We presently use a Vermont Castings Defiant that we have had for 24 years. It has worked wonderfully but we know that we are buring more wood than we need to and are ready for something more efficient. We live in a house that was built in 1844. Our home is around 2800 square feet. It has been partially insulated and we are working to insulate it further and complete the move to new windows. We have our VC Defiant in our kitchen fireplace which is in the center of the house. It sits out on the hearth. A stairway runs off this room and the heat makes it's way throughout a good portion of the upstairs. The heat from our present stove does make it's way through the house but the further away you get the cooler it gets but that is okay as we like the bedrooms cooler. Our oil furnace does not turn on in the winter unless we turn it on which is a rarity. The stove does an adequate jo although sometimes it does get too warm in the kitchen area. Now here is our issue. We would like to go with soapstone as we have heard so many wonderful things about it. Looking at the size of our house the Mansfield would be the logical choice BUT we need a stove with a rear vent. We would have to push the Mansfield into the back of the fireplace and that would make cleaning out the three flues that come into that chimney impossible to clean out. We really need a rear vent. So we thought maybe the Heritage would do for us. We are 24/7 burn people. We cut and split our own wood and only burn seasoned wood. Question here is...would the Heritage be adequate for us? We have been told that if we were pleased with a Defiant that the Heritage would be comparable. Is it? Thanks in advance for your help in this decision making.
HELP!! Would the HearthStone Heritage work for us?
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I would not want to heat 2800 SF of old house with my heritage in NJ. The stove is only rated for 1300-1900 SF so it is undergunned by 2X. You would be better off with a rear venting Equinox if you like soapstone. The only other soapstone brand is woodstock and their largest stove is about as capable as the heritage.
The hearthstone line is expensive to get into but once you buy one then the upgrade to an equinox isn't that huge. The equinox is quite large. Will it fit into the fireplace?
The hearthstone line is expensive to get into but once you buy one then the upgrade to an equinox isn't that huge. The equinox is quite large. Will it fit into the fireplace?
Go big or go home. Your trying to heat a whole bunch of sqft. I will second the equinox as the logical choice.
I'm heating a ~2800 sq ft, 1885 Victorian mostly w/ our new rear-flue'd Heritage, but:
1 - this is my first season even attempting to heat w/ wood, so...
2 - I suck at building good fires. Stovetop temps consistently above 400F are still foreign to me, tho we are getting good long burns and finding buildable coals many hours later. This may be in part due to...
3 - our wood is wetter than I'd like.
That being said, you should honestly consider the clearances and installation requirements needed for the Heritage vs. the Equinox - it's a big step change going to the Big Machine. We could not have done it. I would also try to estimate the BTU/hr output of your current stove vs the Heritage. If nearly equivalent, then it may well be your ticket. This stove throws major heat for hours on small stacks of wood.
Hope this is helpful.
1 - this is my first season even attempting to heat w/ wood, so...
2 - I suck at building good fires. Stovetop temps consistently above 400F are still foreign to me, tho we are getting good long burns and finding buildable coals many hours later. This may be in part due to...
3 - our wood is wetter than I'd like.
That being said, you should honestly consider the clearances and installation requirements needed for the Heritage vs. the Equinox - it's a big step change going to the Big Machine. We could not have done it. I would also try to estimate the BTU/hr output of your current stove vs the Heritage. If nearly equivalent, then it may well be your ticket. This stove throws major heat for hours on small stacks of wood.
Hope this is helpful.
I'd get a Mansfield or Equinox. The Defiant was a respectable heater, but very different from the current generation of soapstone stoves. Go for the long burn.
We decided to go with the Mansfield BUT today ran into a friend who said he has a Heritage and why not come over and see it do it's job. He has the stove in a large room with a cathedral ceiling. At second floor height is a small fan in the wall that blows the hot air down the hall into the five bedrooms. The room the Heritage was in was very large and it was toasty. They said they used minimum oil last year and their Heritage kept their 3500 square house nice. Yes as you traveled further from the large room it got cooler but they said they just layered and wore slippers. It was totally comfortable. After seeing what heat that Heritage throws out and how what a great job it is doing we are thinking we may go with a Heritage. It would work much better with our set up. And our friend said he fills it at 11pm and there are still plenty of coals left after 8 hours.
