Looking for a hearth stove

[hockeypuck]

I have been lurking for a few weeks. WE have a center chimney ranch with a fireplace (29" high and will fit a 24" wide stove nicely). 1900 square feet but only concerned with 1200 of it. The other 700 sq.ft is in a remote section. We need to get a stove for supplemental heating. We will not be running it 24/7. Just on really cold or damp days. We would like a glass front for viewing and easy ash removal (priorities one and two). I have thought about the following:

Morso 2110
Pacific Energy (Alderlea series,love the ash removal, but closest dealer is over an hour away)
Napoleon (1100 pedestal)
Lopi?

I owned a VC Acclaim Resolute at my last house. Loved the top load, but it was a pain to make it run but as a blast furnace. Top load is really not an option because it would be too far out of the hearth. Please add or subtract from my list.

Thanks in advance

Puck

 

[BrotherBart]

The PE, Nap and Lopi stoves are all going to be too tall to fit in a 29" fireplace and all three are top vent only.

 

[begreen]

Top venting stoves could be a problem here unless the fireplace is very deep and then you might as well install an insert. That removes the Alderlea from the picture. I suspect you'll have to stick to rear-exit stoves. The Morso 2110 is nice small stove, but small firebox 1 cu ft., same as the Jotul F3CB. Personally I'd be more comfortable recommending a 2 cu ft insert like the Pacific Energy Super series or a Jotul C450 instead. Also you might want to take a look at the Hampton HI300.

 

[branchburner]

I think the Morso 2110 is a touch wider than the Jotul F3CB, and may take a slightly longer log with more ease (at least it looks that way from the door/tube configuration, but I'm just guessing). Stylistically very different, but to me both nice looking, well made stoves.

 

[hockeypuck]

Is the ash pan inside the Morso 2110?

 

[branchburner]

I looked at the stove a year ago and don't remember the ash pan, but they claim to have a good one. Do a forum search on the stove - it's a good way to review old threads and get answers to questions you didn't know you had!

 

[Bigg_Redd]

The Jptul Castine and Oslo (maybe the fireview too?) have reversible collars so they can top or back vent.

 

[cmonSTART]

Is there a reason you're looking for a hearth stove rather than an insert?

 

[Levi2u]

I purchased a morso 2110, I'm not quite finished with the install yet, and even then I dont' think it will be cold enough here in central MO. to burn it for another month. I will give it a complete review then. The dealer says "you won't be dissapointed with it"
I can answer a few of the questions you raised.
the broshure says it will take an 18 inch log, I've actually measured the distance from side to side, and it's almost 19 inches (18-3/4) .
However I'm going to cut my wood to 16 inches, since the actual door opening is more like 17 inches, and I want it to be easy to load.
It has an ash pan that is behind the main door, (and of course under the fire grate). It's made of galvanized sheet metal, not really all that impressive, I will probably make my own replacement at some time. I absolutely love the quality, and precision of the manufacturing of the entire rest of the stove. It shouts quality. As to the size... it is modest, but I don't intend to continously heat my entire home, but will probably try to keep it going 24-7 for the 3 coldest months.
I'm not going to get all freaked out if the natural gas forced air furnace kicks on every so often. (It is a 2 story 2,000 sf home) but natural gas is reasonably priced where I live, and I don't think we've ever had a monthly gas bill over 200 dollars. On the coldest days, and if there is a power outage I can be more than comfortably warm, Mine is also going in an existing fireplace, and I chose it over an insert simply because I think it must give out more heat since all sides are exposed to room air, I think it will be easier to clean, and do maintenance than if I had an insert. and of course without an electric blower the insert is almost useless in a power outage.
Ok, just one final detail.. those long legs
some of you may recall my questions about the length of the legs on this stove (10 inches) and my desire to find a shorter alternative.
Well lets just say I almost had to do a little arm twisting, but I got the legs I wanted. They are 6 inches long.
After doing a lot of research I discovered that the 2110 when sold in the British Isles (also known there as the panther) comes standard with 6 inch legs, and the 10 inch legs are an optional upgrade. I actually had a dealer in Scotland who was ready to ship a set of legs to me. but armed with this information I was able to get my local dealer to order them from the US distributor. And when I installed them it was painfully obvious that these were in fact the legs that were intended to be mounted on this stove.
Now, I have one question to ask the other forum members, on the front of each door there are what look like should be drasft air adjustment knobs, but they have been installed in such a way as to make them non functional. and since the stove has a single controll to adjust primary, and secondary air intake they aren't needed. Are they just a vestage of an earlier model of this same stove that used the same castings?
I was just curious, and thought maybe someone here might know the answer,
Levi

 

[hockeypuck]

Is there a reason you're looking for a hearth stove rather than an insert?

I do not like the look of the inserts and do not want to have to rely on a circulation fan. If you have any that you prefer, I will at least take a look.

Thanks for all your responses.

