First timer---question about brand, setup, etc...

[Cville4]

I've been a huge fan of wood burning stoves for many years; everything from their look, functionality, energy/cost savings, etc. really has appealed to me, and I'm finally in a position to buy one of my own. I'm in the process of purchasing a second home (1300 SF) in the Poconos of Pennsylvania, and after some search I've narrowed it down to a Jotul F45 Greenville. I've heard great things about the Jotul brand, plus I really like the look of their stoves (especially the F45), so again that's the direction I'm leaning towards.

With that said, if there are any concerns with this brand/model that I'm not aware of, I'd appreciate any feedback overall. Also, I'm a bit nervous that the F45 is rated to 1500 s.f., in which I might be pushing things a bit regarding whether it can consistently heat the home, but family/friends have told me that its better to go with a stove that is rated right up to your home s.f. than to buy one that will be too big, as you'll encounter all sorts of problems with such a setup (home too hot, burning the stove at temps too low, etc.) The home itself features one large, two story living room with open kitchen just off to the side, along with three small bedrooms (one downstairs, two up). The stove itself will be placed in the corner of the main living room (near the stairs leading to the two upstairs bedrooms), so I'm guessing the house setup should be perfect for a stove.

Any input, comments or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance...

 

[begreen]

Whether the stove will be a satisfactory fit is going to depend on several variables the most important of which are the insulation and tightness of the home. Is the stove going to be for occasional use as a chill chaser or 24/7 all winter?

 

[Cville4]

Whether the stove will be a satisfactory fit is going to depend on several variables the most important of which are the insulation and tightness of the home. Is the stove going to be for occasional use as a chill chaser or 24/7 all winter?

The insulation/tightness of the home is great, as there is plenty of weatherstipping throughout, including attic covers and such, and solid insulation in the attic. We'll be sure to address any further improvements that might be needed soon. This is a vacation home, so the stove will be more for occasional use than 24/7 type stuff. This is one of the main reasons why I'm considering cast iron over soapstone, as I'd like to be able to heat the home as quickly as possible when needed.

 

[begreen]

The F45 is a cast iron jacketed, steel stove. If you are going for quick heating you will want a more radiant stove like the Jotul F500.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Quick heating may require an oversized stove also depending on how warm the structure is when you start heating it up. This morning you could be walking into a house that is -5F or so. You are going to need a lot of heat fast to warm it up quickly.

 

[Cville4]

The F45 is a cast iron jacketed, steel stove. If you are going for quick heating you will want a more radiant stove like the Jotul F500.

I wasn't aware that steel stoves weren't as radiant or quick heating as cast iron stoves; only that soapstone takes longer, if not much longer to throw heat. I assume there is quite a noticeable difference between steel/cast iron, correct?

...Now I'm glad I came here first before buying. You all are giving me some things to think about..

 

[shoot-straight]

welcome!

i would look for something in the 2 ft firebox range. the guys are right, steel really heats up quick. add a blower and they can warm areas even quicker. i much prefer the look of cast or stone over steel. our stove is the focal point of our largest room, so looks are almost as important as function. additionally, if you havent burned a new EPA stove before, start gathering wood now! they need truly dry wood to produce the heat you expect.

best of luck in your search.

 

[lml999]

Congratulations on the purchase of the second home. That's a beautiful part of the world.

Unless you are planning on spending time there cutting and splitting your own wood, plan on purchasing three years worth of wood now. Then buy a year or two's worth of wood every year. That way, in a couple of years you will have accumulated a good "bank" of properly seasoned wood!

 

[begreen]

I wasn't aware that steel stoves weren't as radiant or quick heating as cast iron stoves; only that soapstone takes longer, if not much longer to throw heat. I assume there is quite a noticeable difference between steel/cast iron, correct?

...Now I'm glad I came here first before buying. You all are giving me some things to think about..

Steel stoves are very radiant, when unjacketed. The F45 has a cast iron jacket with an air space surrounding the steel stove. You best bet will be something unshielded, but with the caveat that an unshielded stove will have greater clearance requirements. In steel, take a look at the TrueNorth TN19 without the optional side shields or the Englander 13NC.

 

[Cville4]

Steel stoves are very radiant, when unjacketed. The F45 has a cast iron jacket with an air space surrounding the steel stove. You best bet will be something unshielded, but with the caveat that an unshielded stove will have greater clearance requirements. In steel, take a look at the TrueNorth TN19 without the optional side shields or the Englander 13NC.

Just how noticeable is the difference between a steel and jacketed stove (such as the F45) in terms of time needed to throw heat? Are we talking substantial, such as an hour or more, or fairly negligible? I'm really set on the F45 as it just looks so much better than the other steel stoves I've looked at. Plus we're renovating the home so we want the stove to look as attractive as possible.

With that said, I don't want to have to wait around for several hours for it to start heating the home either, so if that's the case with the F45, I probably need to look elsewhere.

 

[begreen]

The radiant heat difference is quite noticeable. A highly radiant stove will feel warmer much quicker and it will warm up cold walls and furniture around it quicker. The downside is a bit larger temp swings felt throughout the burn cycle. If radiant heat is the goal, I would look at the Jotul F500 instead or maybe a Morso 3610 or Hearthstone Shelburne?

 

[Cville4]

The radiant heat difference is quite noticeable. If radiant heat is the goal, I would look at the Jotul F500 instead or maybe a Morso 3610?

The Jotul F500 is a cast iron stove, so wouldn't that take even longer to heat a home than the F45? Apologies for my confusion here. My main goal is something that can heat a house fairly quickly while still looking attractive (unlike some steel stoves I've looked at).

 

[begreen]

It is not the material in this case, it is the way the stove is constructed.

You appear to have your heart set on one stove. Go ahead and get it. If there is a main heating system keeping the place warm while unoccupied then it won't take that long for the furnace and stove to warm the place up, depending on what the thermostat is set to. If you want more heat, get the Rangeley.

 

[Cville4]

Not at all actually. Don't get me wrong, I really like the F45, but I also need a stove that's going to be most practical for my needs as well. In fact, when push comes to shove, I'll choose functionality over appearance, without question. As mentioned above you all have given me a lot to think about, which I really appreciate. Thanks for your recommendations and I'll certainly look into them.

 

[Seriesnuns]

I've been using the 45 all winter. My house is 1200 sf. The stove takes off pretty well. From cold I can get the stove to 600 degrees in 15 min. It'll warmed my downstairs today from 60 to 68 in 3 hours. It's also 10 degrees out with negative wind chills and my house has no insulation.

The stove will throw and hold heat well. Im constantly keeping coals after 12 hours.

I've also been burning mostly maple and beech this winter.