Hearthstone Heritage question

[bjorn773]

I've been looking for a better stove for my home. I heat with a stove in the basement in a 1100 sq.ft. ranch. I circulate the heat around the basement with a wall mounted fan and upstairs thru the heating ducts via an air intake near the stove. I am more or less using radiant heat in the basement and trying to circulate it.
The system works ok, though with a steel stove, the room that the stove is in gets very warm. Originally, I was looking at the BK Princess for longer low burns. I happenned upon a good deal on a Heritage. I know soapstone takes a while to heat up, but also retains the heat longer. We work full time during the day, so the stove goes 9 hours without a reload.

My thought is perhaps a soapstone that would be fired hot in the early morning hours would keep radiating heat more evenly throughout the day while we are gone than a steel stove. I'm thinking the room temp would not be so spiky. Any thoughts?

 

[Fsappo]

I burn steel, cast iron and soapstone stoves in my showroom and have burned all three styles in my homes. I feel soapstone does make a longer more even heat. It may take a little while longer to heat up, but it's still only a matter of 15 or 20 minutes. I am still of the opinion that a true convection stove is the way to go when trying to heat multiple rooms/levels.

Also, getting an 8-10 hour burn on a Heritage is fairly easy to do.

 

[bjorn773]

I guess I'm still a little gray on the convection stoves. As fas as I can tell, they put a better "duct" in the stove to run air through to pull heat off the stove. Unless this can be directed toward the rooms you are trying to heat, how would it be better than just radiant heat and good circulation? It seems for my application, an add on furnace would be the only way to direct the heat to the upstairs via the ductwork. We enjoy the ambiance of a fire, so that is not an option. The more even heat of soapstone sounds good, maybe I'm trying to convince myself becaus it's a good deal.

 

[Wet1]

I think you're going to be extremely upset when you get home after being out of the house for 9 hours! You know that additional 15 minutes it took to heat the soapstone stove during the first part of the burn? Well, that's about what you're going to get on the back end... Soapstone does retain heat longer than steel, but not all that much longer. And the Heritage is not known for its long burns to begin with, so even though you might be able to "get a deal on one", I think you'll be getting the shaft in the long run after reading how you want to use it. If you want long even burns, you had the right idea with the BKP.

 

[bjorn773]

Thanks, that's the beauty of this site. I can get lots of info BEFORE I buy something. I appreciate the input.

 

[Todd]

I heat 1800 sq ft total including the basement where my Woodstock Fireview is installed and it works just fine. The radiant/convection thingy is mostly BS, all stoves do both naturaly and you don't get more convection from a so called convection stove, it just reduces the clearance requirements. I get plenty of convection from my so called radiant stove, you can feel the cold air travel towards the stove on the floor and feel the warm air traveling away from the stove up near the ceiling.

I think in your case you should look into the next size up Hearthstone or Maybe the Fireview so you have a little longer burn time for when your away. I use to burn a Hearthstone Homestead which is a tad smaller than the Heritage but burn times are similar. When I went to work I tried your hot fire technique and always came home 11 hours later to a luke warm stove with no coals and had to start it up from scratch which got old fast. I upgraded to the Fireview and come home to a warmer house with plenty of coals to reload with full sized splits.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I was wondering about burn time in this stove too. A larger stove will give longer burn times....with the same fuel. To make really good burn times in any stove you still need good fuel. Oak holds a long time but also takes a long time to season....

 

[yanksforever]

Yeah..soapstone is the way to go! Take a look at the signatures on this forum and see how many people have them.
But it is still all in preference. Do you want to sit in a nice warm room or get totally blown out of it by the heat??? It's up to you!

 

[Highbeam]

I own a heritage and I like it. I would not expect it to still be burning if I was gone from the house for 9 hours. If burn times are very important to you then a cat stove is the only real way to get them. Larger non-cat stoves just make more heat with a similarly short burn time so I don't think that is your answer.

You've only got a few choices in cat stoves and that BK offers the best utility if you can stand the looks.

