Englander Madison 01 vs 02 to go big or not

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Pert86

New Member
May 22, 2020
13
Sierra Nevada CA
Hi! We are getting our first wood stove. It’s replacing a Napoleon gas stove. We are going back and forth between the Englander Madison 2000 sq feet 2.4 cubic box or the 2400 square feet with 3.5 cubic foot box. I’m trying to get some opinions on which one to get since we are so new.

about our house; stove will be centrally located in living room. It’s a two story 2100 square foot house with a huge entry way that draws the heat upstairs nicely. We actually added a door to keep all our gas heat from getting sucked up. There are also ceiling fans in every single room or space to move air. The downstairs area is 1300 sq feet with some partial partition walls but no closed off doors. We live in the Sierra Nevada foothills with temps in the 30-50 degrees F during the winter and fall and spring50-60 degrees F
We will be burning oak dried to about 15%

we are hoping to heat the whole house, hoping for low-mid 70s downstairs and high 60s upstairs

im worried the 2400 is overkill but don’t want to get something tosmall either. I’ve read about draft issues on the 2000 and warp issues on the 2400. Have either of those issues been resolved yet?

Any tips or ideas
 
The pros here will chime in, but in my non- pro opinion, with your relatively warm winter temps, a Cat stove ( catalyst) would be good, so you can have a slow burn without cooking yourself out of your house.
 
The Madison SSW01 has been doing well and should be sufficient. The larger SSW02 has had door warpage issues reported by multiple users. If you get one, check that the door face and door are totally flat first. Also, take a look at Drolet's stoves. They offer good value.
 
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The pros here will chime in, but in my non- pro opinion, with your relatively warm winter temps, a Cat stove ( catalyst) would be good, so you can have a slow burn without cooking yourself out of your house.
Unfortunately those break the budget since we need the wrap around heat shield for clearance
 
The Madison SSW01 has been doing well and should be sufficient. The larger SSW02 has had door warpage issues reported by multiple users. If you get one, check that the door face and door are totally flat first. Also, take a look at Drolet's stoves. They offer good value.

I was hoping they’d fixed that problem is there a Drolet you would recommend?
 
I easily heat half of our Sierra foothills 2,700 sqft ranch with the Drolet Escape 1800. It is a well built stove and have had no issues after two seasons. They are a great deal at Home Depot when in stock. Drolet makes larger stoves as well.
 
Yeah I think the 1800 will easily do the job...MFP has a great deal on the nickel door/pedestal model right now too.
 
Yeah I think the 1800 will easily do the job...MFP has a great deal on the nickel door/pedestal model right now too.
Great! I just spent the evening last night researching that exact stove (the escape 1800) we are really leaning toward it now. I can’t tell from the manual though if it has heat shields at all? And the hearth protection doesn’t mention an R value. Does that mean it’s only spark and ember needed???
 
Sounds like the hearth can be ember only to me...do you need a heat shield for reduced clearance? Pages 29-38 deal with install clearances...anything there that appears to not meet your install requirements?
 
The Escape 1800 needs an ember protection only hearth. It has basics side shields.
 
Sounds like the hearth can be ember only to me...do you need a heat shield for reduced clearance? Pages 29-38 deal with install clearances...anything there that appears to not meet your install requirements?

theres nothing to the side of it, so no issues there. I’m mostly thinking about the back wall. It says 6 inches wit double wall pipe. Is that 6 inches from regular dry wall or 6 inches from some kind of protected wall, like tile or brick. We want to put the stove on a granite Slab and have a slab on the wall behind it with a mantel above the slab.
 
That is the minimum clearance to the nearest combustible surface, like drywall. There is no harm to exceeding the minimum. I always try to.
 
I think if our measurements are right, it would be 10ish inches from the granite wall, and The pipe would be 6 inches from the wood mantel. We are building the area from scratch so please do add any suggestions or tips! We are open!
 
The wood mantle controls then. It’s close. Double wall pipe needs 6” between the outside of the pipe and the wood mantle.

People get overly concerned with wall shields. Some misunderstand the benefits of putting them up and think that the shields reduce the required clearances, this is only true on a select few stoves that specify this reduction in their manual. The clearance to combustible surface listed in the stove manual is measured to any combustible surface. Drywall, even wood paneling is fine behind the stove so long as it’s outside this required distance. To be sure, it doesn’t hurt to go above and beyond the requirements with metal, brick, granite but it’s extra.

I own an Englander stove from back when they made them well. I would not buy these new models and would instead look at the value line at Drolet. Englander seems to be having some trouble as a company and it’s too bad.
 
The wood mantle controls then. It’s close. Double wall pipe needs 6” between the outside of the pipe and the wood mantle.

People get overly concerned with wall shields. Some misunderstand the benefits of putting them up and think that the shields reduce the required clearances, this is only true on a select few stoves that specify this reduction in their manual. The clearance to combustible surface listed in the stove manual is measured to any combustible surface. Drywall, even wood paneling is fine behind the stove so long as it’s outside this required distance. To be sure, it doesn’t hurt to go above and beyond the requirements with metal, brick, granite but it’s extra.

I own an Englander stove from back when they made them well. I would not buy these new models and would instead look at the value line at Drolet. Englander seems to be having some trouble as a company and it’s too bad.
Great info, thank you! Do you think we should plan for the mantel to be farther from the pipe? We are having to put the pipe at an angle with a joint to use the existing hole in the ceiling, I think the father we go out the steeper the angle. Worried this effect draft?
 
Have you considered a non-combustible mantel?
 
Great info, thank you! Do you think we should plan for the mantel to be farther from the pipe? We are having to put the pipe at an angle with a joint to use the existing hole in the ceiling, I think the father we go out the steeper the angle. Worried this effect draft?

As long as you have at least 6” (clearance will be on the double wall pipe label) then you’re good.

These noncats you are choosing from aren’t terribly sensitive to draft strength but you’re right that closer to vertical is always better.
 
I haven’t,.. my husband is a woodworker by trade and I imagine would be keen to build one. But I’m open to showing him some!