Need some advice on stove possibilities

[z3px]

Hello all, this is my first post on the forums and I'm new to stoves in general.
I recently took out some old ventless gas logs and I'm exploring my options on what to do with the fireplace, one such is installing a wood burning (preferred) stove. However, the fireplace itself is a bit odd (see pictures below). I have little room to play with since it's a raised platform (see diagram). I'd like a stove that would look good and heat about 1,000sqf. Please see pictures and diagram below. I'd like to keep the project at or below $1,000 if possible. I haven't had a professional inspect the chimney itself yet but plan to do that next week. Any advice/opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advanced!

 

[southbalto]

What's the chimney like? All masonry?

What's the total height and diameter of the flue?

 

[z3px]

Chimney is all masonry.
Don't know about the flue yet. There is no way for me to tell from under the chimney.

 

[begreen]

Heating the place should be fairly straight forward, but the budget is suspect, especially if "a stove that would look good" means cast iron or soapstone.

 

[southbalto]

Well, It's likely that you're going to need a 6" stainless liner to get the stove to vent properly.
If you're willing to install it yourself I imagine you could do it for under a thousand....that leaves the stove. I've seen some smaller epa stoves go in the 600-1000 range.

If you get it installed by year-end you qualify for the biofuel tax credit.

 

[HotCoals]

That top pic is strange looking..is it looking up the chimney?
1k might get you started.

 

[z3px]

That top pic is strange looking..is it looking up the chimney?
1k might get you started.

It's looking up into the chimney with the damper open.

 

[VCBurner]

Welcome z, looks like a great spot to put a freestanding stove. With the one side being totally open you should be able to get more heat out of a stove especially if it is of a radiant nature. My main stove has a side loading door on the left side and probably would not work as well in that spot. You seem to want a wood stove so here are a few things to think about:

Do you want a cast iron, welded steel, soapstone?

Catalytic or non-cat?

I have a catalytic EPA rated and a 2 non-cat pre EPA stoves. The newer stove has a side loading door (more convenient in this stove) and a front loading glass door. The other is a thermostatically controlled top loading and front loading (also a combination coal/wood stove.) The other is an antique box style stove.

There's a lot to be said about those combination stoves, if you were to ever decide to burn coal. Maybe you run out of wood or for some reason are incapable of handling it.

The top loading doors are nice but if you get a stove with a side door make sure it is on the right side of the stove.

There are so many options and variables but your budget is probably going to dictate in which direction to go. I would strongly recommend doing some or all fo the install yourself. It is a fairly straight forward process and with the help of the internet a wealth of information is available.

 

[VCBurner]

I would go to a stove shop nearby and get acquainted with the many different kinds of stoves and learn about chymney liners as well. Get as educated as possible about all the possibilities in order to chose what's best for you. If you buy brand new there are a few options at the 1000 mark but buying a chimney liner and a stove will be tricky at that price. You can also look for a used stove and broaden the choices. My newer stove goes for about $1700 new I bought it used and rebuilt for $550.

 

[flyingpig]

Same as other opinions, it looks like a great place to put stove in. You'll get more radiant heat compare to typical hearth stove since you have two sides of the stove that expose to the room.

For the mild climate like you, I'd suggest for a Catalytic stove. I'm new to wood burning too, and I live in pretty much the same weather as you. I bought an EPA non-Cat fireplace insert, which is great. But I think I'll use much less wood and still have enough heat I need here with CAT stove. Another merit is that you can run CAT stove with much lower temp, say 275F compare to 350~500 for the non-CAT. So it matches better with milder climate.

Anyway, you're in the right place for this topic and welcome to hearth.com!!

Cheers.....Som

 

[z3px]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I will be looking around for used/rebuilt stoves locally to keep the price down. I've looked on craigslist and it seems like there are a lot of options (at least in my area). Is there anything in particular I'm looking for in a used stove? Specifically things that would be worn from excess use that would need to be replaced or replenished.
What brands might be found in this range that would be worth considering it being used.

 

[begreen]

If looking at used, look as simple stoves. Here's an article to get you started. There are a couple links at the bottom for more information:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Used_Stove_buying_Primer/

 

[VCBurner]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I will be looking around for used/rebuilt stoves locally to keep the price down. I've looked on craigslist and it seems like there are a lot of options (at least in my area). Is there anything in particular I'm looking for in a used stove? Specifically things that would be worn from excess use that would need to be replaced or replenished.
What brands might be found in this range that would be worth considering it being used.

Some things to consider:

How old is the stove, is it still in production? Will you be able to get the parts if needed?

If you see a particular stove in your price range, find out its model # and research it here. There are reviews and many opinions to be considered here.

If you send me your zip code, I'll go on CL, look and tell you my opinion of some of the stoves. Let us know what you find out there and I'm sure you'll get some opinions!

Good luck!

P.S.: I like the article BeGreen suggested, really helpful.