Looking for the best match for my large room - wood stove with high efficiency...

[rsilvers]

I care about high efficiency, good looks, long burn time, high BTU, and compatibility with my fireplace. The house has oil heat and I would like to try to keep the stove running as much as possible during the winter. Location is in New England.

Room is about 25x25 feet with a tall ceiling. Also it continues into the kitchen, so really the room is larger. Not only that, but there is a balcony that goes right to the upstairs hallway - so I could put an efficient DC powered horizontal fan up there and draw heat upstairs. I think I need a big stove.

I would like something that could exhaust through the fireplace. I think ideally that means that I want a stove with a rear duct.

It looks like the Woodstock Soapstone is ideal, because it is large (73,000 BTUs), Efficient (81), heavy to hold heat (700 lbs), and has a rear-duct option. In fact the only reason why I am hesitating at all is that I can't tell from the photos if it looks decent (every online photo is small and/or low quality).

Some other ones that I am considering are the Lopi Cape Cod, BlazeKing, and Boston 1700 - but none of those have a rear duct, and the BlazeKing is steel and not all that classic looking.

Not sure the Woodstock looks all that great either compared to a VC or Jøtul, but the Jøtuls are like 30,000 BTUs which seems small for this room, and the VC has a lot of consumer complaints (BB rating of C+).

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thank you.

 

[Grisu]

Welcome, rsilvers.

Random thoughts:

- How well is your home insulated? How much oil did you use last winter?
- How many sqft are you trying to heat total?
- The Boston 1700 is probably too small; I would not go for that.
- How tall is the fireplace? What kind of chimney? Can you drop a 6"-liner down there?
- Woodstock is in Lebanon, NH; about 2 hr drive from Boston. You could tour the factory, and chose the stone and color yourself.
- Have you thought about a wood furnace tied into your HVAC system?
- How important are aesthetics? I don't see the Progress as a really good fit. Maybe the more modern looking Ideal Steel?
- What is your budget?
- What kind of fireplace is that? Maybe putting an insert in there is an option. Or would you consider replacing it for an EPA-approved zero clearance fireplace?
- Do you have several cords of split and stacked wood that are drying in your yard already? Get that first! For the stove you have the whole summer.

Awesome home, btw.

 

[begreen]

Greetings. That is an unusual glass enclosure on the fireplace. What is the height of the lower fireplace opening? I'm wondering what your options are. It looks like without the upper section of glass that your options increase. Can the entire glass enclosure be removed to increase this opening height? If so, what it the total height of the fireplace to the lintel?

A couple large stoves that might work here if they clear are the Jotul F600 and the Quadrafire Isle Royale. Or you may be able to fit a large 3 cu ft top vent like the PE Alderlea if the height is over 32".

 

[rsilvers]

Welcome, rsilvers.

Random thoughts:

- How well is your home insulated? How much oil did you use last winter?
- How many sqft are you trying to heat total?
- The Boston 1700 is probably too small; I would not go for that.
- How tall is the fireplace? What kind of chimney? Can you drop a 6"-liner down there?
- Woodstock is in Lebanon, NH; about 2 hr drive from Boston. You could tour the factory, and chose the stone and color yourself.
- Have you thought about a wood furnace tied into your HVAC system?
- How important are aesthetics? I don't see the Progress as a really good fit. Maybe the more modern looking Ideal Steel?
- What is your budget?
- What kind of fireplace is that? Maybe putting an insert in there is an option. Or would you consider replacing it for an EPA-approved zero clearance fireplace?
- Do you have several cords of split and stacked wood that are drying in your yard already? Get that first! For the stove you have the whole summer.

Awesome home, btw.

Thank you.

I just bought this home and have not lived there yet. It is 7800 square feet, not counting a finished basement, and is 26 construction from about 1999. I just want to keep the stove going as much as possible so that the oil boiler will not fire as often. It also has a 3700 square foot guest house that only has Propane heat, so that should get a stove also.

I expect to be able to put a 6 inch liner in. I don't yet know the height of the opening of the fireplace.

It would be a 5 hour round trip to look at the stoves - not sure I am up for that - though it would be nice to see them and maybe leave with one.