 

[ilmbg]

Maybe something to think about...I talked to a second and third hearthstone dealer today after my fiasco with the first. Anyway, they BOTH mentioned that the specs in the catalogue/site about sq ft that is warmed and the burn times are very misleading..not just Hearthstone, but most companies. The sq ft warmed and burn times are with the ULTIMATE of conditions- meaning ultimate temperature a particular stove burns at, the ultimate wood for burning and the ultimate outside conditions, ie. no wind, not frigid cold weather. Because two different dealers mentioned this to me, it clicked in my head that the pellet stove that I currently have and have been unhappy with falls into this same catagory I assume- it just doesn't heat as good as it advertized here in the northern rockies where there is wind, frigid weather and only softwood to burn.
Just a thought.
PS I had a BK Princess when I first came here and had to open the door because it got the house so hot!! They are just soooooo ugly!!

 

[edthedawg]

9 hrs is about the longest you'd wanna leave it and still have anything left to restart or much residual warmth left in the stones. i think with the basement install, you'd be pushing your comfort level a little. is this basement insulated?

 

[firefighterjake]

I personally love the look of the Heritage, but I suspect that its "burn times" are a lot like the Oslo that I own . . . inflated a bit. I will admit that once I'm burning 24/7 it is possible to get coals the next morning or after I've been gone for the day, but the heat production at that point is pretty low and I have to start back up with kindling.

Based on the fact that this is a basement install (no mention of whether or not this is insulated and/or a basement used for daily living) and you are specifically looking for long burn times I would say the Heritage (or many other stoves) would still be giving off some heat, but the heat may not be all that meaningful. Perhas the better alternatives would be the Blaze King or Fireview -- stoves with cats. And as for the ugly BK . . . well if it's in the basement and the basement is not used for living space will that matter all that much . . . conversely if you do use the space and find the BK ugly perhaps springing for the Fireview would be worth it.

 

[bjorn773]

The basement is not insulated and it is used on a daily basis. The stove is in a family room in the basement. As far as the burn times and such, if I come home from work, there are always enough coals to start another fire in my steel stove. I don't know if there would really be an improvement, other than being able to burn cleanly for that length of time. I love the look of soapstone, but think that a cat stove is probably the best fit for my needs. It can get pretty warm in the basement when I'm burning 24/7, that would be one advantage of soapstone. However, for creosote levels in the chimney, I think the cat would still be better.

 

[firefighterjake]

The basement is not insulated and it is 1) used on a daily basis. The stove is in a family room in the basement. As far as the burn times and such, 2) if I come home from work, there are always enough coals to start another fire in my steel stove. I don't know if there would really be an improvement, other than being able to burn cleanly for that length of time. 3) I love the look of soapstone, but 4) think that a cat stove is probably the best fit for my needs. 5) It can get pretty warm in the basement when I'm burning 24/7, that would be one advantage of soapstone. However, for creosote levels in the chimney, 6) I think the cat would still be better.

I think you now know what you must do Young Jedi.

1) Used on a daily basis . . . you want something that looks as good as it performs. You obviously like the soapstone look, but don't like the BK. Consider the Fireview from Woodstock.

2) The current steel stove still has coals left in it at the end of the day . . . you value the ability to keep the fire going for a long time, but would love something to provide even more meaningful heat. I stand by my last post -- you may want something with a cat. Consider the Fireview from Woodstock.

3) You love the look of soapstone . . . well that narrows things down a bit to basically two affordable soapstone manufacturers doesn't it . . . and no offense to the Hearthstone fans (personally I prefer the look of Hearthstone myself), but I think the Fireview would give you everything you want in one package. So . . . consider the Fireview from Woodstock.

4) You think that a cat would best fit your needs . . . and I agree. Long heat, tempered heat, long burns and the looks. Consider the Fireview from Woodstock.

5) The current steel stove gets the basement pretty warm . . . so maybe it's time to try tempering the heat a bit with soapstone woodstove's legendary ability to moderate the heat. Consider the Fireview from Woodstock.

