NEW BEE from North Florida

[SVNET]

Hello everyone, a warm hug to all of you from North Central Florida....

I am a new bee and I know nothing but my dream would be to have a wood stove in my living room. I am hoping to accomplish this before winter is over.

One of my biggest blessing was to buy a mobile home for my family and finally to get out of apartment living, but my biggest regret was to choose a home without a fire place.

Every other mobile home in the area has been burning wood for the last 3 years I have been here, except for me and that is about to change.

First website I found was (broken link removed to http://www.woodstove.com/index.html) where I got to read some useful information that scared me enough about burning wood inside of a mobile home...

My floor plan is very open, I have a 15x15 living room combined with a 12x12 dinning room, very much an open space of about 30ft x 30ft.

The wood stove won't be my primary source of heating, but I do hope it to be my main source of joy.

Our unit is equipped with heating/cooling central unit that does a decent job at cooling, but the heat pump is not very stealer at heating... so Watching a movie in our living area during the winter is a very
uncomfortable procedure in such an open space with such a mild heat pump unit, specially this winter that has been so cold...

So, where do I start ?

I have about $2K to start and I am looking for the most affordable option if there is one that could be implemented on a mobile home ?

Looking forward to hear from all of you...

Happy valentines....

 

[Wood Duck]

First, you'll need a supply of wood, and new stoves require well seasoned wood. Get some wood soon, stack it off the ground in a sunny, windy spot. Second, get ready for lots of bad advice from your neighbors. i would expect most of them to cut wood and burn it a few days later or buy green wood, and somebody will tell you that a big piece of green oak is great for overnight burms. Overnight smoulder is more like it. For stoves, I would look at a small, probably non-cat (I think most smaller stoves have non catalytic secondary burn systems if they have any at all) EPA certified stove. The new EPA certified stoves are more efficient, little smoke, and good heat output. This is a good time of year to buy a stove, since they will soon go on sale. You can get an Englander 13nc for under $1000 regular price, and sometimes in the spring they are under $500. This is a nice little stove. Lopi makes a similar stove, the Republic 1250. There are other brands, those two are just the ones that are available around here. These stoves are more than you need (especially for Florida), but I think they're among the smallest widely available stoves and pretty nice from reports on this forum. It seems like a challenge with a mobile home will be a high enough stack. You roof is probably only 12 or 14 feet or less above the stove. You might need a taller stack than that to get a strong draft.

 

[prairiefire]

newbie welcome to the site! you will be spending more time here for the first while than you will spend with your family, lots of good info on here and great people. i would suggest first of all for insurance reasons finding a stove that is rated for a mobile home, they tend to have different clearances to combustibles that you should be aware of. as for your nieghbors they may not give the best advice on seasoned wood but if lots of them already have stoves they have gone through the same process you are about too, ask them what stove do they have, is it insured, who installed it and are they happy with it. ask around but use your head and don't believe everything you hear. good luck!!

 

[SVNET]

I found the following on craigslist for $200 ?

Is this a good price for such a thing ?

Also, is this one more of a open porch type of thing can this be use inside the house ?

I could not figure out how to post an image on this forum, it is usually an easy procedure to post an image hosted on photobucket, so I just loaded as an attachement, hopefully you can all see it.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I found the following on craigslist for $200 ?

Is this a good price for such a thing ?

Also, is this one more of a open porch type of thing can this be use inside the house ?

I could not figure out how to post an image on this forum, it is usually an easy procedure to post an image hosted on photobucket, so I just loaded as an attachement, hopefully you can all see it.

It would be best to avoid that stove.

 

[Jags]

I found the following on craigslist for $200 ?

Is this a good price for such a thing ?

Also, is this one more of a open porch type of thing can this be use inside the house ?

I could not figure out how to post an image on this forum, it is usually an easy procedure to post an image hosted on photobucket, so I just loaded as an attachement, hopefully you can all see it.

It would be best to avoid that stove.

+1

First of all, I don't think that stove is mobile home approved (yes - there is a specific category of "Mobile home approved" stoves). Second - there are much better stoves out there.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I found the following on craigslist for $200 ?

Is this a good price for such a thing ?

Also, is this one more of a open porch type of thing can this be use inside the house ?

I could not figure out how to post an image on this forum, it is usually an easy procedure to post an image hosted on photobucket, so I just loaded as an attachement, hopefully you can all see it.

It would be best to avoid that stove.

+1

First of all, I don't think that stove is mobile home approved (yes - there is a specific category of "Mobile home approved" stoves). Second - there are much better stoves out there.

Third; you might want to get a stove that has less than three cracks in it.

