Hello! First-time poster. I grew up with fireplaces and wood stoves and recently bought my first home and am excited to convert the ventless gas fireplace into a wood stove.
The history: We had a reputable chimney guy come take a look at our space to give a quote on conversion. Our home was built in the 1920s and apparently has an unusually shaped flue (15x5in I think). I was originally just going to convert back to a wood burning fireplace as this was supposed to be cheaper. But, with the weird shaped flue and the size of our firebox it would have required 2 chimney liners (thus double the cost). I asked what if we used a wood stove instead, and apparently this would drastically reduce the cost to bring the chimney/flue to code (more than half). So, this is what we’re going to do. I wanted to do a wood burning stove in the first place, but thought it would be cost prohibitive - but turns out maybe not.
The space: our fireplace is moderate sized. Arched, 30” high in the middle, 27” high on the sides, 36” wide, 21” deep at the bottom, 18” deep at the top. We have a 2x6’ hearth in front covered with tile. We would like to keep two existing chairs on either side of the fireplace, which encroach pretty close to the sides of the hearth, so the space is a little tight. We also have two young children and dogs. I think we’ve settled on a wood stove nestled part or most of the way inside the firebox (as opposed to an insert). This way we can keep the hearth clear and not have to extend or alter it to keep it to code.
The stove: Our home is 3200sqft, 1st floor about 1800sqft. The fireplace is in the living room (15x20) that has two sets of French doors, one that goes to the dining room (15x15) and another that goes to a smaller foyer/music room (9x13). My intention with a wood stove is not to heat the whole home, mostly to provide me a means to make a fire, tinker and relax, providing supplemental heat is a bonus. I’d like a stove that is capable of heating a large portion of the first floor but won’t cook us out of our living room, provides a good view of the fire, fits in the firebox and is simple to operate/robust. I grew up with a Vermont casting stove, and have also looked at buck and Appalachian stoves (local companies, we live in western NC). Our chimney guy has directed us to Jotul stoves because I guess their dimensions and rear or top vent options may work better for our space and be easier to install. I have to say, I do really like the style of the Jotul stoves and think they will generally suit our space better than the other brands. I’m thinking a catless. Our chimney guy has recommended the f100 (smallest) because it will easily fit in the firebox and our intention is not necessarily to heat a large area. I worry about it only accepting 16in logs and just generally being kinda tiny, but it is pretty sleek and utilitarian with a relatevly large window, which I like. I *think* the other Jotul stoves up to the F500 will just sneak into the firebox if we use the short leg kit. I really like the f400, simple single large door, can use open with screen (f100 can’t), decent capacity/log size. Some of the reviews indicate issues with smoking etc, though. The F3 seems sort of like a nice compromise and apparently has been around forever and is somewhat indestructible.
Can folks with Jotul experience give me some guidance between these stoves? How do you feel about rear venting them; does this affect their draft? Are there other brands I should consider that might even better serve our space? Will I regret a bigger stove if my goal is not to heat the whole area? Do you foresee installation issues with these tight fits?
Thanks everyone! Can’t wait to get burning
.
-Tyler
The history: We had a reputable chimney guy come take a look at our space to give a quote on conversion. Our home was built in the 1920s and apparently has an unusually shaped flue (15x5in I think). I was originally just going to convert back to a wood burning fireplace as this was supposed to be cheaper. But, with the weird shaped flue and the size of our firebox it would have required 2 chimney liners (thus double the cost). I asked what if we used a wood stove instead, and apparently this would drastically reduce the cost to bring the chimney/flue to code (more than half). So, this is what we’re going to do. I wanted to do a wood burning stove in the first place, but thought it would be cost prohibitive - but turns out maybe not.
The space: our fireplace is moderate sized. Arched, 30” high in the middle, 27” high on the sides, 36” wide, 21” deep at the bottom, 18” deep at the top. We have a 2x6’ hearth in front covered with tile. We would like to keep two existing chairs on either side of the fireplace, which encroach pretty close to the sides of the hearth, so the space is a little tight. We also have two young children and dogs. I think we’ve settled on a wood stove nestled part or most of the way inside the firebox (as opposed to an insert). This way we can keep the hearth clear and not have to extend or alter it to keep it to code.
The stove: Our home is 3200sqft, 1st floor about 1800sqft. The fireplace is in the living room (15x20) that has two sets of French doors, one that goes to the dining room (15x15) and another that goes to a smaller foyer/music room (9x13). My intention with a wood stove is not to heat the whole home, mostly to provide me a means to make a fire, tinker and relax, providing supplemental heat is a bonus. I’d like a stove that is capable of heating a large portion of the first floor but won’t cook us out of our living room, provides a good view of the fire, fits in the firebox and is simple to operate/robust. I grew up with a Vermont casting stove, and have also looked at buck and Appalachian stoves (local companies, we live in western NC). Our chimney guy has directed us to Jotul stoves because I guess their dimensions and rear or top vent options may work better for our space and be easier to install. I have to say, I do really like the style of the Jotul stoves and think they will generally suit our space better than the other brands. I’m thinking a catless. Our chimney guy has recommended the f100 (smallest) because it will easily fit in the firebox and our intention is not necessarily to heat a large area. I worry about it only accepting 16in logs and just generally being kinda tiny, but it is pretty sleek and utilitarian with a relatevly large window, which I like. I *think* the other Jotul stoves up to the F500 will just sneak into the firebox if we use the short leg kit. I really like the f400, simple single large door, can use open with screen (f100 can’t), decent capacity/log size. Some of the reviews indicate issues with smoking etc, though. The F3 seems sort of like a nice compromise and apparently has been around forever and is somewhat indestructible.
Can folks with Jotul experience give me some guidance between these stoves? How do you feel about rear venting them; does this affect their draft? Are there other brands I should consider that might even better serve our space? Will I regret a bigger stove if my goal is not to heat the whole area? Do you foresee installation issues with these tight fits?
Thanks everyone! Can’t wait to get burning
.-Tyler
