Did I Make Complete Blunder Buying This Stove?

[jenniealice]

Rather than researching what I actually need for our house, I fell in love with a wood stove insert and determined to get one and restore it. I finally found a model on Craigslist 4 hours from home, and I paid $300. It's a Country Comfort (I think cc300) behemoth, and once we got it into our garage I set right into polishing all that beautiful brass.

So, we have a spot for it in the house . . . but no chimney.

I thought I could just run a vent up through the ceiling, then build a box surround. Now a friend says no, wood stove inserts are for inserting into an existing fireplace. Yes. I don't know much about these things.Is there anything I can do, or must I sell my beautiful insert and start from scratch?

 

[BrotherBart]

Hate to tell ya this but the neighbor is right. No way to use that big, bad, bay window boy as a free standing stove. Got to go into a masonry fireplace.

For the curious, this is what they look like.

 

[fossil]

Sell it and buy a nice free-standing wood stove. Lots and lots of homework is involved in this pursuit. Welcome to your best place to begin that research. Rick

 

[Grisu]

I vaguely remember that this thing also need a catalyst which is probably shot by now and the company is out of business. Get rid off it and buy a nice freestanding stove if you are really committed to burning wood in the future. People here will be happy to help you select the right stove for your needs and make sure you get a proper chimney installed. Plus, you will need some well seasoned wood whatever stove you may get.

 

[jenniealice]

Thanks you guys.
Well, shoot. I suppose I'll keep prettying it up and put it back on CL while I start doing my homework. I really do love that bay window look with all that brass and black.
This is my first house and I'm determined to have wood. At certain times of the year here the timber properties open up the roads and allow people to make wood for a very small fee; it's practically a cultural tradition. The building codes require that our heating source be something other than wood, so we have an old monitor heater that was gifted to us, but we really just intend to heat the space with a stove. I grew up on wood and I'm just rather stubborn about what I want to have for my house.

Do you guys have any suggestions for a 1500 square foot home (1936 redwood craftsman)? Right now we're insulating. I've caulked all the nooks and crannies, and the fireplace area is centrally located in a 4'x10.5' bumpout; it's a very open floor plan. Another friend and builder mentioned running ducts to move cold air from the portions of the house furthest away.

Lesson learned--I should've asked you guys first.

 

[BrotherBart]

We'll still be here.

 

[firefighterjake]

If you like brass and like viewing windows there are many, many choices with free standing stoves you can look at . . . Napoleons and Regencies come to mind.

 

[fossil]

It's not rocket science, but neither is it elementary nor necessarily intuitive. There's a lot involved in doing it safely. Would you happen to have a sketch of your floorplan, or some pics of where the stove is to live one day?

 

[Paulywalnut]

Do you love it enough to build a masonry fireplace and chimney up the side of your house?
If not try and resell. I don't think you can get parts for it anyway.

 

[jenniealice]

Yes, here is the floor plan. It's a bit hard to see--I took the pic from my phone, but the stove location is the little bumpout at the "top" of the photo which is the south side of the house. The monitor heater is going in the spare bedroom in the lower right section (NW), and the west room that leads off to the deck is a solarium that is a heating source unto itself on sunny days. We have all new insulation above, below, and in the walls; new doors and new windows, so I've hopefully banished all the leaks.

We've got a maritime climate here--no snow and few freezes. I'm looking up those Napoleons and Regencies as per firefighterjake's suggestion.

 

[jenniealice]

Do you love it enough to build a masonry fireplace and chimney up the side of your house?

I've yet to ask what our local place would charge, but as things go on the coast I think they would require both my arms and my legs. We're pretty handy in certain areas (obviously not this one), but I don't think we could build our own chimney. I think I should still ask for an estimate though, so thank you for bringing that up.

 

[Grisu]

For a bay window view look at the Osburn 2200: (broken link removed to http://www.osburn-mfg.com/en/heaters/model-OB02211-description) It has a gold door overlay option. However, ask for some experiences here; I think people had trouble with logs falling out.

If you are looking for something ornamental check out soapstone stoves from Hearthstone and Woodstock.

Maybe the Pacific Energy Spectrum classic would also be an idea? (broken link removed to http://pacificenergy.net/products/wood/stoves/spectrum-classic/)

 

[fossil]

Retrofitting a masonry fireplace and chimney would undoubtedly run into the 5-figures price range. Looks to me like what you have there may just be a perfect little home for a nice free-standing wood burner. Any chance we could see a pic of that location?

 

[Grisu]

That bumpout will probably be judged as an alcove install which requires a 84" ceiling to get enough clearance. Do you have that? Is there already a hearth or do you need to change the floor?

When looking at stoves focus on those that have a firebox size in the 2 to 2.5 cu ft range. Those are medium size stoves which should be plenty for your house. You may even look at some catalytic models as those have a more even heat output and you are less likely to heat you out of the house when it is not that cold. Woodstock, Blazeking and Buck stoves would be the obvious options there.

P.S. I would not consider putting a masonry fireplace and chimney in just to accommodate the country comfort. That insert is ~20 years old and not worth the investment. If you like the look of a fireplace you will be better off and spend less money with a modern, highly efficient zero clearance fireplace like the Napoleon NZ-26, Kozyheat 42 or the RSF Topaz. Here is a picture of the Kozyheat from a member: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/pics-new-install-and-thanks-hearth-com-contributors.117056/

 

[Dix]

That lower right bedroom is gonna be a bear to heat, no matter what ... might want an oil filled radiator or some such in there.