 

[Jags]

I found the following on craigslist for $200 ?

Is this a good price for such a thing ?

Also, is this one more of a open porch type of thing can this be use inside the house ?

I could not figure out how to post an image on this forum, it is usually an easy procedure to post an image hosted on photobucket, so I just loaded as an attachement, hopefully you can all see it.

It would be best to avoid that stove.

+1

First of all, I don't think that stove is mobile home approved (yes - there is a specific category of "Mobile home approved" stoves). Second - there are much better stoves out there.

Third; you might want to get a stove that has less than three cracks in it.

:bug: And thats only looking at the left side of it.

 

[begreen]

Welcome svnet. There's no point in adding a stove if it's dangerous. The flue system installation alone is probably going to cost about $1500. This is permanent infrastructure. There is no room for compromise here. Then the stove will need a hearth. The design and insulative value of the hearth will depend on the stove. An old box stove will need very generous clearances (like 3') and a robust hearth for floor heat protection. You would be better off getting a pedestal stove that has low hearth requirements, perhaps just ember protection. A good prefab hearth can cost from $300-500. But at the end of season, maybe you can get one for less.

As you see, these costs mount up. If you're very handy or have some friends that are, there is a possibility of doing some of this work yourself to save money, but still plan on spending over half the budget on the piping and roof protection for the stove. You want to do this right. Leaks are a real pain. As for stoves, why go used when you can get a mid-sized Englander for around $500 using the tax credit? Call your local Lowes and HomeDepot and ask if they are clearing out any wood stoves. See if they have an Englander 13NC or a Summer's Heat 50 SNC-13. Better hurry though if you want to get in a stove before winter's over in FL. I think that's next Saturday.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum SVNET.

When you looked on that website, you no doubt looked also at their stoves. This company and their stoves are second to none! The stoves are not cheap but will last a lifetime. Also, notice the guarantee this company gives. And a soapstone stove works extremely well in a mobile home because it is not a harsh heat but a soft feeling heat. It is difficult to explain but there definitely is something to it. Notice also that these are cat stoves, which means the can be burned on a low flame so that you won't get roasted out of house and home. The cat burns smoke! You can let the stove smolder without worrying so much about creosote in the chimney.

Another thing about mobile home installation is to be up to code requires an OAK. This just means the stove needs to get its air from outside the house. As for chimney's methinks you will see most mobile home chimneys are very short but that is not so good. You can probably get by with less than 13' but go as high as you can.

You've got some good information from the above posters. I'll second the idea that if you are thinking of putting in a wood stove, get your wood now. And do not believe wood sellers when they say the wood is seasoned. Almost 100% of the folks who buy wood find out that the so-called seasoned wood is not dry at all and is too wet to burn right.

BeGreen has good advice about the chimney and hearth. As he also stated, you or some friends could probably do the whole thing yourselves and save a bunch of money plus having the pride of doing for yourself. The installation for a MH is not difficult and you have friends here on hearth.com who will help on advise every step of the way.

Good luck to you.

 

[Hogwildz]

I think I remember reading somewhere, that a mobile home installation of a wood stove requires the stove to be bolted to the floor ( through the hearth)?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

That is true Hog. Seems rather silly but that is what code requires.

 

[SVNET]

I was very excited to find out that there is an actual wood stuff dealer in town.

I visited the store and got a quote but not to impressive...

Aspen unit, model VC1920 $888

VC, OA adapter $80 x2
3 in pipe $20
6x36 chimney section $146
6in chimney cap $70
6in storm collar $12
6x24 support box $134
6in std roof flashing $64

Total for chimney system $600

Total label $450

Looking at closed to $2200 for the project.

===============================

Salesman at the store advised I can try to install it myself, that way I can buy a very nice unit that they have for $650 but which they would not install because is not mobile home approved.

I know I can do much better than that, I have to find out where to order this stuff so that I can do it myself.

Any input?

 

[begreen]

Seems like a pretty nice deal. Though a little more detail on the flue would be helpful. How many lengths of 6" class A pipe are listed for the chimney section? The quote seems to be missing the connector pipe from the stove to the ceiling support box. And there is no mention of the hearth.
If you are going for the Aspen, here are the mobile home requirements for installation:

