Just bought house with a Morso 1125, should we get a new stove?

[IndieJones]

Hey all,
I know nothing about wood stoves, but we just bought a house that comes with one. We wanted a house with one ever since we rented a cabin in the woods for a weekend and spent most of the time sitting in front of it's wood stove and experimenting with the fire. Much better than tv!
According to the disclosure papers it's a Morso 1125, and it doesn't look terribly modern. I think it has a screen door that fits on it but no other way to view the fire. So should we upgrade it to a new stove? Would that involve changing the chimney piping or can we just swap it out?
How large of an area does this model heat?
Thanks for any answers!

 

[Corie]

I would recommend upgrading. Have the chimney inspected to be certain it is in safe operable condition. Chances are it is and you'll be able to pop a new stove in its place.




I say upgrade because: that isn't a modern stove, it looks like the door has been modified, THEY ARE SO STINKIN UGLY!


Hope that helps. If you plan on upgrading, be prepared to take on a HUGE numbers of stove possibilities and the difficult choice that will ensue from SO many good stoves being on the market right now.

 

[webbie]

This is actually quite a great stove! It heats up a storm.....

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but this was certainly an advanced design for 1978.....and was not a creosote factory like many stoves of the era.

 

[titan]

Yes.

 

[Corie]

This is actually quite a great stove! It heats up a storm.....

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but this was certainly an advanced design for 1978.....and was not a creosote factory like many stoves of the era.

Yeah, Craig is definitely right about that. I just can't get over, well, how ugly it is. I suppose some people might like it, but I personally like a stove that looks good and gives you a view of the fire. Call me crazy

 

[IndieJones]

1978?? :-S
Well, I certainly won't disagree about the looks, it's not going to win any beauty pageants. But then again some of the more decorative-looking stoves with gothic arches and what not would look pretty odd in this house.

It's good to know that it's a great and well designed stove, and not too badly polluting. So how much sq footage does this thing heat, anyway? How much would using the screen and having the doors open impact it? And would doing that set one of our many furry pets alight?

 

[begreen]

Hi Indie, welcome. If it were me, I'd try it out for a season. Morso makes good stoves and if you have bigger priorities, it might work fine. However, if you're hankering for a view of the fire and want a new cleaner burning stove, a new Morso would probably fit right in there. Regardless, have the flue cleaned and checked out for condition so that you know where you stand in that dept.

 

[webbie]

If you do get rid of it, don't sell it cheap!

As to heating capability, I would rate is about 2500 square feet in a mid-atlantic climate, and perhaps 2,000 in New England - that thing can rock! Look at all that radiant surface on the front slope - and the triangles add even more.....

That sucker will warm your hands for certain!

 

[IndieJones]

If you do get rid of it, don't sell it cheap!

As to heating capability, I would rate is about 2500 square feet in a mid-atlantic climate, ...

:gulp: WHAAAATTT?? I had no idea! I thought it'd just heat that room not the whole house! It so compact too!
Ok, I'm seriously impressed. And all it has to deal with is some nice and mild (if rainy) oregon winters.
I won't feel bad about running it with the screen in when we're in that room then. I'm glad since we're both kind of pyromaniacs. There's just something so nice about sticking a fresh piece of wood into a fire and watching it catch!

Thank you all for being so helpful! I'm glad I found this forum and I think I'll be sticking around and picking up tips. :lol:

 

[restorer]

I wouldn't throw it out with the bath water. Sort of efficient, might meet the requirements, it's OK, that's all jealosy. If you have a mid-century sort of mind this is a biggy. You have a quality stove, no one can trash, it does an outrageous chase for the EPA standards, and was well thought out and as well made. If you crunch the Btu's keep the stove. It should be grandfathered for installation. Use it in good health and realize you have a quality product to use, learn and enjoy. The ney sayers will tell you it's a heap and I'll take it off your hands for a few bucks, but, it will do a fine job in heating your home. Bad side is you will not win the ferrari award for design. Suck it up and learn to say, "What! You don't like it warm?????"

