Poindexter
Minister of Fire
Couple data points. We got our new chimney installed summer 2013 for about $5k parts and labor. OPs quote on post one quotes parts only. As far as the install goes when we mentioned to our insurance agent our chimney was professionally installed "local reputable dealer" our homeowner's premium went up one dollar per week. I have no idea how much our premium would have gone up had I chosen to DIY the chimney install. In May 2014 we paid right near $4200 for an Ashford 30.0 with fan kit, and I think $200 and two pizza's to the three men from the store who dollied the fool thing up my staircase.
A reputable installer will only charge you for the chimney parts they actually install in your home and credit back the pieces on the estimate they don't actually use.
NB: After Honolulu, Fairbanks routinely has the second highest cost of living in the USA.
The parts only quote looks good to me, but I personally would prefer the one time price of pro install to the eternal likely higher home owner's premium.
My old stove was a similar sized EPA cert non cat, circa Y2K, that would burn down a box full of splits in 3-4 hours depending on where the user controls were set. It was basically either blazing or on the verge of melting. I am confident from reading here non-cat stoves have made good gains since Y2K, but I have never operated a more recent model.
I am one of the users here who does run my Ashford wide open throttle in deep winter in the north half of Alaska. If my stove makes it to May 2023 it will be nine years old, and I have no expectation that it will fail more or less ever. However, I do run it at lower settings. In mid to late August when I first lit it, into mid October or so, I was running 24 hour burns with birch at whatever thermostat setting gave me 24 hour burns. Since mid October we have been "in the 20s", that is to say my daytime high is rarely above +20dF and my overnight lows are rarely below -20dF. In the 20s. Probably four months of the year around here. I am running 2 burns, 12 hours each, spruce, no problem. When it gets colder, I will add a third burn per day at wide open throttle. When my daytime highs rarely exceed -42dF I will be beating on this stove like a redheaded stepchild, again, and the Ashford 30 will keep coming back for more.
I don't feel I have enough information to say the A30 would or would not be a good fit for the OP. Most likely it would be a good fit, however: 1. I haven't seen the R value on the windows. 2. The insulation envelope is described as "good" which is a meaningless term in this situation and 3. I am only modestly familiar with the climate in PA, with the bay near Philadelphia likely significantly more mild than the lake effect snow area over by Erie.
If someone chooses to start a thread about coaling stage in the modern wood stove and fireplace section I will be happy to share my thoughts there, they are not relevant here.
A reputable installer will only charge you for the chimney parts they actually install in your home and credit back the pieces on the estimate they don't actually use.
NB: After Honolulu, Fairbanks routinely has the second highest cost of living in the USA.
The parts only quote looks good to me, but I personally would prefer the one time price of pro install to the eternal likely higher home owner's premium.
My old stove was a similar sized EPA cert non cat, circa Y2K, that would burn down a box full of splits in 3-4 hours depending on where the user controls were set. It was basically either blazing or on the verge of melting. I am confident from reading here non-cat stoves have made good gains since Y2K, but I have never operated a more recent model.
I am one of the users here who does run my Ashford wide open throttle in deep winter in the north half of Alaska. If my stove makes it to May 2023 it will be nine years old, and I have no expectation that it will fail more or less ever. However, I do run it at lower settings. In mid to late August when I first lit it, into mid October or so, I was running 24 hour burns with birch at whatever thermostat setting gave me 24 hour burns. Since mid October we have been "in the 20s", that is to say my daytime high is rarely above +20dF and my overnight lows are rarely below -20dF. In the 20s. Probably four months of the year around here. I am running 2 burns, 12 hours each, spruce, no problem. When it gets colder, I will add a third burn per day at wide open throttle. When my daytime highs rarely exceed -42dF I will be beating on this stove like a redheaded stepchild, again, and the Ashford 30 will keep coming back for more.
I don't feel I have enough information to say the A30 would or would not be a good fit for the OP. Most likely it would be a good fit, however: 1. I haven't seen the R value on the windows. 2. The insulation envelope is described as "good" which is a meaningless term in this situation and 3. I am only modestly familiar with the climate in PA, with the bay near Philadelphia likely significantly more mild than the lake effect snow area over by Erie.
If someone chooses to start a thread about coaling stage in the modern wood stove and fireplace section I will be happy to share my thoughts there, they are not relevant here.
