Help...Advice on new woodstove

[TSAKUS]

My wife and I are looking at buying a new wood stove for our house in Alaska. We currently have radiant in-floor heat provided by an oil-fired boiler. We are looking to install something to supplement our in-floor heat (to save on oil as it is quite expensive in AK), to take the chill off in the evenings and on weekends and to provide a back-up in case of extended power outage. Our house is about 1600 sqft and is 2 level, the main level is about 950 sqft and is a fairly open plan with the main living area having vaulted ceilings at about 18'. the upstairs is partly open loft and then a closed in bedroom/bath etc. that has a door that opens onto the loft.

We have looked at a number of wood stoves and think we have it narrowed down. We are wanting something that has fairly tight clearances to sheet rock wall in back and that won't take up a bunch of space in the room. We really like the look of the more contemporary soapstone stoves i.e. Rais Bando and Morso 8151. Does anyone have experience with either or these or their like? The other stove that we are looking at (which is quite a departure from the soapstone look of the others) is the Pacific Energy Fusion.

A few of our concerns are; proper sizing for our application, don't want something that doesn't put out enough heat but also don't want to feel like we are being cooked out of the house, want something that feels a part of the space and not something that feels like it intrudes on the space, with the smaller fire boxes of the Rais and Morso am I going to being constantly stuffing wood into it? The PE is quite a bit less expensive than either the Rais or the Morso is the soapstone etc and quality worth the extra $?

Thanks for any insight or assistance you can provide.

 

[fredarm]

PE's are a good quality stove; the Fusion is just the Super 27/Spectrum firebox wrapped in stainless steel. It's also used in the Alderlea T5 stove. I love my little Vista Insert (the next size smaller)--it heats well for its size and is buildt like a tank, but no way would it come close to heating my house (1900 sf). For 1600 sf, you want at least a 2 cubic foot stove like the Fusion, or you're going to be reloading all the time. If those other stoves you mentioned are smaller, I'd go with the Fusion or the next size up in a Rais or Morso stove (if avaiable, I'm not familiar with those stoves).

 

[BurnIt13]

Although I'm in MA and temperatures are relatively tropical when compared to AK....I was looking for a decent sized stove with low clearances. I too have a 1600 sq.ft. house similar to what you describe. Mine was built in 1900 and is not very well insulated. Here is a thread I started many moons ago... some clearance drawings and stove models at the end of the first page.
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/59553/

I was saving up for the PE Super 27. The combination of size, reputation, and clearances had sold me. I ended up buying an Englander 30 The Englander is a bit bigger and the clearances are bit worse but I was forced to alter my budget to a much more economical stove.

 

[leeave96]

I kind of like the looks of the Morso. Another soapstone stove to consider is Woodstock - woodstove.com

Based on your requirements for clearance, I doubt you can use one, but they are most easy on the eyes and have a great range of temperature output.

For most folks in Alaska, it seems like Blaze King rules up there.

Good luck,
Bill