 

[elkimmeg]

Down east I had a Efel and a lang Unfortunaytely (age wise) I know from where you speak they were the quality stoves of the time
Better than the sheet metal Ashleys

 

[wg_bent]

1978 !! A show of hands here how many, besides Msr. Craig, even remember 1978 :kiss: .
Those "older" (sic) Scandinavian wood stoves set the standard for the rebirth of efficient wood heating waaaaaayy back.
"Ugly" you say ???!!?? $#@%^&%. Please repeat after me: "eyes of the beholder" %-P . Brands such as Lange, Morso, Jotul gave the Vermont Vermont Castings guys a high quality, well-engineered target in the late 70's. For awhile back then, wood heating was a serious fad and the industry was competitive. Think of all the brands back then made over the US. Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Baby Bear . Step stoves. Round stoves. Cigarette-burning stoves. Morso engineered gasketed seams rather than furnace cemented ones. Still do.
Disclosure here: I fell in love with and beside a Morso 2BO. :coolgrin: Anyone recall "recycled heat" in that Morso "arch" ?
Just for comparison, the Jotul 602 has to be the most sold wood stove globally. Our green porcelain 602B was last used as a Sauna heater, sold last year after 15 years of varied use for $300. The boss lady ( SWMBO) wanted the sauna for her garden shed. Oh well. :red:

I remember 1978, and a lot of those old tall thin type stoves like this Morso. I mostly remember Jotuls though. I'm personally not a big fan of that style, I prefer the VC look. I do like that 2ub though. Very classic look but it has got to have the smallest firebox I've ever seen. Can you say 1 split?

 

[webbie]

1978 !! A show of hands here how many, besides Msr. Craig, even remember 1978 :kiss: .

1978 was 10 YAH

(Years after Hendrix)

In case the operation of the 1125 is a mystery, it takes the primary air into the firebox in two ways - one is through the hollow door handle and the other is through the seal of the doors! The handle is designed to rotate and allow the doors to slightly offset the front of the stove and allow air inlet around them.

 

[senorFrog]

First off, congrats on the cottage!

Re the stove, it's not what I'd call classic lines. Swap it out ASAP because it's beyond ugly. (sorry)

The hearth pad, however looks real nice! A heartstone woodstove with cafe soapstone accents may complement it well.

Looks like you might have eight inch stove pipe? You'd have to swap that to six inch stove pipe.

 

[begreen]

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Some even think frogs are beautiful .

If Indie does decide on a stove change, why would one swap out the 8" pipe if it's in good condition?

 

[Jags]

Repeat after me:
"Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder", "beauty is in the eye of the beerholder".

Its a kick butt stove for making BTU's, if you like it, have it inspected for safety and use it. After a season, if you think something else will fit the bill better, you have about a 1000 choices to choose from. This stove is probably on the "clean" side of the pre-epa stoves.

<Now, where'd that beer go anyhow??>

 

[elkimmeg]

Oregon has some very strict burn policies I'm suprised they did not require the stove to be removed upon change in ownership.

I do not know Oregon's policy or your exact location but you could be very limited as to the days and time you can burn a non EPA approved stove.

I do know that oregon did have a stove swap out program but that may have been a few years back. If you happen to be at a low elevation and in one of the frequent temperature inversion zones, that stove will see limited use. I think Oregon just adopted no stove can emit more tha 4.6 GPH and Cat stoves no more than 2.5 gph. The GPH levels can not be obtained with your current stove. Nor can that stove be sold for re installation in your state. No stove can be installed unless they meet the GPH criteria. No stove can be installed in USA unless they are labled and listed and UL approved. That is with in a residence I supose they can be installed in a shed or barn.

As for it being grandfathered for usage, does grandfathering only apply to its original owner?

Perhaps some can look into Oregon's wood stove burning policy. I take no pleasure raining on your parade, but to make you aware there may exist rules for your stove usage. As Clean as it may have been in 1978 30 years old, I doubt it will burn as clean as new. I doubt it burns less than 4.6 GPH

Most here promote clean burning.

 

[begreen]

I didn't find anything about using the stove or selling a house that has one. The ruling is that no uncertified stove may be bought or sold in state and no building permit will be issued for installation of a non-certified stove.

(broken link removed)

 

[elkimmeg]

Maybe these links will back up what I suspected

http://www.google.com/search?q=wood...ient=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official


http://www.google.com/search?q=wood...ient=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

(broken link removed to http://www.co.jackson.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=1984)