Considering a steel or soapstone stove install

[skookumchuck]

Currently I heat my home with a central propane furnace. The main floor is approximately 1365 square feet. To cut down on the propane use and provide a steadier heat source, I am considering installing a wood stove in the living room. The living room is a relatively open area with the kitchen and dining room. From the living room, there's a hallway to the three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Taking the advice many have offered, I plan to purchase a stove from a reputable local dealer so I have future service if needed. They sell Lopi and Hearthstone. The Endeavor caught my eye, as did the Heritage. I realize there are big differences there between a steel and soapstone stove in terms of heat-up time, etc. I am trying to determine which will better suit my needs.

I live in central Montana, so we can get fairly cold. Down at -20 tonight as a matter of fact. Not always that bad but you get the idea. My wife and children are home during the day so the stove would be going most of the time. I would love it if the heat could make it back to the bedroom portion, though I realize that effect may be limited.

Curious if anyone has experience with a similar size house and floor plan, and has insights into the pros and cons of these stoves. I welcome any thoughts and appreciate this forum tremendously. I have already learned a lot!

 

[aansorge]

Lopi stoves are solid. Hearthstone seems to have a few more issues but with a good dealer you should be fine.

The lopi should provide solid 6 hour burn times with plenty of coals for a restart after 8 to 10 hours.

 

[skookumchuck]

Without just swallowing the marketing stuff in the brochures, I'm trying to get a sense if the fireboxes are large enough (2.2 cubic ft and 2.3 cubic ft) for my purposes. Given my location, I wont be burning hard woods. Pine and fir mainly, as they are abundant and relatively inexpensive here.

 

[Tenn Dave]

You are doing yourself a big disservice if you don't consider Woodstock Soapstone Stoves. They sell direct to the consumer and are known for having one of the best Customer Service Departments in the industry. Also, their stoves are extremely well made and seldom need repairs. Do yourself a favor and do some research on them - you might be very pleasantly surprised !

 

[aansorge]

Without just swallowing the marketing stuff in the brochures, I'm trying to get a sense if the fireboxes are large enough (2.2 cubic ft and 2.3 cubic ft) for my purposes. Given my location, I wont be burning hard woods. Pine and fir mainly, as they are abundant and relatively inexpensive here.

Yes, good point. A blaze king chinook 30 or woodstock ideal steel or progess may be a better move with softwoods.

 

[begreen]

There's lots of options. Take your time and remember that what you will most commonly hear is my stove is the best. The Lopi Endeavor is an excellent stove with a long track record. In Hearthstone I would also consider the Mansfield for the extra capacity.

 

[Tenn Dave]

There's lots of options. Take your time and remember that what you will most commonly hear is my stove is the best. The Lopi Endeavor is an excellent stove with a long track record. In Hearthstone I would also consider the Mansfield for the extra capacity.

Some brands have higher customer satisfaction and a better reliability history then other brands. Decide what attributes are most important to you, and do some research. This forum is an excellent source of information, but don't limit yourself to a single source. There are other forums and sources out there. Good luck with your search.

 

[branchburner]

I realize there are big differences there between a steel and soapstone stove in terms of heat-up time, etc.

Welome to the forums. The bigger differences to consider in your decision are going to be in firebox size and burn technology. A larger firebox and/or catalytic combustor will give longer burn times.

The firebox sizes you mention would be sufficient,but I wouldn't go any smaller. If you go bigger, a cat will give you more control over heat output. I would consider the Woodstock Ideal Steel. But if you want to shop local, between the two brands mentioned I would prefer Lopi. What others do they stock?

 

[Tenn Dave]

Check out the post from 'webbie' entitled "Read before posting or answering "Which new stove to buy?"

 

[prezes13]

If I was in your shoes I think I would go with as big catalytic stove as my budget would allow. If money and the esthetics are not a big concern I think I would take a bk king. If aesthetics are concern ashford from bk would be my choice.

 

[skookumchuck]

Check out the post from 'webbie' entitled "Read before posting or answering "Which new stove to buy?"

Tenn Dave, thanks for the link. I did read that before posting, and I found it very helpful. Still, I wanted to throw out some things I'm chewing on and get people's input. When it comes to big purchases like this, I like to hear from people who have more experience than I do.

 

[skookumchuck]

Welome to the forums. The bigger differences to consider in your decision are going to be in firebox size and burn technology. A larger firebox and/or catalytic combustor will give longer burn times.

