Mr. Kelly said:
I'm so thoroughly impressed that you guys are taking time out of your day to help research this dilemma. Thank you.
It's all about paying it forward . . . all of us here have learned and continue to learn because of this site . . . we're just hoping to help others in the same way . . . and in some cases hoping we can prevent folks from making similar mistakes or to get ahead of the game.
I went to the dealer today. First, he seemed to not be too impressed with the Lopi Endeavor, and seemed to want to steer me toward the Jotul Oslo. More on that in a bit.
I like the Jotul line up . . . but I also think the Lopis are fantastic stoves as well . . . it often seems that dealers tend to steer folks to one brand or another based on their own preference, stock, etc. My advice . . . pick what you want and need.
This fellow, who says he's been in the business for years, says that the EPA standards are becoming insanely rigid, and many clearance requirements are about to change again, to be more rigid. He said that he's never seen an inspector ever measure ceiling height, and he was befuddled that the height requirement for Lopi was 84", considering that the Jotul Oslo requirement (with heatshield on the wall behind) was less than 70". I suspect other units may follow this trend. For some reason, Lopi seems very low with their height clearance.
First off, EPA guidelines would not have anything to do with clearance requirements . . . clearance guidelines are set by the manufacturer (unless the woodstove is not listed which would then have to fall under the 211 code.)
Second, the dealer is right. I've never measured ceiling height (I have done so with clearances to walls) . . . and would do so with an alcove. However, that said, I would still want to follow the manufacturer's specs to the letter . . . again, perhaps a call in to Lopi explaining your situation might result in an easy fix or they might tell you that the measurement would be from the floor to the ceiling.
He was grumbling that he's never heard of a stove fire that was caused by drywall catching on fire, in all the years he's been selling stoves.
Gotta say, I've never heard of any stove catching the drywall on fire . . . but that said, drywall is generally covered in paper and is usually painted and those two things have the potential to catch on fire. . . .
So, they had heat shields there that I could put on the ceiling, if necessary, for about 100 bucks. The Lopi info doesn't even say how much surface area I'd need to cover on the ceiling, although it presumably would be the surface area of the minimum clearance measurements of an alcove, as stated in the manual.
Me, I would still have the dealer check with Lopi to be absolutely sure that the only way of getting around this is with a shield on the ceiling . . . if the company comes back saying a heat shield is necessary I would either look at another make/model or buy the heat shield . . . peace of mind is a good thing . . . following manufacturer specs for an install is a necessity.
As far as many of you recommending to just simply buy another stove... well, there's several things that come to mind... First, I haven't been impressed enough with anything else I've seen in any local dealership (and I've been to many), and I am impressed with what I've seen, so far, with Lopi stoves, including their construction and their price structure. They have "stripped down" versions of their steel boxes that seem quite practical, and fairly well built. I know I'll take some heat from Jotul fans, but I wasn't hugely impressed with the construction of the Oslo (at least the one in the showroom), particularly the way the door latches to the box. That's a whole other thread, though!
Whoa there Mr. Kelly . . . now you're talking smack about my beloved Jotul. I'll give you that Lopis are built tough, but I would wager you a cord of my finest wood that Jotuls are built just as tough . . . do a search of the Oslo and see what "problems" or how many negative reports there are . . . and I would guess that very few if any of those negatives have to do with the door latch or reliablity of the Jotul line up. In fact, I like the door latch . . . if the door is shutting too hard or there is too much play you can easily change this in 3 seconds with an Allen wrench.
In fact, I think the few negatives I see with the Jotul time and time again is the front door dumping ash on to the lip and hearth when it is open (an inconvenience to be sure, but not one of those make-or-break things for me) and the perpetually sticking air control lever . . . which was fixed in some cases when a defective part was noticed and in other cases a cheap $1.50 tube of graphite powder can resolve the problem.
Oh Mr. Kelly . . . if you like the Lopi, fine . . . but take another look at the Jotul . . . or for that matter one of the many other fine stoves out there and ask folks who are actually using these stoves for the good, the bad and the ugly . . . we'll tell you what we like and dislike about our stoves . . . we're biased to be sure, but we're also a painfully honest bunch.
Next step, talk to the local building inspector, and hear what he has to say about low ceiling clearances.
Good idea . . . but I would still adhere to the manufacturer specs regardless of what the inspector says. . . .
Meanwhile, said stove installation project is taking a nap. Nighty, night.
Cheers
!
