more info re: BTUs, firebox size, heat capacity etc.etc.etc.etc...

[Jaquith]

Re: comparing HS Phoneix, Heritage, and Homestead. After reading the manuals for these three stoves to find a way to make a decision between one of the them there are differences in these stoves that don't make sense to me.

Phoneix manual says it heats 1500-2000sqft. and BTU’s 60K, and Firebox 2.3, Weight 400 (40lbs of wood)
Heritage: 1500-2000, BTUs 55K, Firebox 2.2, Weight 475 (46 pds of wood)
Homestead: up to 2000, BTUs 50k, Firebox 2.0, 360 (40 pds of wood)

Will the heaviest of these 3 stoves hold heat longer? Are the increase in BTUs due to the increase in the size of the firebox? According the manual all three of these stoves will heat up to 2000sq ft. Also, according to the manual the stove with the biggest fire box holds 40 lbs of the wood, but so does the one with the smallest! Then look at the Heritage, it holds 46 pds of wood) What is GOING ON??

kinda confused....

Also, will I really notice the difference in heat output between these 3 different stoves? Would we notice a great difference between these three and the smallest HS stove the Tribute? We live in a very cold climate but in a small well insulated house. I am guessing that even the Tribute at high burn rates is going to feel just as hot as the Phoenix or Heritage but it just can't burn as long because of the smaller fire box (1.2 or 22 pds of wood)?

A good part of our decision rests on how far the stove sticks out into the room, so the stove that we can get closest to the wall then I guess that is the one we would opt for? Any suggestions?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

Your overthinking it. But your assumptions are right. The larger fireboxes are usually rated for higher BTU's. Those three stoves exist for different reasons, the homestead is designed to be a heart mount stove, or a free standing stove. The phoniex is designed to be a hybrid stove, and the heratige is desigend to be a free standing stove only, but it also has other applications. The heratige has the most soapstone of the three, and in my opinion is the best looking one out of the three. All three stoves will heat a place twice the size that you have, in the same altitude. Since your house retains heat so well, im going to flip ideas on you. Maybe consider the 106 again. here is why i say that. You cant cool a soapstone stove down when it gets hot. It stays hot for hours. THe steel stove will cool down quick and you would have a little more control over your comfort. Your house becomes the heat retainer instead of the soapstone becoming the heat producer after the fire is out. See where im going with this? The 106 is roughly the same size as the tribute, and wold have the same burn time.

 

[Jaquith]

Would the house be cold in the morning with the 106?

 

[Jaquith]

The 106, that is RAIS that I thought looked so cool? Is this stove EPA rated as a phase 1 or is it exempt becuase of the stove, I think I read that? I have to have the stove approved by the town building inspector and it must be phase 1 or 2.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

They cant deny exempt stoves either. You cant deny something that is not phase 1 or phase 2 if the appliance is exempt from those. Call them and ask them if its on there list. I would almost guarentee that it is.
i would think, and its a total guess, that 4 hours after that stove is out your straw bail house would keep it self warm. What would be better, having a stove that 90% of the time did the job and didnt run you out of the house or having a stove roast you 90% of the time. I know this is a 180* turn, but i think you will be in a bikini the whole winter with a heratige. Its imposible for anyone to tell you how cold your house would be in the morning, but here are the facts. A heratige burns for 5 or so hours, a tribute burns for 2-4 hours, the 106 burns for 2-4 hours, the soapstone takes forever to cool, your house takes forever to loose heat, your not going to get overnight burns with any of them.... you see where im going?

 

[Jaquith]

I do and I will check with the town about the RAIS. Thank you so much for your insights!

 

[wg_bent]

My thinking is that wood burns at a certain rate, including some min. So Given that, a bigger load of wood is either smouldering more or the entire 40 vs 20 lbs is burning at the same, thus producing more BTU's. Notice a Tribute's burn time isn't 1/2 that of the Heritage is it? Neither is BTU's, so....

I think your correct in that any of the stoves you suggested (the larger ones) would be fine.