I have thought of wood or coal tied to the home system - but I am not sure I am up for keeping it running, and it would probably reduce the value of the home if I were to sell it. Very few people would be up for that.

If the Ideal Steel looks better, that is a bonus, as it costs less. I just assumed that a stove made from sheet steel would not look as good. I didn't like how the BlazeKing looked for example. I am fine with modern, by the way - so I am open to the concept.

Budget - well - lower is better - I want this to pay for itself sooner. 2-3 year payoff.

There is a big stack of cut wood that has been there for years, but it is not covered.

 

[rsilvers]

I will get the fireplace height but it will take me about a week. I know there is a sale on Woodstock now that ends in a few days. Based on their past history, do they also have other sales in the summer?

 

[Ashful]

- What is your budget?

With a living room larger than most houses heated with wood, do you really think this is a pertinent question? I'm betting on the difference between a $2k stove and a $4k stove not being much of a factor in this decision.

I am no fan of new houses... but I gotta admit I like that room. Do you have any method of circulating air in that cavernous space? Looks like a stratiphication nightmare waiting to happen.

Boston + high ceiling + ample exterior glass = half the manufacturer's stated square footage, for stove capacity. You say 625 sq.ft. + kitchen.... maybe 1000 sq.ft. in one space? I don't think you can go too big, here.

 

[begreen]

That's a big warehouse to heat. You might want to consider an efficient wood fired boiler to tie into the hydronic system and perhaps the guest house too. Heating over 10,000 sq ft is on a commercial level. Have you reviewed previous oil and propane bills for the past several years? They will help determine the impact of adding wood heat. You will need a lot of wood, probably more than a large stack. Modern stoves need dry wood so for a 3 cu ft stove running continuously I would look for truly seasoned wood or kiln dried right away. You will need a minimum of 4 full cords or more. The benefit of a cat stove may not be huge here due to the heating load. The stove probably will be running on a high burn for most of the time.

Woodstock almost always has a sale. It's kind of like a Persian carpet dealer in that respect. Joful's point about heat stratification is a good one. I don't see any ceiling fans. Without something to stir up the trapped heat you may not feel much gain at the lower level and a toasty warm balcony area.

 

[Grisu]

Thank you.

I just bought this home and have not lived there yet. It is 7800 square feet, not counting a finished basement, and is 26 construction from about 1999. I just want to keep the stove going as much as possible so that the oil boiler will not fire as often. It also has a 3700 square foot guest house that only has Propane heat, so that should get a stove also.

I expect to be able to put a 6 inch liner in. I don't yet know the height of the opening of the fireplace.

You would also need to check for the flue diameter.

I have thought of wood or coal tied to the home system - but I am not sure I am up for keeping it running, and it would probably reduce the value of the home if I were to sell it. Very few people would be up for that.

You would of course keep the oil burner; thus the wood furnace would only be an addition. Another buyer would not need to use it. However, that would probably be the only route you could use to really cut down on your oil consumption; I doubt there is a single stove that has a chance of heating that home. The Hearthstone Equinox has a 4 cu ft firebox and can be rear-vented but would require an 8"-liner. The Manchester and Mansfield models are ~3 cu ft and require only a 6"-liner. Any chance of getting natural gas to that house?

If the Ideal Steel looks better, that is a bonus, as it costs less. I just assumed that a stove made from sheet steel would not look as good. I didn't like how the BlazeKing looked for example. I am fine with modern, by the way - so I am open to the concept.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It does not hurt to take a look at it, maybe you'll like it.

Budget - well - lower is better - I want this to pay for itself sooner. 2-3 year payoff.

That sounds a bit ambitious. Are you planning on cutting your own wood?

There is a big stack of cut wood that has been there for years, but it is not covered.

Top covering usually helps but is not required for drying. I hope it has been raised from the ground or the bottom layers may be lost. Has the wood been split and stacked in sunny and windy spot? With a large stove and when you want to burn regularly you may need about 5 to 6 cords per winter.

I will get the fireplace height but it will take me about a week. I know there is a sale on Woodstock now that ends in a few days. Based on their past history, do they also have other sales in the summer?

