need bigger stove

[Wildbil]

I recently purchased a Buck 81. It's a nice stove, well built but when it's windy along with being cold, it just can't heat my 2400sq. ft home. The stove I had didn't have a problem plus I could bank it for overnight/workday burns and actually get useful heat where I can get long burns w/the 81, but not much heat. I was going to buy a Buck 91 but I have a 6" flu and the 91 has an 8" flu. My question is this, would I be able to use the Buck 91 w/a reducer? My chimney is 33' tall, drafts well and the stove is located in the basement in order to heat the whole house. I need to do something! Thanks for the advice!

 

[stoveliker]

A 33' chimney may need a key damper as you may be sucking up too much heat into the flue.
Do you have a flue probe thermometer?

A 2.5 cubic foot firebox should get you through the night easily (8-10 hrs) imo.

 

[Wildbil]

A 33' chimney may need a key damper as you may be sucking up too much heat into the flue.
Do you have a flue probe thermometer?

A 2.5 cubic foot firebox should get you through the night easily (8-10 hrs) imo.

Good question! I do. I also have a flu damper. The flu thermometer BEFORE the damper will usually read around 350- 400deg after a fill up with the stove reading around 500 and the thermometer AFTER the damper will usually read a couple of hundred degrees lower.

 

[stovelark]

For your question- unless MFR says you can reduce size requirement (Like Regency will allow a 5.5" liner for their 6" inserts), it is not allowed nor a good idea. Heating the house above a basement is always a challenge, you need to overcome the coldness of the basement first. I know VA is more mild than here, but its asking still a lot from that size stove IMO. The temps you are seeing seem normal expectations I'd say. Good luck.

 

[begreen]

Our house is similar, old and with too many large windows. At some point it's better to directly address the heat loss rather than keep throwing more fuel at it.

 

[Wildbil]

For your question- unless MFR says you can reduce size requirement (Like Regency will allow a 5.5" liner for their 6" inserts), it is not allowed nor a good idea. Heating the house above a basement is always a challenge, you need to overcome the coldness of the basement first. I know VA is more mild than here, but its asking still a lot from that size stove IMO. The temps you are seeing seem normal expectations I'd say. Good luck.

In agreement,the Buck seems to struggle until the basement gets warm, but it still doesn't heat as well as my older stove. My older stove had a 4cf firebox and I was looking into another one that size but anything with a firebox that size always seemed to require an 8" flu. The upside is that I don't seem to burn quite as much firewood,but with free wood and the wife being from Texas that's not that big of a deal.

 

[Wildbil]

Our house is similar, old and with too many large windows. At some point it's better to directly address the heat loss rather than keep throwing more fuel at it.

We have fairly new windows ( around 5 years old) but could probably use a little attic insulation

 

[mellow]

The 81 is rated for 2700 sq feet which is for optimal conditions, as you can see when its windy and cold it can't keep up. My suggestion would be to install a pellet stove on the main floor to help out during those conditions if you do not want to upgrade to 8" or spend the money insulating that basement better.

 

[stoveliker]

Good question! I do. I also have a flu damper. The flu thermometer BEFORE the damper will usually read around 350- 400deg after a fill up with the stove reading around 500 and the thermometer AFTER the damper will usually read a couple of hundred degrees lower.

Is that a magnetic surface thermometer or a probe thermometer sticking into the flue gases?

Are you closing the flue damper?

 

[Wildbil]

Is that a magnetic surface thermometer or a probe thermometer sticking into the flue gases?

Are you closing the flue damper?

All are magnetic. and yessir, I'm closing the damper.

 

[stoveliker]

Then I think you (still) have a bit much heat going up the flue.
Now that is from my experience with my stove, and yours is different.
But for magnetic thermometers.you have to double the temp to approximate the flue gas temps.

So you are still throwing a decent amount of heat away thru the flue.

But I agree that the heat you don't need is the easiest way to resolve this issue.

Air seal and insulated the attic.
I did that and cut my oil bill in half.
Move existing insulation out of the way, Silicone all electric penetrations, and foam all others (including where drywall meets top boards of internal and external walls). Then get r50 or so in there.

I did that (6weekends in the attic.... Also fixing some dangerous electrical...). I had r19 between the joists. After sealing I added unfaced r38.
Made a huuuuge difference for about $1000 and my own hours. (Earned it back in one season - and then I started burning wood ...)