One thing we did notice though. He said that the stove was in the house when they moved in and they were told that the stove was purchased in 2003 or was it 2005. Thing is my husband said it did not have the tubes in the top. That would mean no secondary burn right? Why would it not have it?
One thing we did notice though. He said that the stove was in the house when they moved in and they were told that the stove was purchased in 2003 or was it 2005. Thing is my husband said it did not have the tubes in the top. That would mean no secondary burn right? Why would it not have it?
I agree with the others to go bigger. Have you looked into venting above the fireplace opening? I have seen pictures of people venting above the fireplace mantle. Then you would get the extra heat benefit from the pipe.
geka said:
If the stove was a 2003 or 05 model it should have the tubes and baffle. So tell your friend he's losing out on alot of efficiency without them.
Go Mansfield or Equinox.
Your friend smight be squeaking by because their insulation is better than yours. Insulation will make a GIANT difference. Size the stove properly and you have no regrets. Imagine going through all the trouble to get that stove in (and it can be a process) only to be disappointed.
I'm happy with the slightly smaller cousin, the homestead, but the heritage would have been a better choice. For me, difference between a B+ and an A, I think.
Also, the max. square footage listed in the brochure are for WELL insulated houses. It doesn't seem that your house's sq footage even fits that, even for the Mansfield at 2500 sq ft. Go equinox.
Good luck.
Your friend smight be squeaking by because their insulation is better than yours. Insulation will make a GIANT difference. Size the stove properly and you have no regrets. Imagine going through all the trouble to get that stove in (and it can be a process) only to be disappointed.
I'm happy with the slightly smaller cousin, the homestead, but the heritage would have been a better choice. For me, difference between a B+ and an A, I think.
Also, the max. square footage listed in the brochure are for WELL insulated houses. It doesn't seem that your house's sq footage even fits that, even for the Mansfield at 2500 sq ft. Go equinox.
Good luck.
I'll agree with the rest of the crowd. Go with the Equinox if it can fit in. I think you'll find the Heritage too smallfar too much of the time.
Any hearthstone made after about 1990 will have tubes or a catalytic converter and I don't believe that you'll find a cat version so your friend either has tubes (maybe a cat) or his stove is much older than he thinks.
If you just really really want the heritage then just get it. Those of us that own the stove or even similar ones are telling you not to but you seem to really want it so by all means get it. The money you'll spend on that Heritage (3000$) will buy a number of much more capable stoves and almost be enough to buy the proper sized Hearthstone.
I can also load the stove at 10PM and restart on coals at 7am. The stove isn't making a ton of heat at 7AM but I don't have to light a match. If we are trying to justify the heritage then you can know that the heritage is also rated for 55000 btu just as your old stove was.
If you just really really want the heritage then just get it. Those of us that own the stove or even similar ones are telling you not to but you seem to really want it so by all means get it. The money you'll spend on that Heritage (3000$) will buy a number of much more capable stoves and almost be enough to buy the proper sized Hearthstone.
I can also load the stove at 10PM and restart on coals at 7am. The stove isn't making a ton of heat at 7AM but I don't have to light a match. If we are trying to justify the heritage then you can know that the heritage is also rated for 55000 btu just as your old stove was.
Thanks Pyro. I truly appreciate your comments. Will let you know how the Heritage works out. If the Mansfield had a rear vent we would be getting it, but we have come to realize that the top vent would be a logistical nightmare. And the Eqinox would be much too large for the room it will be in. Will let you know. Thanks!!
Geka - are you planning to put in the blower kit as well? something to help move all that air around the big house? I also wonder if you're fully aware of just how slowly these soapstone stoves get up to temperature? You will be waiting hours for the stove to actually throw enough heat out to warm up the whole house.