I think you can put a deposit down but it would be refundable if you decide otherwise before delivery. Check with them.

 

[HotCoals]

Man I hate to think what the taxes are on that spread!
Nice place!

 

[Ashful]

Geez... the OP posted as I was typing my last post. 10,000 sq.ft.? To put this in perspective, I'm heating half that with wood, and still burning 1000 gal. oil in addition to keeping two 3.0 cu.ft. stoves going 24/7.

I have 7200 sq.ft. on site, but the wood stoves only heat the central 5800 sq.ft. I burn about a cord of mixed hardwoods (mostly Ash and Walnut) every 10 days, when it gets cold, and the oil boiler still chews thru oil at roughly 5 gallons per day with that level wood usage.

Anyone keeping up with that thread on teaching kids to live frugal?

 

[begreen]

Yes, even the guest house could be a challenge to heat with a single stove unless very well insulated.

 

[Grisu]

Geez... the OP posted as I was typing my last post. 10,000 sq.ft.? To put this in perspective, I'm heating half that with wood, and still burning 1000 gal. oil in addition to keeping two 3.0 cu.ft. stoves going 24/7.

I have 7200 sq.ft. on site, but the wood stoves only heat the central 5800 sq.ft. I burn about a cord of mixed hardwoods (mostly Ash and Walnut) every 10 days, when it gets cold, and the oil boiler still chews thru oil at roughly 5 gallons per day with that level wood usage.

I guess that happens when someone loves old, drafty farmhouses. Nevertheless, I agree: One stove will never be enough to heat that palace.

 

[Ashful]

I guess that happens when someone loves old, drafty farmhouses. Nevertheless, I agree: One stove will never be enough to heat that palace.

"Old" just means "better," and I'm working on fixing "drafty."

 

[begreen]

"Old" just means "better," and I'm working on fixing "drafty."

Dunno about that. I'm getting old and not sure that's better.

 

[rsilvers]

Kitchen is 41x18 - so the main space is about 1400 square feet and has the tall ceiling.

No ceiling fans, but I think I should put something horizontal to suck air into that second-floor opening.

I could cut wood - there is 10 acres.

I know what you mean about sales - there are some window blinds places online that always have a sale that ends in a few days. The day that it ends, they post another one. I don't suspect Woodstock is anything like that, but it is nice to know I could catch another sale later.

 

[JA600L]

Kitchen is 41x18 - so the main space is about 1400 square feet and has the tall ceiling.

No ceiling fans, but I think I should put something horizontal to suck air into that second-floor opening.

I could cut wood - there is 10 acres.

I know what you mean about sales - there are some window blinds places online that always have a sale that ends in a few days. The day that it ends, they post another one. I don't suspect Woodstock is anything like that, but it is nice to know I could catch another sale later.

I think cutting wood will be about all you do. That house will require maximum btu out of a stove just about constantly. My little 1800 sqft house will heat fine above 300 degrees stove top so I get good burn times. Running at a much higher burn rate would mean reloading a couple times a day. That's when I think I would quit.

 

[Ashful]

If the OP wants to heat that joint 100% with wood, they are definitely looking at multiple stoves, and a dozen cords or more. However, I don't think that was stated as a goal. Could just be heating one zone.

 

[NHcpa]

I care about high efficiency, good looks, long burn time, high BTU, and compatibility with my fireplace. The house has oil heat and I would like to try to keep the stove running as much as possible during the winter. Location is in New England.

Room is about 25x25 feet with a tall ceiling. Also it continues into the kitchen, so really the room is larger. Not only that, but there is a balcony that goes right to the upstairs hallway - so I could put an efficient DC powered horizontal fan up there and draw heat upstairs. I think I need a big stove.

I would like something that could exhaust through the fireplace. I think ideally that means that I want a stove with a rear duct.

It looks like the Woodstock Soapstone is ideal, because it is large (73,000 BTUs), Efficient (81), heavy to hold heat (700 lbs), and has a rear-duct option. In fact the only reason why I am hesitating at all is that I can't tell from the photos if it looks decent (every online photo is small and/or low quality).

