Ideal steel owners, looking for updates and some ?'s

[Sconnie Burner]

Thinking long and hard about purchasing one in the near future. I'm currently running a Quadra-fire 3100 (2 cu ft box) in the house I'm renting but thinking about buying the house and buying a different stove as well. I like the quad but would like to get a little longer usable heat burn times without such a temp spike. The quad runs for 8-10 hours but the house starts to cool after 6-7 (few degrees, nothing major). I can keep the house a consistent 70-72 over night in the upper teens and twenties on lowest primary setting. Its when it gets close to zero when it seems to die off too soon.

I run the quad at 600-675 sometimes 700 or a little over too depending on heat needed to re-warm in the morning. I know the ideals like it cooler but am I right in thinking a longer little lower heat will keep the house temp more consistent longer and the family room a little less over hot? And can they be cranked up as high as the quad if needed?

For reference I'm heating a well insulated 2400 sq feet. The house was built in 2004 and is set up with a split entry, stove in the basement family room. I run a box fan at the bottom of the stairs and get a good convection loop going to move heat to the upper level. So I can effectively heat the whole house with all rooms being within a degree or 2 of eachother with the exception of the lower family room which is obviously warmer. Will this stove beable to handle that kind of set up from your experiences?

One more question: I run the blower on the quad to get the heat off of it and moving towards the upstairs. How well do the blower systems seem to work on the ideal steels? Or do they even have one?

 

[aansorge]

Those numbers sound really good for just two cubic feet. I don't have an Ideal Steel but like them and think it would be a great choice for you. ANY 3 cu. ft stove (well almost any!) would be a great help. Big stoves just make everything easier: they heat longer, hold bigger chunks, work with twisted pieces, generally have deeper boxes that don't spill out ash as easily, etc.

 

[TheRambler]

I don't have an IS, but did a lot of research and decided on the Progress Hybrid instead. The IS does not have a blower. If your current heat distribution scheme is working then it will probably continue to work. I would try running your current stove without the blower and see how it performs. Going off of pure numbers, the 3.2? cft of firebox on the IS will be a big improvement.

 

[Sconnie Burner]

The not having a blower is where I get nervous. For you guys/installers with a little experience, Will I beable to get the heat upstairs without it and just the box fan? Will the bigger firebox in essence replace the effect of the blower? And will I be able to keep the basement temps bearable while keeping the upstairs warm. I'm comfortable at the temps I'm achieving now. I just would like to squeak a little longer burns and heat out of my wood.

I would go from 78% efficiency to 83%, so how much less wood will I actually use? Is it a direct ratio? Will I only use 5% less or would it be greater? I do know I will get more heat out of each log though.

 

[begreen]

It totally depends on the house layout and stove location. In our house with an open floorplan a blower is not needed. In others it is essential. Can you post a sketch of the floor plan?

 

[weatherguy]

The not having a blower is where I get nervous. For you guys/installers with a little experience, Will I beable to get the heat upstairs without it and just the box fan? Will the bigger firebox in essence replace the effect of the blower? And will I be able to keep the basement temps bearable while keeping the upstairs warm. I'm comfortable at the temps I'm achieving now. I just would like to squeak a little longer burns and heat out of my wood.

I would go from 78% efficiency to 83%, so how much less wood will I actually use? Is it a direct ratio? Will I only use 5% less or would it be greater? I do know I will get more heat out of each log though.

I went from a stove with a blower to one without (the BK Princess to the PH) and the heat moves around just as well with my fans, in fact since the stove has more horsepower the house as a whole gets much warmer than it ever did with the Princess. I was worried too about not having a fan but as it turns out it doesn't matter in my case.

 

[Charles1981]

You just need a bigger firebox.

I always thought a blower was for more recessed installs and inserts where you need to push heat forward away from the enclosure.

If your stove as it seems in your avatar picture is sitting completely in the room I would think a box fan would do just as well if not better moving air as it can be placed in doorways and hallways. The blower would just be blowing hot air more forward into the room and not necessarily assisting air movement to other parts of the house.

My thought process may have some holes in it though.

I have a 2.3cu ft stove and it heats a 2100sq foot house similarly to yours and >15F it does a good job but starts struggling a <15F and definitely is not enough at below zero. And this upcoming week is going to single digits again in Michigan yay.

I would love to upgrade to an ideal steel, but probably not for a few more years.

 

[Sconnie Burner]

The blower actually blows towards my stair well and the back bedrooms in the basement so I think it is helping me distribute the heat, in my mind anyway. I wish there was a test drive program! I would do it in a heart beat! I hate to drop the coin and be dissapointed. I really like the looks of them! And the burn times is a close second to that. If it had or could have a blower system installed I'd have one on order!

 

[osagebow]

Love mine. My set up is a split entry also. Stove sits about 12 feet from bottom steps. It's a poorly insulated 1200 sq.ft. plus drafty 400' or so unfinished section next to stove room. I've had no problems keeping house at 70-72 and occasionally open a window. Usually load 3/4 full. Both upstairs bedrooms sit partially atop stove room and that helps.I don't use a blower or fan.

I can do 12 hours between reloads easy, but haven't really had to go over 500 yet, this week is getting single digits however, and I'll check back. Good luck!

 

[osagebow]

Also, I believe production is running behind, that tmay factor into your decision

 

[valuman]

Were you aware that Woodstock Soapstone has a six month, money back guarantee? You'd still be out the shipping costs, but...

 

[Sconnie Burner]

Were you aware that Woodstock Soapstone has a six month, money back guarantee? You'd still be out the shipping costs, but...

Interesting...... Thanks for the heads up! I will look into that!

 

[Sconnie Burner]

Also, I believe production is running behind, that tmay factor into your decision

Don't need I it right away. Just tossing it around at this point. I only intend to buy one if I purchase the house. I will take the 6 months into consideration.

 

[Sconnie Burner]

Well with the cold snap, I have found that I need the blower to help move the heat off my Quad with a top temp 550-650, to get it going up the stairs from the basement. And fans helping circulate as well. As much as I like the looks of the Ideal Steel, I think I need to have a blower! I'll stick with the quad for now as its doing a great job with the sub zero and single digit daytime temps and still getting 6-8 hr burns depending on load.

 

[begreen]

The lack of a blower seems like a legacy of the soapstone development history. It should definitely be an option on a steel stove.

 

[osagebow]

The lack of a blower seems like a legacy of the soapstone development history. It should definitely be an option on a steel stove.

Definitely. I could see how no blower could be a deal breaker for many setups. No reason that one couldn't be tacked on the back....hmm.....

 

[weatherguy]

Well with the cold snap, I have found that I need the blower to help move the heat off my Quad with a top temp 550-650, to get it going up the stairs from the basement. And fans helping circulate as well. As much as I like the looks of the Ideal Steel, I think I need to have a blower! I'll stick with the quad for now as its doing a great job with the sub zero and single digit daytime temps and still getting 6-8 hr burns depending on load.

Try your current stove with the blower off and use a fan like you hypothetically would with the IS and see how that works, may answer your question.

 

[alforit]

I went from a stove with a blower to one without (the BK Princess to the PH) and the heat moves around just as well with my fans, in fact since the stove has more horsepower the house as a whole gets much warmer than it ever did with the Princess. I was worried too about not having a fan but as it turns out it doesn't matter in my case.

Might want to clarify to the members that you went from a BK Insert to a Woodstock Freestander. There is a big difference in heat output from an insert to a freestander.................The freestander is going to dish more heat . Due to a larger exposed heating surface area. Including exposed stove pipe.