The firebox sizes you mention would be sufficient,but I wouldn't go any smaller. If you go bigger, a cat will give you more control over heat output. I would consider the Woodstock Ideal Steel. But if you want to shop local, between the two brands mentioned I would prefer Lopi. What others do they stock?

That's interesting. Whenever I bring up a cat, I get such a strong reaction! Most folks I have spoken with (stove users around here) are opposed to them. Just goes to show so much of this is tied to individual preference and needs. Still, you've given me something to think about.

 

[SteveKG]

I had never had a catalytic stove, either, until a year ago. I wasn't opposed to them or anything, though back in the day I heard the horror stories. My reason was that I had threes stoves working just fine, and there was no real reason to spend the money and effort to replace any of them. Fast forward to now, and I decided to cycle out my oldest beast. I went with a Woodstock, after much research, and will never look back. I, too, have pine and some spruce to burn, and that's it. No hardwoods here. Though I haven't seen anything about my stoves, any of them, that would preclude using any type of firewood. I have been running the cat' stove now for this current winter, and within a week of using it, I had it down pat. The two main things I really appreciate about the cat' is that I am seeing much less wood go into the stove to keep the house at the same comfort level. I cannot give you a percentage or anything, but suffice it to say I am using at least a third less wood during a winter that is, so far, pretty darned cold. It's -12 F. right now and forecast to be -20 tonight. I do have an airtight cookstove and an older RAIS stove that I also use, and they do great but are using more wood than my new Woodstock.

The other benefit to the new stove is that it holds and gives off heat much longer than my old-technology stove ever did. That old stove would put out all the heat one could want, but after the fire burned out, the stove cooled down to room temp. pretty quickly. This new stove stays too warm to touch for several hours after the fire is gone.

The reason I decided the catalytic system was safe to try was reading this forum regarding how much the technology has advanced in the past couple decades. I have only used the Woodstock product, but from what everyone is saying, the new cat stoves, whichever brand, are real performers and there is nothing negative about the technology.

 

[johnstra]

If you want your new stove to be your primary heat with and your furnace only used for backup, I recommend a big cat stove. It's awfully nice reloading at 12 or 24-hour intervals. If the stove is more for living room comfort and aesthetics, then consider a Hearthstone Mansfield. It's a beautiful stove a really good heater. The stone requires some ramp-up time to get it up to temp, but once it's cruising it can be a work horse. I wouldn't trade my King, but I do miss the Mansfield.

 

[byQ]

To save on shipping if you go that route buy a wood stove out of season. I think Woodstock does free shipping in the summer. I'm next door in Idaho. If you are in central Montana you must be near Livingston. There is a Tulikivi Masonry Heater store there in Livingston, Montana. I called them once - they seemed pretty knowledgable, than I saw the prices ............ouch!

It seems most houses in your area are the large open styles, log cabin like - great for a masonry heater. Anyways, masonry heaters are more expensive but I've noticed Tulikivi is building some cheaper hybrid types that are smaller and crank out the heat faster, but don't stay as hot as long.

 

[rideau]

I have heated solely with wood for over ten years now. First with a Woodstock FIreview, then with a Woodstock Progress Hybrid. Great customer service, available and willing to help at any time. The stoves require little maintenance, local store for service is not a necessity.

The story about soapstone taking longer to heat is a myth, other than first startup fire of the season if you are trying to bring a 40 degree home to 70 degrees quickly, or ditto for an occasional use winter home. I f you are using the stove 24/7, the fire in a Woodstock is in bypass mode (cat engaged) within ten minutes with the Progress hybrid, for instance.
It is putting out a lot of heat at that point. If you have let your previous fire burn down to coals and the house cool off 5 or 6 degrees, then the stove may take half an hour to get the house back to the previous temp. Not a negative consideration in buying a stove, in my opinion.

The only trick with soapstone is not to build a raging fire in a stone cold stove that has not been lit for an extended period of time...the rapid evaporation of the moisture that has gotten into the stone can in some circumstances cause a crack. So, first fire after an extended period of no fire, build a small fire and let it go out. Then you are good to go.

The stoves are very easy to run..a few fires and you'll be comfortable using the stove. Fine tuning, adjusting for temps and wood varieties, load size etc can be fun and keep you interested for a long time, trying to optimize burn time and heat output, minimize wood usage. But you can light these stoves, have them shut down for operation within a very short time, and not look at them again until reload in an easy 12 hours.

I'm sure this is true for many, many cat stoves.

No reason to avoid a cat.

 

[Stump shot]

I'm heating about the same square footage as you. With the weather we are having I need to load the Ashford every 12 hours. Most of December it was loaded every 24 hours. I mostly burn Fir and Lodgepole.

