Largest/longest burning 6" flue wood stove recommendations needed

[racer765]

Hello everyone,
I currently have a Century Hearth model FW240007. I have a full walkout basement that is finished living space where the woodburner is located. It also heats the main level of my ranch home (roughly 1,200 sq ft, 2,400 sq ft including the basement). It's vented vertical 25 ft through stainless 6" insulated pipe in a chimney chase. The problems I have with it is the firebox is too small. I struggle getting cord wood to fit inside of it unless I cut it myself and it only burns for about 2-3 hours max. It makes for a long night getting up every 2 hours to reload it. I normally keep my house about 65f in the winter. It does maintain that temp without having the furnace kick on but that's if I keep a constant hot temperature with the stove loaded (it never gets the whole house over 65f even wide open). I'd love to find a larger 6" flue woodburner that can burn through the night. Older posts from 2011 recommended Englander stoves. I was looking at an Englander 32-NC for $1,500ish with free shipping. I don't know if those are still recommended? I'm looking for something better quality than the cheaper stoves at places like Tractor Supply. Thank you

 

[begreen]

If you can find an Englander 32-NC that would work. Otherwise check out the Drolet Myriad III or Legend III. Along with the old Century, all of these are SBI stoves.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

The Century is a great little stove! I ran one for years!

If you want the longest burning, you’ll want to at least consider the cat stoves.

Whichever stove you decide on, it’ll be a bit more choose about dry wood than the Century is. Make sure your wood is below 20% moisture content.

 

[brenndatomu]

Yup, if you want to be done with it, buy once/cry once, get a good cat stove...Blaze King and Woodstock are the two places to start.

 

[EbS-P]

Do you have a damper? Are you measuring flue gas temps?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

One other thing I saw when re-reading your post is that you burn wide open. That lets all the heat up the flue. Close it down and you’ll get more heat out of the stove. You’ll still have about a 4 -5 hour burn time though.

 

[Highbeam]

I own a Blaze king princess and an Englander nc30. Both are much larger than your century stove which is just decorative at 1.25 cubic feet.

First step is get a much larger stove. You obviously need more heat and longer burn times. Both are improved with a bigger stove.

Then, if you really want a longest burning then you must go to the blaze king (princess or 30 series) which is the current longest burn winner on 6" flue though obviously to burn so long it will be burning at a lower rate so you might only get the full 30 hours when you don't need much heat. Even in single digits temperatures with wind I only reload every 12 hours. This stove takes full size splits loaded straight in N/S.

The NC30/32 is a big stove at 3.5 cubic feet. Almost triple the size of your CFM and makes a lot of easy, simple, cheap heat. Burn times can be as low as 2-3 hours if you push it. I've never gotten an overnight burn from this stove but it's easy to light and quick to heat back up.

 

[Highbeam]

One other thing I saw when re-reading your post is that you burn wide open. That lets all the heat up the flue. Close it down and you’ll get more heat out of the stove. You’ll still have about a 4 -5 hour burn time though.

In the manual for this stove, it lists the output at various intake settings. It has the max of 26,000 at wide open throttle. It's just a tiny stove.

 

[brenndatomu]

That lets all the heat up the flue. Close it down and you’ll get more heat out of the stove. You’ll still have about a 4 -5 hour burn time though.

True.

In the manual for this stove, it lists the output at various intake settings. It has the max of 26,000 at wide open throttle. It's just a tiny stove.

Meh...26k WFO, but 50% of the heat up the flue...
IMO, it'd still be 25k BTU closed down/on "cruise control" and only 25% up the flue. (just for example on the efficiency numbers, I don't recall how they arrive at those BTU output numbers right now...but IIRC its convoluted))
And it would be over 4-5 hours, instead of 2...huge difference as far as actually heating the house!

 

[Highbeam]

True.

Meh...26k WFO, but 50% of the heat up the flue...
IMO, it'd still be 25k BTU closed down/on "cruise control" and only 25% up the flue. (just for example on the efficiency numbers, I don't recall how they arrive at those BTU output numbers right now...but IIRC its convoluted))
And it would be over 4-5 hours, instead of 2...huge difference as far as actually heating the house!

Could be decent heat at less than WOT, but this thing isn't doing much of anything for 5 hours. It's the size of an ash tray. I also think that even at WOT it is still making heat well after two hours but probably due to coaling up will not be making enough heat.

Life sucks when trying to heat with an undersized stove.

 

[brenndatomu]

Life sucks when trying to heat with an undersized stove.

No doubt!