Welcome to the forums !!

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah a masonry chimney starts at twenty grand here. That would buy a lot of years of electric heat. Or a servant ferrying hot water bottles to the bedrooms all night.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

First and foremost, what sort of wood do you intend on using? Are you going to stack 'X' amounts of cordwood to season, or trust a wood seller that "their" wood is seasoned? This information is fairly important, you'll see why in later posts.
I know your area, that coastal fog and high humidity levels will screw with things from Nov.- Feb. The coastal winds don't help much either.
- My two cents-
As others have stated, free standing stove. You're 1500 sq. ft., look for one rated twice that, you can always dial it back for a lower heat output.
You have a lot of options out there. JB

 

[Sprinter]

It sure is a pretty thing, though. I can see why you wanted to put it to use. Not too late, though, and you came to the right place to do something that will work well for you.

FWIW, I favor the free standing stove route.

 

[jenniealice]

First and foremost, what sort of wood do you intend on using?

Yes, we go make wood during the summer which is dry downed oak from the logging company.

That bumpout will probably be judged as an alcove install which requires a 84" ceiling to get enough clearance.

Just checked and yes, but we are going to have to do the floor--tore out (not kidding) 5 layers of flooring to get down to original redwood 2x8

I would not consider putting a masonry fireplace and chimney in just to accommodate the country comfort. That insert is ~20 years old and not worth the investment.

I agree. I don't have an extra $$$$$ laying around on this remodel just because I like the shiny details.

Here is a pic of the alcove (before gutted) and the before and after of the house exterior, just to give an idea.

That lower right bedroom is gonna be a bear to heat, no matter what ... might want an oil filled radiator or some such in there.

Yes, and since my mother already claimed that it's her room when she comes over, it has to be cozy. That's why (I think) the monitor heater--or something--should go in there.

If you like the look of a fireplace you will be better off and spend less money with a modern, highly efficient zero clearance fireplace

Would the Elite 36 from Fireplace Xtrordinair be something to consider? There is a used one from 2004 for sale by owner for $1500 on CL, plus 1/2 a cord thrown in. It's 3.7 cubic feet, so quite a bit larger than recommended. It's not as pretty as the freestanding ones that have been suggested, but we'd still have that fireplace look with a box and stone.

By the way, thank you everyone for being so helpful and knowledgable.

 

[DanCorcoran]

From reading on this site, ductwork is very inefficient in moving stove heat to other parts of the house. Others can provide details.

 

[Nick Mystic]

Be aware that some of the stoves with the bay window design look pretty in the showroom, but once you start burning in them you might be disappointed over how black some of the windows become. I don't have any first hand experience with them, but I can recall a number of posts by people asking how to keep the side bay windows from getting blacked out so quickly when they burn. If you like the idea of clear glass to watch your fire you might want to check the stoves you are considering to see if you will be able to easily reach all the glass panels on the inside for cleaning.

 

[BIGDADDY]

Yeah a masonry chimney starts at twenty grand here. That would buy a lot of years of electric heat. Or a servant ferrying hot water bottles to the bedrooms all night.

A chimney cost $20,000? Is that with a basement and fireplace?

 

[BrotherBart]

A chimney cost $20,000? Is that with a basement and fireplace?

It is with footer and fireplace.

 

[Grisu]

Yes, we go make wood during the summer which is dry downed oak from the logging company.

What do you mean with dry? If it only had been cut down but not split it will probably not be dry. Oak is notoriously slow to season; even in your climate I would give it two years split and stacked in a sunny and windy location before burning it. If you can get your hands on some softwood that should be dry by next winter.

Here is a pic of the alcove (before gutted) and the before and after of the house exterior, just to give an idea.
View attachment 117238

What an adventurous chimney construct.

Would the Elite 36 from Fireplace Xtrordinair be something to consider? There is a used one from 2004 for sale by owner for $1500 on CL, plus 1/2 a cord thrown in. It's 3.7 cubic feet, so quite a bit larger than recommended. It's not as pretty as the freestanding ones that have been suggested, but we'd still have that fireplace look with a box and stone.

Yes, that Elite would be something if you want a fireplace look although it is pretty big for your house. It may need a new catalyst and some other parts so your final cost for the fireplace may be more $2000. Now, I don't want to talk you into a fireplace instead of a stove; just show you what else is out there. The install will be quite more elaborate compared with a stove. Here is a self-install by a member to give you a idea what is involved: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/building-the-hearth-for-my-napoleon-nz3000-what-a-quest.74273/ The end result; however, is certainly worth it. Nevertheless, you may need to look for a different location given the window in your bump-out.

 

[ddddddden]

Would the Elite 36 from Fireplace Xtrordinair be something to consider? There is a used one from 2004 for sale by owner for $1500 on CL, plus 1/2 a cord thrown in. It's 3.7 cubic feet, so quite a bit larger than recommended. It's not as pretty as the freestanding ones that have been suggested, but we'd still have that fireplace look with a box and stone. . .

The stone fireplace is not included with the FireplaceX, so unless you want to get into the $$ masonry work, stick with the freestanding stoves. If you like the stone look, maybe do a nice hearth of cultured stone(like tiles) for a freestander. Building a nice lil' hearth is something you could DIY without a mason.