Help with wood stove or insert selection and liner:

[ArchAngel78]

Hello all and thanks for any suggestions.

Here is my current setup:
Two story home in Maryland
1577 first floor
1092 second floor
2669 sq ft total
Semi-closed floor plan
House is not drafty with good insulation
23' Chimney masonry on an external house wall but inside of attached garage, flue tile 13"x13"
Alaska Kodiak wood stove insert with an 8" collar (Huge woodstove but doesn't seem to put out a ton of heat)

Preferences in a woodstove insert:
-Good Heat
-Cooking (must have a cooktop or something equivalent)

I just had my chimney inspected and they found cracked flue tiles (#2, #3, #4). I figured this was a good time to get a chimney liner put it place for
safety. I also might end up buying a new woodstove at the same time depending on the price.

First question:
Should I go with 8" liner or a 6" liner keeping in mind that I may or may not be getting a new woodstove.
8" would allow me to use my current woodstove but may restrict me with woodstove selection as most new woodstoves want 6" it seems. A 6" liner would force me to buy a new woodstove but would be cheaper and offer me more stove selection I think. The person cleaning my chimney did state that you did not want to use a 6" to 8" reducer.

second question:
What do you all recommend for a woodstove insert based on my preferences? I know that everyone has their preferred brand but it seems like there are so many options. I also am not against getting a normal woodstove sitting on the hearth. One thing I absolutely want is enough of an exposed top to be able to cook on. Because of this I have really started to like the progress hybrid.

I have been reading through this site for a couple of days and keep going back and forth as to my options. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[USMC80]

you trying to heat the whole house with it or just a section?

 

[Grisu]

Hi, welcome to the forum!

You already have some good ideas about what you want and need. It will be easy to give you some advice. First, how large is your fireplace opening? That will determine whether an insert is even an option for you or if you will have the ability to put a freestanding stove in front.

Regarding size: You have a pretty large house which will probably require a 3+ cu ft stove. I am not sure if you really need to go so large that you will require an 8-inch liner. As you already said, the 6-inch will give you more flexibility. When your garage is unheated I would suggest an insulated liner for less creosote and better draft.

If you are determined to cook on your stove you should really look at a freestander. If an insert peeks out far enough it is barely enough to put a water kettle there, not to mention to cook on it.

 

[mellow]

You need to use an insulated liner no matter if you go 6" or 8" flex or rigid, so keep that in mind (due to cracks in tile).

6" is the most common size for new stoves or inserts and at your chimney height would work great.

If you are looking to heat your entire downstairs and some of the upstairs then I would recommend a free standing rear vent stove (like the progress or the upcoming union)

What is your budget?

 

[ArchAngel78]

Thanks for the welcome!

I will measure the fireplace opening tonight and post tomorrow. Also I would like to heat as much of the house as possible.

In regards to budget I don't mind spending a good amount of money for quality. I was hoping to get the liner and new woodstove in the 3k to 5k range.

I had this breakdown in mind:
~1k budget for liner
~3-4k budget for woodstove

 

[mellow]

If you self install that is doable, Insulated 25 ft 6" flex liner with tee and hookups would run around 1k with shipping.

The progress would fall in line with your budget as well.

If you can wait a bit, Woodstock is coming out with a new stove, not sure exactly when but you can read about it on their blog: http://blog.woodstove.com/2013/08/under-hood.html

Also since you are in MD you might want to check out the wood stove challenge going on in November in DC, it would be a good chance to see what is new in person: (broken link removed to http://www.forgreenheat.org/stovedesign.html)

Height of your fireplace and the size of your hearth will be some of the deciding factors for installing a free standing stove.

 

[Woody Stover]

There's a lot to know about stoves, and two days' reading is only going to scratch the surface. I was in the same boat; When I decided to get a new stove there was only a couple weeks left to take advantage of the tax rebate. Luckily, I got good advice and was already comfortable with cat stoves, which were suggested for lower output in a small space in moderate weather. Even though I knew a lot less at the time, I ended up happy with the choice I made.

I would go with a free-stander, even if I had to do some hearth work to accommodate it. More heat (and better if you lose power,) good cooking surface, more great-looking options. The Woodstock PH can rear-vent into a fireplace with a lintel height well under 30". Not sure about the new stove yet, but it is supposed to be reasonably-priced. You may want a cat or hybrid stove for long burn times if you are heating 24/7 and are gone for long periods during the day. If someone is around to operate the stove, burn time isn't as critical.

 

[dafattkidd]

Hey ArchAngel, welcome to the forum. You can definitely find a large insert that will heat that space. But if you're looking for a cook top surface, then you're going to want to go with a free standing stove. I have a large insert that protrudes significantly into the room, but it would be pretty awkward for cooking. Your budget is realistic if you're looking to self install. Based on rave reviews of the Progress I think you'll love it. Wood heat is addictive so watch out. Whatever option you go with you're going to need dry wood to burn in it. The advice we always give newbies is get two years supply of wood as soon as you can, if you can store 6-7 cords of wood on your property. Good luck!

 

[begreen]

The Lopi Revere and the Regency Heartheater H2100 both project out enough onto the hearth to cook on.

 

[ArchAngel78]

Wow, thanks for the feedback everyone!

I have some quick dimensions:
Current woodstove (Alaska Kodiak wood stove insert):
24" Depth
28" Width

Fireplace:
38" Width
?? Depth
?? Height
16 3/4" Depth on the hearth.

I am hoping that my hearth is deep enough for me to be able to hearth mount a free standing woodstove like the Progress hybrid and still use the cooktop.

I will get the measurements I missed tonight if I have time to pull the surround off my insert.

Also I looked at the Lopi Revere and the Regency Heartheater H2100. Both seemed to be a bit small for the amount of heating I would like.

Once again thanks everyone.

 

[ArchAngel78]

Update:
Called and got price quotes for installation of an insulated liner. They were about what I would expect.

Currently I am thinking that I will go with the 8" liner and just continue to use my current wood stove insert this season. Then next summer I will purchase an actual wood stove to put on the hearth. If I get the 8" liner now am I hurting myself in the future if I get a wood stove with a 6" outlet? Currently I really like the progress hybrid but am worried that it might not work well with an 8" liner and a outlet reducer (6" to 8").

Also hopefully soon I will be able to provide measurements of my fireplace/hearth.

 

[mellow]

I would get an insulated 6" liner and try running the Kodiak on that, if you have about 25ft you "should" be Ok. Then when you get a new stove you will be all set.

Just remember, you HAVE to get an insulated liner due to the cracks or you will not be in code and if you have a chimney fire and it ignites combustibles your home insurance will have reason to deny the claim.

 

[Hogwildz]

If the house is not real open floor plan, your may need two stoves to heat the whole place.

 

[BrotherBart]

With that tall of a chimney and with an insulated 6" liner the Kodiak will draft just fine. Just not in "moderate" temps. In fact it may draft a little too well.