 

[brenndatomu]

Hello everyone,
I currently have a Century Hearth model FW240007. I have a full walkout basement that is finished living space where the woodburner is located. It also heats the main level of my ranch home (roughly 1,200 sq ft, 2,400 sq ft including the basement). It's vented vertical 25 ft through stainless 6" insulated pipe in a chimney chase. The problems I have with it is the firebox is too small. I struggle getting cord wood to fit inside of it unless I cut it myself and it only burns for about 2-3 hours max. It makes for a long night getting up every 2 hours to reload it. I normally keep my house about 65f in the winter. It does maintain that temp without having the furnace kick on but that's if I keep a constant hot temperature with the stove loaded (it never gets the whole house over 65f even wide open). I'd love to find a larger 6" flue woodburner that can burn through the night. Older posts from 2011 recommended Englander stoves. I was looking at an Englander 32-NC for $1,500ish with free shipping. I don't know if those are still recommended? I'm looking for something better quality than the cheaper stoves at places like Tractor Supply. Thank you

Here is the SBI factory store, there are several large stoves here that would work if you want to stay with a non cat stove...SBI bought out Englander, so they have some of their old models still too. Good prices, with free shipping too.
This is already sorted for 2400 sq ft n up...that FW3500 is a hoss.

https://www.myfireplaceproducts.com/us/en/heaters/stoves/wood-stoves/?sort=Size&surfi=2400-4000

 

[Highbeam]

The FW3500 is 2.88 CF, 1.6 gph emissions, and 71% efficient. Not bad but a good bit smaller than the NC32. I couldn't find the NC32 on the EPA database but it should be 3.5CF.

 

[brenndatomu]

I couldn't find the NC32 on the EPA database but it should be 3.5CF.

I think SBI discontinued it...

 

[Highbeam]

I think SBI discontinued it...

Cripes, well, there are at least a couple of other 3.5 CF at the https://www.myfireplaceproducts.com/us/en/heaters/stoves/wood-stoves/?sort=Size&surfi=2400-4000 link you posted.

Early August and we're here planning for stoves.

 

[begreen]

Could be decent heat at less than WOT, but this thing isn't doing much of anything for 5 hours. It's the size of an ash tray. I also think that even at WOT it is still making heat well after two hours but probably due to coaling up will not be making enough heat.

Life sucks when trying to heat with an undersized stove.

There are many past users reporting using this stove to do 8, 10 and even 12 hr reload cycles, especially burning good hardwood.

 

[brenndatomu]

The FW3500 is 2.88 CF, 1.6 gph emissions, and 71% efficient. Not bad but a good bit smaller than the NC32. I couldn't find the NC32 on the EPA database but it should be 3.5CF.

Wonder if that Blue Ridge 500 is the NC32 replacement?

 

[Highbeam]

There are many past users reporting using this stove to do 8, 10 and even 12 hr reload cycles, especially burning good hardwood.

From 1.25 cubic feet? That does not sound reasonable and indeed would beat a BK on a hours per cubic foot basis.

 

[begreen]

From 1.25 cubic feet? That does not sound reasonable and indeed would beat a BK on a hours per cubic foot basis.

No, in the 30-NC.

 

[Highbeam]

No, in the 30-NC.

Gotcha, much more reasonable from a 3.5 cf stove.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

You could get a lot more than advertised out of the Century.

Where they saved money on it was the baffle design. The firebricks were very loose fitting. A little Kaowool stuffed into the cracks forced all the smoke over the baffle and increased efficiency greatly. It wasn’t magic, but you could get more heat out of every split and a longer burn time.

I remember I paid $242 out the door at Lowe’s for mine. I’d like to see what the engineers could have done if their price point was a few thousand like a BK!

 

[begreen]

I think SBI discontinued it...

It sounded like the OP had located one. Though it would be good to very in-stock availability. There were also the 3.5 and 3.3 cu ft Drolets in the below $2k range though maybe not now with the tariffs unless they are also building them in VA at the Englander plant.

 

[racer765]

Hello everyone, Thank you for the replies. Last night I fell down a wood burner rabbit hole. Reviewing BTU outputs and sizing I have started to question whether or not I'm over sizing for my home going that large. Also, with having the wood burner in the basement with no fresh air intake (note I have had no issues with draft with the smaller wood burner) I'm wondering if the larger wood burner will have issues. After comparing warranties it looks like Drolet with lifetime warranty are the best option for my budget (loved Blaze King but not in the budget right now and Englander changed to Blue Ridge models). The two models I'm debating between are the Drolet Escape 1800 and the Drolet HT3000 (I couldn't find the Myriad III or Legend III in stock online) My concern is maintaining a good stove and stack temp in the larger HT3000 would heat up the house too much? I live in Northern Michigan (zone 6). For comparison, my 96% eff. propane furnace is 45k BTU. I go through about one 500 gallon tank of propane in a year while also using the small Century wood burner on the colder days to supplement. The furnace heats the house fine without the wood burner with normal cycles (not undersized), I prefer to use the wood burner to reduce propane consumption and in case of a loss of power etc.

 

[brenndatomu]

Heating from the basement is a lot more forgiving for going oversized on the stove...I say go big and don't look back.
You can always build a small fire in a big stove, but you can't build a big fire in a small stove.

 

[begreen]

The HT3000 would work. There is also the Escape 2100 with their 3.5 cu ft firebox.

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