Help deciding on stove

[jscheiner.09]

Hey all,
Just moved into my new house located in Sandy Hook CT, USA.
I would like to put either a free standing wood stove, or a wood stove insert (with blower) in.
It is an 1,900 square foot home - we have an additional wood stove up in our bedroom. According to the previous homeowner, the upstairs wood stove heats the entire upstairs.

I need help deciding on a stove for the fireplace. It is not currently lined for a stove (I will do that with a friend most likely).
I stopped by a local stove shop and they pushed me towards an insert and went into detail on how inefficient they are , especially when they have to sit back in the firebox.

I took a few measurements, it is 29w x 41h. The firebox to the end of the hearth is 19 inches.
They pushed me towards a Timberwolf epi22 for $2,300.
The big killer for the insert is pricing in general. I would prefer to spend around $1,000-1,500 on a stove. I know I won't get a good insert for that, so that is why I opened up the options for free standing.

I am mainly using a stove to offset my oil bill. I have access to firewood and would like to save a little over the long haul.

Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[Woodsplitter67]

If you plan on doing any regular heating with a stove or insert, my suggestion is to purchase the best stove you can afford. You can go with a less expensive insert for sure, but lesser expensive models are usually made from inferior/ lower grade materials. You can wear out a stove or insert. This stove has a 1.9cuft box and says it will burn for 8 hours. You may be able to get an overnight burn out of that if you split your wood correctly and the box is loaded to the gills.
If your considering on moving to part-time wood heat you need to get your wood prior to the purchase as most will tell you the wood is seasoned but is not, or pick up bio bricks before they run out. Its a good idea that your going in this direction as energy cost are high and probably will be this way untill the next election, that being said you will probably be burning a lot more then your thinking. Years ago I put a stove in my house thinking that Id be burning mostly on the weekends, the heat was so nice and the burn times so good that I quickly moved to wood being my primary heat. The key to heating with wood( for me at least ) is a stove that you don't need to tend to all the time and a stove that doesn't rip through wood. Being a slave to the stove is the worst and gets old quick. The less wood you need to split and the less reloads per use will keep wood heating enjoyable. I spend very little on heating my house and my house is a little larger than your plus my home is warmer then its ever been.. It can be 20 degrees out side and were walking around in shorts and T shirts in the house..
Cat stoves/inserts burn longer and more even. Burn tube inserts don't allow for a real low output and when off gassing the temperature of the stove spikes..

 

[EbS-P]

I shopped for two years and this fall did a DIY install of a Drolet 1800i. It was the cheapest option I could find. Adding 25’ of liner insulation rock wool sheet metal for blockoff plate, the cost came to 2000$ Including tax. The only way it could have been cheaper was to buy a used insert or stove which I tried to do and most decent ones would not have saved me any money.

I only have 10 loads in the Drolet but it seems built and is very controllable. Have 41” height you could get a stove to fit in the firebox. I suggest adding a blower if you go that route. I have one on my Jotul. Insist on an insulated liner and blockoff plate. I would find any shop not suggesting those to be suspect.

New EPA stoves need really dry wood. Cut and stacked for 2 years is normal for most hard wood. Pine can dry in one but I have to keep it covered here.

FYI bedroom stoves are not allowed by code.

 

[jscheiner.09]

Alright, going to pull the trigger on this Drolet soon. Just took dimensions again realized I miswrote them..

It is 40w x 29h and 20 deep (it bows towards the top so at the most shallow part it was 20 inches).
Length and width I know it will fit , just wanted to make sure the depth would fit. The total depth appears to be 26 3/8. If my depth is only 20, is this stove too big to fit? I know the front sticks out, just not sure how much...
Thanks!

 

[EbS-P]

Which Drolet

 

[jscheiner.09]

Sorry, just realized I didn't write it.
The 1800ti

 

[jscheiner.09]

Alright, I think I figured it out. At where the height where the stovetop would be, it sticks about 3.5 inches onto the hearth. That seems to be enough clearance. I didn't think about how the height of the stove wouldn't come to where the chimney is the most shallow depth wise. My hearth sticks out about 19 inches so if it spills out some, I will be okay.
Thanks!

 

[EbS-P]

Alright, I think I figured it out. At where the height where the stovetop would be, it sticks about 3.5 inches onto the hearth. That seems to be enough clearance. I didn't think about how the height of the stove wouldn't come to where the chimney is the most shallow depth wise. My hearth sticks out about 19 inches so if it spills out some, I will be okay.
Thanks!

By design it sticks out some. You have 2” front to back adjustment with the surround.

 

[John B]

I just stuck a woodstock Ideal steal in place of a Kuma insert into an existing fireplace. I would look at woodstock if you want a really good heater. You can even have them build it and drive to the factory and pick it up, they are right here in NH.

 

[72Rover]

Which stove

I bought a Vermont Castings "Resolute" 41 years ago. (Actually bought the stove before I closed on the house.) It's was the smallest they made at that time, and it's free-standing inside the fireplace. I removed the damper plate and replaced it with a piece of flat steel with a 6" hole in the middle. It has stainless steel pipe inside a fully tile-lined chimney flue. Also purchased a VC-branded "muffin" fan - actually a computer cooling fan - to move air around the fireplace Amazingly, the little fan is still in use to this day.

While I had to replace a few parts two years ago when I did a rebuild, I estimate the Resolute has consumed 80 cords. That's a lot of BTUs, but I've found I'm using it less and less with global warming. Unless it is near freezing or below, it will run us out of the living room.

You may be able to find used VCs that have been reburbished if you want to save a few coins. I bought a the stove's flue adapter from someone on these pages.

Cheers