Good day. My house was built in 1969, and is quite drafty. (Approx. 1100 sq. ft., bungalow) Located in a more northern part of Canada, it makes the house quite chilly in the winter. I'm currently renovating my basement (wide open) and plan on having a wood stove installed down there as well. (I can run the stove pipe vertical, through the main floor and attic). In the winter when I'm at home, I will spend most of the time in the basement, and would like to have a stove with long burn times to at least add supplement heat. In my area, there's a lot of Birch and Tamarack, which is great. So here goes:
A local dealer recommended the Regency hybrid 2500, or a BK. I like the idea of a catalytic stove or hybrid and was leaning towards the Regency. However, looking at a Hearthstone, they do offer longer burn times. (20hours approx. compared to 12 with the Regency) Naturally, advertised times are under optimal conditions. That being said, - assuming it's the same sized firebox - does that mean I would need far less wood with a Hearthstone over the long term? Does anyone have any real-world burn times? If that's the case, then isn't it a better choice to go with the Hearthstone?
The upfront costs are greater, but would eventually pay off. Or does anyone have other stove suggestions? Also, is a cast iron stove much better than steel? (Was looking at Woodstock Soapstone as well, I believe they are steel). I have access to plenty of Spruce, pretty much free, is that ok to burn in a catalytic stove if seasoned? Bottom line, I don't mind paying more for a quality product if it's going to save me money in the end and perform well. I can harvest my own wood at times (but not this year), so occasionally will have to purchase some. Thank you in advance for your help!
A local dealer recommended the Regency hybrid 2500, or a BK. I like the idea of a catalytic stove or hybrid and was leaning towards the Regency. However, looking at a Hearthstone, they do offer longer burn times. (20hours approx. compared to 12 with the Regency) Naturally, advertised times are under optimal conditions. That being said, - assuming it's the same sized firebox - does that mean I would need far less wood with a Hearthstone over the long term? Does anyone have any real-world burn times? If that's the case, then isn't it a better choice to go with the Hearthstone?
The upfront costs are greater, but would eventually pay off. Or does anyone have other stove suggestions? Also, is a cast iron stove much better than steel? (Was looking at Woodstock Soapstone as well, I believe they are steel). I have access to plenty of Spruce, pretty much free, is that ok to burn in a catalytic stove if seasoned? Bottom line, I don't mind paying more for a quality product if it's going to save me money in the end and perform well. I can harvest my own wood at times (but not this year), so occasionally will have to purchase some. Thank you in advance for your help!