I know this type of question is always tricky to ask and answer since we don't know all your details, nor how well the old VC has actually been running, but if it's been giving you plenty of heat and you're happy with it, then a comparable heat-producing device should also be enough for you. And it would seem that perhaps you would not have much difficulty, if you felt forced to bump up to a larger stove next season, to sell off the Heritage at a reasonable price. These things seem to have a good sale market! Can't wait to see how you make out.
I know this type of question is always tricky to ask and answer since we don't know all your details, nor how well the old VC has actually been running, but if it's been giving you plenty of heat and you're happy with it, then a comparable heat-producing device should also be enough for you. And it would seem that perhaps you would not have much difficulty, if you felt forced to bump up to a larger stove next season, to sell off the Heritage at a reasonable price. These things seem to have a good sale market! Can't wait to see how you make out.
i have no problem getting quick heat out of my stove,i guess cuz there is most always either a fire in it or at least the last fires hot coals wich makes for some quick heat...love this heat machine.... :coolsmile:
Yeah I was talking about when it is stone cold w/ no hot coals... then it'll take awhile to get to useful heat output, esp in remote parts of the house.
Edthedawg,
Thanks for your encouraging words. We will be burning the Heritage 24/7 so won't be dealing with a cold stove much. We picked it up today. Checked out the Mansfield at the shop and so wish we could have pulled that one off but as I said before the logistics of making it work was getting to be a nightmare. Fingers crossed that the Heritage works out well...we are feeling fairly confident. We also picked up some piping but it was not put together...you know seamed together. My husband spent over an hour and only got a three foot section together. Heard there is a trick to it and we have not found it. Tomorrow we will visit a plumber friend to see if he can do it as long as we have not mangled the pipe too much with all hubby's efforts. After that we will do a lot of contorting to get the pipe into one of the three flues in our fireplace. Need to block up the other two. Lots of work today cleaning out the smoke chamber also. Looking forward to watching the flames in our new woodstove and feeling that soapstone heat. Right now hubby is sitting in his easy chair watching the presidential election and reading his Heritage manual. Thanks again. Geka
Thanks for your encouraging words. We will be burning the Heritage 24/7 so won't be dealing with a cold stove much. We picked it up today. Checked out the Mansfield at the shop and so wish we could have pulled that one off but as I said before the logistics of making it work was getting to be a nightmare. Fingers crossed that the Heritage works out well...we are feeling fairly confident. We also picked up some piping but it was not put together...you know seamed together. My husband spent over an hour and only got a three foot section together. Heard there is a trick to it and we have not found it. Tomorrow we will visit a plumber friend to see if he can do it as long as we have not mangled the pipe too much with all hubby's efforts. After that we will do a lot of contorting to get the pipe into one of the three flues in our fireplace. Need to block up the other two. Lots of work today cleaning out the smoke chamber also. Looking forward to watching the flames in our new woodstove and feeling that soapstone heat. Right now hubby is sitting in his easy chair watching the presidential election and reading his Heritage manual. Thanks again. Geka
I know that manual well - I read it cover to cover about 400 times prepping for our install. I had a friend do the dirty pipework - we had him put in a 6" flex liner 2 yrs ago, and he was able to take out the block-off plate he had built for it up high inside the fire box, pull the liner down, and tie it directly into the tee. i can post photos of how it all came together. He was able to bend and re-use the blockoff plate, just lower in the box now. you def need to block those extra flues, tho. way too much heat going up the flues without that. Are you expecting to simply stub stovepipe up into one of the flues and expect it to carry the rest of the way up and out on its own? or is there a liner already in there? or you're going to drop a Z-liner down to have it lined the whole way up?
feel free to ask/pm w/ specific q's about the clearances, hearth coverage, etc. - I went into great detail w/ my installer friend and our inspector (plus a lot of review of the great material available on this site) to make sure i conformed with all that. I'm glad i did too - this thing throws massive amounts of heat to adjacent surfaces!
feel free to ask/pm w/ specific q's about the clearances, hearth coverage, etc. - I went into great detail w/ my installer friend and our inspector (plus a lot of review of the great material available on this site) to make sure i conformed with all that. I'm glad i did too - this thing throws massive amounts of heat to adjacent surfaces!
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