Help from the Pros

[Malatesta]

Hello fellow burners, i want to install a new stove in our home. We have an older model thats probably as old as me.I thinl its from Sears ? Has a blower on the back. I'd like to put in a stove with a good 6 hr burn time.
With all the new stoves out now i must say iam at a loss as to what to get or what not to get. Ive been reading for a couple of hours a day on the different types of stoves,but WOW which one to get.

Our home is about 1500 Sq ft. and a moderatly open floor plan 2 story,any help or opinions are greatly appreciated !

 

[snowtime]

I assume you want to heat 24/7? There is a tremendous selection out there. You have to make some decisions based on price, type of heat [radiant,convection] size of stove and whether looks are important. Soapstone holds heat longest and some say have abetter wife factor, cast holds heat second best and finally but not least is steel. A good steel stove is where to save a few bucks and still get a quality stove. The Englander models are highly spoken of as an example. Look up reviews and be sure the stove you get is an EPA model. When you have an idea post your choices and everyone can give you the current dope.
Also it usually is best to get a larger stove than smaller you can always build a small fire in a larger stove but a small stove will let you down whan its cold out. As far as overnight burning any 3 cuft stove should do you well.

 

[gpcollen1]

It would be a good idea to check out some stove shops, see what they have and maybe get an idea as to what shape/design you would like. And I would not be quick to consider steel stoves the poor man's/discount choice/also ran. If you say that around my Avalon olympic, it'll shoot a bolt of flame so far up your arse that smoke will puff out your ears - while cranking out the heat...

I bought a used Jotul Castine and would recommend that to anyone if they like that design. As far as burn time, the Castine may be borderline on the 6 hours. Do you want 6 hours of tons of heat or 6-7 hours with enough coals remaining to get it going again? The burn time - as dictated by the amount of time you leave the house for work or plan on sleeping - is important as well as the cubic feet you are trying to heat.

How is your current stove installed?

 

[Malatesta]

Ctwoodburner my current stove is located 18 inches from our living room wall,has one 45 degree bend then straight up and out the roof. As far as the 6 hr burn time ,id like to throw in a few logs and be able to come back in 6 hrs with some coals to get a fire going again.So 4-5 hrs of nice raidat heat would be more realistic. Our current stove to me is nothing then a free standing fire place with a blower. This thing eats wood up every 2 hrs, iam throwing in 3-4 pieces of wood. I hate using up some much wood.

 

[Pagey]

Start off by doing a little reading here: (broken link removed to http://www.woodheat.org/technology/woodstoves.htm)

This will give you a good idea of what's going on with the newer EPA certified wood stoves. Also, it will discuss the basic differences between a catalytic and a non-catalytic stove. Each have their pros and cons, of course.

I'm currently heating about 1,800 sq. ft. (1K downstairs, 800 up) with a Lopi Endeavor (non-catalytic, EPA certified) by Travis Industries. It's a well made stove, and it holds a nice fire with plenty of coals left after 6 hours for easy restarts. I built my last fire around 9PM last night, and at 5:15 this morning I raked the coals to the front and put on some dry pine splits and was up and running by 5:30.

As suggested, check out the different types of stoves from soapstone to plate steel to cast iron. You'll find competent manufacturers in each category - Woodstock and Hearthstone for soapstone, for example, and Lopi and Pacific Energy for plate steel (and I believe PE does cast iron as well). And there are many other quality manufacturers that others will no doubt suggest. Check the links below for convenience.

http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/
http://www.woodstove.com/
http://www.lopistoves.com/
http://www.pacificenergy.net/

If you've got a relatively local dealer, visit their showroom and watch some stoves burn. Take the time to ask them the 'tough' questions you want answered. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how well these new stoves can operate. Let us know how your search goes.

 

[begreen]

There are lots of options Woodcrib. To narrow them down I would focus on ~2 cu ft stoves. Do you have a style or budget preference?

 

[Malatesta]

Well tommorrow iam going to the dealer to look at Heartstone's woodstoves. I really like the Bennington. Anyone using this stove ? I also like the PE T5 . Thks for your replies.

 

[begreen]

Both stoves are good choices. There's only a few Bennington owners here, but I wouldn't let that deter you. It's a beautiful stove. The T5 is getting a loyal following here. It has the PE Spectrum at heart, which is a dependable winner. I have to admit I'm biased and love the T6 for our house.

Here's a thread about the Bennington. Tom sells both Hearthstone and Pacific Energy stoves and gives a helpful mini-review of the Bennington.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/27704/