Looking for a "soft" radiant stove - PE Summit, Jotul F600, or ???

[moosetrek]

I'm sure any 3.0+ stove will do it, Hog is right - just a matter of how to get it fine-tuned. I'll post back after the weekend with the blower, and wish all a good day for now. Stuck in another hotel room missing wood heat!

 

[Stubborn Dutchman]

Thanks for this thread. I've been lusting after a F 600 over the Oslo for the kitchen in our old farmhouse. I don't think I can make use of it's max capacity due to the chopped up floor plan, but wanted the extra capacity for longer burn times since I live alone but am gone for ten hour work days. This helps with my decision.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Thanks for this thread. I've been lusting after a F 600 over the Oslo for the kitchen in our old farmhouse. I don't think I can make use of it's max capacity due to the chopped up floor plan, but wanted the extra capacity for longer burn times since I live alone but am gone for ten hour work days. This helps with my decision.

I know first hand how challenging it is to heat an old farmhouse. I agree, the F600 would probably be too large for the area (based on my farmhouse and being in a half a dozen other old farmhouses) as moving the heat to other portions of the hows will prove to be difficult.

But, you may want to start a thread and post your floor plan to give everyone a better idea of what you are dealing with.

 

[iceman]

Well I think we're going to try the blower. Our dealer has graciously offered to swap for a Summit if we pay shipping, but I think if the T6 with a blower won't do it then neither will a Summit. The T6 was heating OK until this past weekend when we had a couple breezy days (30-40 mph). The wind coming through the windows was too much for the hot air off the T6, and we were having a hard time keeping it up to temp at 30F outside (15F with wind chill). Fixing the windows is not an option for about 2 yrs, so not much we can do about it as we need to be able to open them. The stove runs great, I can see the heat waves off the top and it'll hit 750 easy. Only other issue is it doesn't seem to hold a burn @650 very long (1 hr tops), but I think might be too little hardwood or too small of splits. I checked the door and tightened the latch as suggested since it almost failed the dollar bill test on the top latch side.

Based on consensus here, the blower seems to help immensely and we'll give it a try and see how much difference it makes. If it works as suggested, we should be OK and really enjoy the stove. If it's still not keeping up, we'll go from there...!

Ok, seriously, I asked if you had a blower on the stove nearly a month ago!

Additionally, there are many things that can be done to seal up the windows. I have old windows. They used to be awful. There is temporary caulking that can be used. Weather stripping for the top, bottom and joint areas. There is insulation tape that can seal gaps. As mentioned there is sealing plastic that can cover the entire window. It isn't that expensive. $100 will go a REALLY long way. Please, do yourself a favor and go to Ace, or Lowes, or Home Depot and purchase these items.

I know, we kept thinking about the blower but weren't sure we wanted to try it if we weren't sure about the stove. But since we're in it already, it's worth a shot. The windows are not something we can fix, they're double-hung wood double panes with a poor design along the slide rail - there's no way to seal them and still use the window. The PO tried it, and we're still scraping bits of caulk that wedge in to make a bigger gap. Sealing with plastic won't allow them to open (no option per DW) so we can seal about half. They really need to be replaced, no other reasonable solution, but it'll be a bit before all 10 of them are new even with the tax credit. THe POs were, um, an interesting lot (house was a previous rental and bank foreclosure... and none of them were master craftsmen by any stretch!) so we're still trying to work our back to a decent setup. We're bringing the exterior walls to R20, attic insulation, sealing gaps and and windows are next, but we might move this summer for work so I'm not investing a ton until we know if we'll need to find another home soon. If we're selling/renting this one its a different road than living here-

Summit, thanks for the info - small world! I lived in Gardiner until 2000... Appreciate the candid advice, and having gotten the offer from our dealer about the blower we don't have anything to lose by trying it. Should be installed by Fri and hopefully try it over the weekend. Any suggestions on the burn times? Only getting an hour or so before it drops significantly, and we're burning mostly birch, poplar, elm, some ash, and a little western red cedar and even less pine.

dont waste your time..... if you do end up moving sell the stove.. no need to return it pay for shipping etc.. the stove you have is fine you need to learn how the stove works... less wood, more wood, less air more air... just about any stove can heat an area of your size ... its just how well... if you want radiant it means burn it harder because it is cast... i am on year 3 with my summit and still learning how to work it, in certain situations ... depends on wood type, outside temp, how much air i give it - there are sooo many things i am still learning about this stove! and i am by no means a "rookie" to burning wood, but i feel like it!... mix your load with some pine and oak you will get a hot burn!

 

[moosetrek]

So I had a buddy pick up the blower while I was out of town. Came home and it was in my office... hooked it up Fri am before work and checked to make sure it works. I can safely say THE BLOWER ROCKS!

I am a confirmed convert to the blower... Thanks to all who have patiently weighed in with their suggestions, and especially to Summit for pushing me over the edge to try it before swapping out the stove. We still haven't had any major cold snaps yet, but based on the increase in heat at ground level, I think we should be easily heating 900 sq ft at 0F or colder, despite some leaks and uninsulated walls. Maybe it just makes a significantly noticeable improvement because our high ceilings induce stratification that the fans can't keep up with - for whatever reason it appears to have made the difference. Which is good cause moving out a 500lb stove and in a new one would suck, and we just love the way it looks and burns. Long Live the T6!

 

[begreen]

Good to hear there's a happy ending here. +++ to Summit.

 

[iceman]

So I had a buddy pick up the blower while I was out of town. Came home and it was in my office... hooked it up Fri am before work and checked to make sure it works. I can safely say THE BLOWER ROCKS!

I am a confirmed convert to the blower... Thanks to all who have patiently weighed in with their suggestions, and especially to Summit for pushing me over the edge to try it before swapping out the stove. We still haven't had any major cold snaps yet, but based on the increase in heat at ground level, I think we should be easily heating 900 sq ft at 0F or colder, despite some leaks and uninsulated walls. Maybe it just makes a significantly noticeable improvement because our high ceilings induce stratification that the fans can't keep up with - for whatever reason it appears to have made the difference. Which is good cause moving out a 500lb stove and in a new one would suck, and we just love the way it looks and burns. Long Live the T6!

H@@@! YA another happy PE owner!
yes yes yes..... its what the world needs! (along with world peace)
i hope that stove keeps you warm and happy for many years to come!!

 

[Hogwildz]

Congrats Moose, let us know how it performs when you get some single digits etc.
Glad it worked out for you. Come next year when you get even more used to the stove, you will appreciate it even more.

 

[moosetrek]

Will do, thanks again for all the help! Got an OAK question but I'll start a new thread for it.