Some other ones that I am considering are the Lopi Cape Cod, BlazeKing, and Boston 1700 - but none of those have a rear duct, and the BlazeKing is steel and not all that classic looking.

Not sure the Woodstock looks all that great either compared to a VC or Jøtul, but the Jøtuls are like 30,000 BTUs which seems small for this room, and the VC has a lot of consumer complaints (BB rating of C+).

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thank you.

Holy smokes...you hiring?

 

[avsmusic1]

How many thermostats are there and where are they located? Is your HVAC system set up to heat only certain areas?

 

[Ashful]

On BTU ratings, and such, there's a lot that can be said. However, keep in mind this simple concept: There is a fixed number of BTUs in every load of wood. You control the release rate by where you set the primary air control. The primary factor differentiating one stove from another, is how many of those BTUs go up the chimney, vs into your room, which is the stove's efficiency rating. Note this is not a fixed value, but varies with burn rate. At higher burn rated, most good EPA stoves are fairly similar. At lower burn rates, catalytic stoves are much more efficient than non-cats.

 

[rsilvers]

There are five zones of AC and heat. I am only trying to reduce the load on my oil system, not heat the whole house.

Realistically I should just buy cord wood on craigslist. If I get four at a time, it should always be under $200.

 

[Grisu]

Kitchen is 41x18 - so the main space is about 1400 square feet and has the tall ceiling.

No ceiling fans, but I think I should put something horizontal to suck air into that second-floor opening.

One large stove could maybe do the main living space then. I would try the ceiling fans first before adding ducts etc. An easy way to distribute warm air is with a small desktop fan on the floor to blow cold air towards the room with the stove. Warm air from there will return to make up for the lost air.

I could cut wood - there is 10 acres.

It may not have been in your plans but if you want to heat with wood next winter you need to get that split and stacked ASAP. Concentrate on relatively fast drying species first like ash, some maples, and softer woods like poplar, pine etc. Split them small and stack them raised from the ground in a sunny location where the wood also gets lots of wind. Single rows, loosely stacked, and top covering will help. Maybe it will dry enough to be burnable next winter potentially supplemented with some compressed wood logs like Biobricks or Ecobricks. Once you have those stacks up, get working on the wood for the winter after so it will have almost two years to dry.

I know what you mean about sales - there are some window blinds places online that always have a sale that ends in a few days. The day that it ends, they post another one. I don't suspect Woodstock is anything like that, but it is nice to know I could catch another sale later.

I hope that is not the way you were interpreting my comment. It is well possible that the current sale in Woodstock stoves is the best and maybe only one for this year. However, even if you order one now you will not have made a fixed commitment. From their website:

"Sale prices for in-stock woodstoves and gas stoves are valid for orders received through May 2, 2014, and shipped before June 30, 2014. A $250.00 deposit will reserve a stove at these prices (refundable if you cancel)."

Thus, if you are really interested in one of their stoves I would order it and then you have a few more weeks to make up your mind. Nevertheless, I would really check into wood furnaces. Another advantage will be that you don't have to drag all the wood into the living room so the dirt will stay downstairs. Here would be one example:
http://www.yukon-eagle.com/FURNACES/POLAROILWOODGASWOOD/tabid/56/Default.aspx
A stove in the living room could then serve as a supplement as I am not sure if even that "beast" will be enough.

 

[rsilvers]

Wow - so that is an oil furnace that you can also put wood and coal into? That is very interesting. Does anyone make one that is 194,000 BTU?

 

[Grisu]

Wow - so that is an oil furnace that you can also put wood and coal into? That is very interesting. Does anyone make one that is 194,000 BTU?

Not mixed fuel units but rated for 200,000 BTU:
http://www.econoburn.com/index.php/products/interior-ebw-200
http://firechiefwoodfurnace.com/fc1100.aspx
http://www.royallboiler.com/wood-boiler/6200NS-indoor-wood-boiler.htm

You may get more suggestions in the boiler room here.

 

[BKVP]

Check out the BK Ashford for a cast look or BK Chinook for contemporary look.