 

[Wildbil]

Then I think you (still) have a bit much heat going up the flue.
Now that is from my experience with my stove, and yours is different.
But for magnetic thermometers.you have to double the temp to approximate the flue gas temps.

So you are still throwing a decent amount of heat away thru the flue.

But I agree that the heat you don't need is the easiest way to resolve this issue.

Air seal and insulated the attic.
I did that and cut my oil bill in half.
Move existing insulation out of the way, Silicone all electric penetrations, and foam all others (including where drywall meets top boards of internal and external walls). Then get r50 or so in there.

I did that (6weekends in the attic.... Also fixing some dangerous electrical...). I had r19 between the joists. After sealing I added unfaced r38.
Made a huuuuge difference for about $1000 and my own hours. (Earned it back in one season - and then I started burning wood ...)

Any recommendations on keeping the heat in the stove, not letting it get up the flu? And I actually spoke to my sons at our monthly Sunday dinner and ask that they help me blow in some insulation! Great suggestions!

 

[stoveliker]

At 33 ft I think having two dampers is the way to go. Especially if it's straight up.

 

[Wildbil]

At 33 ft I think having two dampers is the way to go. Especially if it's straight up.

I've used/been around wood stoves for all of my 61 years and never seen two dampers on a wood stove....How would I install them? I have around 24" in my vertical pipe coming off the stove and 36" with a damper in my horizontal pipe.

 

[stoveliker]

There are folks here who have two, separated by enough to have them not interfere.

 

[Wildbil]

There are folks here who have two, separated by enough to have them not interfere.

Just posted a picture of my stove. Thanks for all the help!

 

[stoveliker]

I'd defer to those with two dampers to say what is best.
I would propose another one, at the top of the vertical part.

And second (biiiig advantage), insulate the basement. 30 pct of your heat is disappearing thru the walls.

 

[joop]

alot of your heat is going in the cinder blocks to the outside.my suggestion would be to buy the foam insulation panels and glue them on to the walls, not to expensive but will make quite a difference

 

[Wildbil]

alot of your heat is going in the cinder blocks to the outside.my suggestion would be to buy the foam insulation panels and glue them on to the walls, not to expensive but will make quite a difference

Never thought of that! Thanks to both you and Stoveliker for that great suggestion!

 

[kborndale]

To heat effectively from the basement you need to insulated the walls and floor. Even if it's just some foam on the walls and carpet on the floor it makes a huge difference. A fan at the top of the stairs slowly blowing down is a big help too, but I only need that when it is in the teens or lower.

 

[joop]

i did it to my 50's bungalow,night and day difference in heating .if i noticed a difference and i'm in canada were we see -15 to -30 or more should make a huge difference in virginia.

 

[begreen]

I've used/been around wood stoves for all of my 61 years and never seen two dampers on a wood stove....How would I install them? I have around 24" in my vertical pipe coming off the stove and 36" with a damper in my horizontal pipe.View attachment 324898

The uninsulated walls are where most of the heat is being lost, about a third of what is being generated.

Is the basement footage included in the 2400 sq ft.

 

[Rickb]

Just as a thought..... Is your wood dry? Lots of people I know that use a lot of wood dont actually have dry wood and they use more then me and get less heat.

Also you might want to add some foam board around the basement walls away from the stove to help with the heat loss. Took me like 2 days to do the whole basement with 1inch foam board some glue and some tape.

 

[Ashful]

A 33' chimney may need a key damper as you may be sucking up too much heat into the flue.
Do you have a flue probe thermometer?

A 2.5 cubic foot firebox should get you through the night easily (8-10 hrs) imo.

Good catch on the chimney height and heat going up the flue.

And yes, a 2.5 cu.ft. firebox can go 8 hours on a load of fuel, but the heat output at the burn rate may be less than the OP needs in this weather, even after addressing any efficiency hit from the flue height.

As to two dampers vs. one, I'd just do one, at least to start. Yeah, it might only get you down to 0.07" WC after a fresh cleaning, but a week into burning on that pipe you'll be able to dial it down below 0.05" WC thanks to the way deposits build up around the damper. I see this after each year's cleaning. A 33 foot chimney is probably pulling around 0.20" to 0.30" WC on a high setting, once the pipe is heated, which is way too high.

 

[stoveliker]

He already has one.