 

[hockeypuck]

Okay,

So cmonStart got be thinking. Due to my room size and fire place size (36 wide by 29.5" high and tapers back to 24" wide and about 17" deep) an insert might be a good bet. A stove might stick out too far into a high traffic area. So the Jotul Winterport or the Hampton HI 200 might be in order.

 

[Dix]

You've got the right set up for optimum use from an insert. Having the chimney centrally located is a huge plus.

I'm heating the house with an insert, roughly same size, and with an area sectioned off (in my case an accessory apartment). I can tell you that the insert is heating the entire house (I don't know how, still working on that one) until it hits 20 or so outside, then the heating zone for the apartment kicks in, and even then runs no where near as often as when we didn't have the insert.

Good luck in your search, and welcome to the forums !!

 

[begreen]

As mentioned earlier, while looking, consider the bigger brothers of these stoves - The Jotul 450 or the Hampton HI300. What you will gain are longer burn times. With a bit of fan assist in the right location, you may be able to heat that additional 700 sq ft.

 

[Creek-Chub]

You could squeeze an Englander 30 in there, with legs - no pedestal, I think. If nothing else, it would be fun to see just how hot you could get it inside...

 

[hockeypuck]

One of my concerns with an insert was loss of power and getting the fans to run. Has anyone plugged these into a APC battery back up system with success?

 

[BrotherBart]

One of my concerns with an insert was loss of power and getting the fans to run. Has anyone plugged these into a APC battery back up system with success?

Works like a champ. My battery backup kept mine up for six hours. After that I fired the generator. Of course for twenty years I always wondered if my old insert could heat the place in a power failure. When it finally happened the dang thing kept us warm for a week without power.

 

[Levi2u]

I'm not trying to start an argument,
but I've spent alot of time reading posts on ths site, and while I see lots of topics about people who are, or are have had problems getting heat from their insert, no one ever complains that thier stove doesn't get hot.
I'm not doubting those of you who are having good results with your insert, I'm just saying there seems to be uncertainty with inserts, but not with freestanding stoves.
Levi

 

[branchburner]

I opted for a hearth stove as opposed to an insert for 5 reasons:
1) Looks
2) No need for blower
3) Stovetop cooking
4) Nostalgia (grew up with cast iron in the kitchen)
5) Fear of the unknown (burned a lotta different stoves, never an insert)

But there's nothing wrong with an insert, if done right. I think a lot of the problems with inserts boil down to installation issues (unlined exterior chimney with no blockoff) or user issues (bad wood, etc.). I think you hear more insert problems because there may be a larger percentage of insert owners with no prior burning experience, as compared to stove owners. Just a guess.

 

[BrotherBart]

You hear of questionable heating from inserts because everybody wants one that fits as flush as possible and then can't figure out why it won't heat without the blower. The reason my old one heated so well with the blower turned off and the reason my current stove installed into a fireplace heats well with the blower off is simple. Enough of the stove extending out in front of the fireplace to provide radiant heat.

Maximum heating from a stove comes with a free stander. Second comes a insert/stove that extends out in front of the fireplace. In last place heat wise is one flush mounted into a fireplace. No big mystery involved. Flush mounted works great. When the blowers are running.

That and "How the heck am I gonna clean that chimney?" are two important things that need to override aesthetics if you are installing a stove for heating purposes and they need to be thought out long before writing the check to the dealer.

 

[Levi2u]

I agree with you 100%,
It is no big mystery.
this must mean that the dealers selling the stoves/inserts arent' really doing their job in informing, and helping the purchaser choose a product that will meet their needs. Why? maybe they just want to make a sale. maybe a lot of insert purchasers aren't really buying them to heat their house, they just want something a little bit better than an open fireplace, and they never complain since they had low expectations to begin with. The truely dissatisfied customers wind up here looking for the best advice they can get.
I don't know if I'm going to become a regular poster on this site But really appreciate it.
Levi

 

[hockeypuck]

So I stopped by the Hampton dealer today. The hi200 is definitely out. The HI300 is a possibility as well as the Jotul450. Let me back up. The final straw that pushed me to an insert was the fact that I would of had to remove the mantle. When my wife shot me the hairy eyeball of death, I knew it was an insert. What a great looking insert the HI300 is. I told him that I was thinking about a Jotul and he brought out a good point that maybe some of you could pick up on. He said that you do not have to remove the unit to clean the liner. You only have to remove the baffles, from the fire box opening, shut the door and then clean away. In my book, that is big not having to move a 300 pound beat onto the wood floor every year. What do you think? I still have to justify the 3k in insert and liner though... which brings me to another question, is the liner cost part go to the 30 percent right off?

Thanks for the help.

 

[BrotherBart]

People here on the Forum remove the baffle in the 450 to clean the liner too. It is heavy but you just lower it to the floor of the firebox and brush away. Yes, the liner is part of the tax credit eligible cost to install the stove.

 

[cmonSTART]

Yup, the stove, liner, and any installation costs.