 

[skookumchuck]

I'm heating about the same square footage as you. With the weather we are having I need to load the Ashford every 12 hours. Most of December it was loaded every 24 hours. I mostly burn Fir and Lodgepole.

Woke up to -15 this morning. My wife -- again -- said how much she wants a wood stove! We have a good furnace but nothing compares with wood heat, especially in our part of the country.

 

[1kzwoman]

I have heated solely with wood for over ten years now. First with a Woodstock FIreview, then with a Woodstock Progress Hybrid. Great customer service, available and willing to help at any time. The stoves require little maintenance, local store for service is not a necessity.

The story about soapstone taking longer to heat is a myth, other than first startup fire of the season if you are trying to bring a 40 degree home to 70 degrees quickly, or ditto for an occasional use winter home. I f you are using the stove 24/7, the fire in a Woodstock is in bypass mode (cat engaged) within ten minutes with the Progress hybrid, for instance.
It is putting out a lot of heat at that point. If you have let your previous fire burn down to coals and the house cool off 5 or 6 degrees, then the stove may take half an hour to get the house back to the previous temp. Not a negative consideration in buying a stove, in my opinion.

The only trick with soapstone is not to build a raging fire in a stone cold stove that has not been lit for an extended period of time...the rapid evaporation of the moisture that has gotten into the stone can in some circumstances cause a crack. So, first fire after an extended period of no fire, build a small fire and let it go out. Then you are good to go.

The stoves are very easy to run..a few fires and you'll be comfortable using the stove. Fine tuning, adjusting for temps and wood varieties, load size etc can be fun and keep you interested for a long time, trying to optimize burn time and heat output, minimize wood usage. But you can light these stoves, have them shut down for operation within a very short time, and not look at them again until reload in an easy 12 hours.

I'm sure this is true for many, many cat stoves.

No reason to avoid a cat.

Pine burns hot and "fast" I like the look of soapstone but decided on steel , I'll never get maximum burn time because I live in west biting DRY pine

 

[shoot-straight]

i had a hearthstone pheonix. i now have a bk ashford. here is my advice. my hearthstone took a while to heat up, and liked to be run HOT for it to burn clean. i simply did not have the heat control that my BK has. and i was burning oak and higher BTU woods. i simply love lower btu woods in my ashford. my ashford has a bigger firebox, but doesnt nessarily put out gobs more heat. it just does it for a longer time.

my suggestion is to go with a an ashford or similar. it may seem oversized, but again, the heat control is great and its ability to cleanly burn softwoods is far superior.

 

[Uncle]

I have heated solely with wood for over ten years now. First with a Woodstock FIreview, then with a Woodstock Progress Hybrid. Great customer service, available and willing to help at any time. The stoves require little maintenance, local store for service is not a necessity.

The story about soapstone taking longer to heat is a myth, other than first startup fire of the season if you are trying to bring a 40 degree home to 70 degrees quickly, or ditto for an occasional use winter home.

I am considering a Hearthstone Clyde. Should I be concerned with soapstone about being a weekend burner along with a few nights during the week?

 

[begreen]

The Clydesdale will do fine with that burning cycle.

 

[rideau]

No...as begreen said. You are not bringing a cold house up to temp, but switching heat sources for an already warm home. Soapstone stove puts out plenty of heat, won't have any trouble maintaining a temp, or bringing the temp up ten degrees or so. But, raising the temp of a larger home from a cold 40 to a warm 70 takes a few hours with a soapstone stove.

 

[Tenn Dave]

I am considering a Hearthstone Clyde. Should I be concerned with soapstone about being a weekend burner along with a few nights during the week?

While I have never owned a Hearthstone, I do have a soapstone stove, and my experience has been that the stone takes a little longer to warm up, but heat pours out of the glass window as soon as any other stove. And once the rock does warm up it feels oh so good. Enjoy. (love the Jersey shore)

 

[skookumchuck]

While I have never owned a Hearthstone, I do have a soapstone stove, and my experience has been that the stone takes a little longer to warm up, but heat pours out of the glass window as soon as any other stove. And once the rock does warm up it feels oh so good. Enjoy. (love the Jersey shore)

Tenn Dave, talking to someone locally who has a Hearthstone stove as a secondary heat source in his mountain cabin, he mentioned that it's a different kind of heat than a steel stove, but he loves it. He has an open floor plan and it heats most everything comfortably. Do you have any experience with other stoves that would give you a comparison on how a soapstone stove radiates vs. a steel stove?