6) You again mention a cat stove . . . and again I agree . . . and once again my Padawan, Soapstone-Loving, Wood-Burning Apprentice I would suggest you turn away from the Dark Side and consider a Fireview from Woodstock.

 

[bjorn773]

Well put. Hard to argue with the force.

 

[edthedawg]

Kinda feels like yer tryin' to tell us somethin' there, Jake... hmmm... message is unclear...

 

[Wet1]

The only thing I'd be concerned about is the total sq footage and location. If the main floor is 1100 sq ft, I'm assuming the lower level is as well. 2200 sq ft in the most northern part of IL is a decent workout for the FV... That's well above the manufacturer's recommended sq ft window. I'm not saying it wont do it, because I know others here heat 2000+ sq ft with their FV, but I'd go with a larger stove if I were you. We have loyal FV owners here with significantly less sq footage saying they would prefer their FV had a little larger fire box, so I have a hard time believing you wont want a larger firebox as well. Remember, these cat stoves will burn 12+ hours, but we're talking at their lowest settings. A FV trying to heat 2200 sq ft in the northern Midwest in the middle of winter is going to need to be pushed somewhat to provide enough heat to keep everything comfy, and you wont see 12 hour burn times under those conditions!

Now if WS releases their larger version of the FV soon (although this is doubtful), that might be a great fit. Other than that, I still think the BKP would be a better pick in this case. Just my 2 cent.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

And Wet1, those conditions happen how often and for how long each winter? Around here, 2 weeks just about catches the big cold spells. Actually, the coldest of the winter we will usually have a 10 day spell of really cold but then it moderates.

 

[bjorn773]

And Wet1, those conditions happen how often and for how long each winter? Around here, 2 weeks just about catches the big cold spells. Actually, the coldest of the winter we will usually have a 10 day spell of really cold but then it moderates.

Ok, you're in about the same climate, if not more severe. Do you think the Fireview can handle it?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I think it would.

 

[bjorn773]

I found a Palladian used, but I think that's smaller than the Fireview. I'm waiting on a contractor for an insulation bid, I'll see what kind of $$$$ that's gonna cost. That will determine what I have for a stove. Thanks for the info everyone.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

You are right with the Palladian being smaller. This is about the only time I've heard negative comments on a Woodstock stove. Seems lots of folks like the Palladian and Keystone but the firebox is just too small so you won't get much heat for long periods.

 

[BigBlockChevy]

When I went to buy my King Parlor, I called the companies that make the catalytic units in the stoves. SudChemi, Condar and Applied Ceramics confirmed that Blaze King has nearly a ZERO (0) warranty claim with their products. When I asked about the other stove makes, they were less certain and not so quick to respond....they are the Force!

 

[firefighterjake]

Kinda feels like yer tryin' to tell us somethin' there, Jake... hmmm... message is unclear...

Well I suppose I've got to spell it out for some folks.

Bjorn . . . have you considered a cheap, Chinese-made steel stove with lead-paint and sold in some back alley store front that also sells TaTas (the car, not those TaTas), paintings of dogs playing poker and take-out meals that you order by number? I think you would really prefer to go this route rather than go with the soapstone stove.

 

[bjorn773]

Kinda feels like yer tryin' to tell us somethin' there, Jake... hmmm... message is unclear...

Well I suppose I've got to spell it out for some folks.

Bjorn . . . have you considered a cheap, Chinese-made steel stove with lead-paint and sold in some back alley store front that also sells TaTas (the car, not those TaTas), paintings of dogs playing poker and take-out meals that you order by number? I think you would really prefer to go this route rather than go with the soapstone stove.

I already have one of those... after all the debate I want a catalytic soapstone. I think the BK or enerzone would still cook me out of the basement. The Fireview looks like a perfect fit. My problem is getting my better half onboard. That and insulating the house makes more sense than getting a more efficient stove right now. That's why I'm looking at used stoves.