by how easy the Cape cod is to use and how nice it looks in my house. I haven't had a problem with warping and burned 24/7 last winter. It's intended for a 3000' Sqft home, so it'll easily handle you're place. Good luck
Heftiger
Feeling the Heat
![[Hearth.com] Cape Cod or Blaze King Ashford 30?](/talk/data/attachments/170/170446-583b558b43761489c1192adbb80c8171.jpg?hash=SB8GZugnli)
Heftiger
Feeling the Heat
Not sure of the temp and don't use a thermometer but know the tops not hot enough to cook on. This is at a high burn and usually keep it going like this during the daytime hours, adding a log every hour or so, at night I push in the damper and go to a low burn for 8-10 hours. I clean it once a week and vacuum out the converter.
- Status