Mobile Home Installation

The Aspen is approved for use in manufactured (mobile)
homes when installed with the optional Mobile
Home Kit #1898 in accordance with the instructions
provided with that kit and any local codes. This approval
applies only in the United States.
In addition to the standard installation requirements
described in this manual, the following guidelines apply
to mobile home installations:
1. The stove must be permanently secured to the floor
using the leg clamps and fasteners provided in the
kit.
2. The stove must have a permanent connection to the
outside to supply combustion air.
3. The stove must be grounded to the steel chassis of
the mobile home.
4. A listed chimney system, including roof thimble,
spark arrestor, chimney supports, roof flashing and
any other components suitable for use in mobile
homes must be used. The chimney system must
comply with the standard for Chimneys Factory-Built
Residential Type and Building Heating Appliances
UL 103.
5. The chimney must be attached directly to the stove
and must extend at least 3’ (914mm( above the part
of the roof through which it passes. The top of the
chimney must extend at least 2’ (610 mm) above the
highest point of any part of the mobile home structure
within 10’ (3 m) of the chimney.
6. If the chimney exits the mobile home through a wall at
a point 7 feet or less above the ground level on which
the mobile home is located, a guard or other noncombustible
enclosure must be fitted at the point of exit
and extend up to a height of 7’ (2.1 m). Any openings
in this guard must be smaller than 3/4” (19 mm).
7. Check all local building codes, specifically those
related to mobile homes. Other requirements may
be applicable to chimney system removal for transportation
of the mobile home.
WARNING: Do not install the Aspen in a sleeping
room or hallway.
CAUTION: The structural integrity of the mobile
home roof, floor, walls and ceiling must be maintained.

 

[summit]

I dont say this much, but a HD englander, small unit, would probably serve you as well, with closer clearances, than the aspen.. and probably work better if $ are an issue... I can't imagine you need a whole lotta stove in florida.

 

[SVNET]

Thank you for all that information.

I really had high hopes for the local store and was looking forward to contract them to do the job so it was done right, but from the feeling I got yesterday, all they care about is selling me a unit that says mobile home approved on the back so that they don't risk their contractor license, but what I got from the old man, their installation is pretty much for standard home and nothing special for the mobile home... I think I will be paying $450 for labor and they won't be adhering to all the codes listed below. This whole installation process is turning into a nightmare and I don't know of any other independent contractor that would be up for the job.

The old man stated he doesn't sell the hearth flooring material so that I would have to get from lowes and do it myself. As far as the inside pipe that runs from the stove up to the inner selling, it will cost me extra, I forgot to include that in the original quote:

DVL 6in adj black pipe 40-68in $164
DVL 6in s/s close clearance adapter $20
DVL 6in x 24in black pipe $68

Plus how ever much I have to spend on the flooring material at lowes.

The old man was also trying to sell me a bigger unit with a total quote of $3092. This would be a Dutchwest NC small #VC2477 for $1,560, which I can order an additional kit to make it mobile home ready.

My local lowes doesn't carry wood stoves but I can order online and have it shipped. At this point I need to figure out what would be the best unit for me, order online, have it ship to my house and do the work myself. It will probably be a whole summer project as I buy everything little by little and hopefully it will be all install for next winter.

Now, what would be the best unit to heat a 1000 sq ft living area, where to order from so that I could get the best deal ?

Also what kind of chimney and where to order from ?

Thanks all....

Seems like a pretty nice deal. Though a little more detail on the flue would be helpful. How many lengths of 6" class A pipe are listed for the chimney section? The quote seems to be missing the connector pipe from the stove to the ceiling support box. And there is no mention of the hearth.
If you are going for the Aspen, here are the mobile home requirements for installation:

Mobile Home Installation

The Aspen is approved for use in manufactured (mobile)
homes when installed with the optional Mobile
Home Kit #1898 in accordance with the instructions
provided with that kit and any local codes. This approval
applies only in the United States.
In addition to the standard installation requirements
described in this manual, the following guidelines apply
to mobile home installations:
1. The stove must be permanently secured to the floor
using the leg clamps and fasteners provided in the
kit.
2. The stove must have a permanent connection to the
outside to supply combustion air.
3. The stove must be grounded to the steel chassis of
the mobile home.
4. A listed chimney system, including roof thimble,
spark arrestor, chimney supports, roof flashing and
any other components suitable for use in mobile
homes must be used. The chimney system must
comply with the standard for Chimneys Factory-Built
Residential Type and Building Heating Appliances
UL 103.
5. The chimney must be attached directly to the stove
and must extend at least 3’ (914mm( above the part
of the roof through which it passes. The top of the
chimney must extend at least 2’ (610 mm) above the
highest point of any part of the mobile home structure
within 10’ (3 m) of the chimney.
6. If the chimney exits the mobile home through a wall at
a point 7 feet or less above the ground level on which
the mobile home is located, a guard or other noncombustible
enclosure must be fitted at the point of exit
and extend up to a height of 7’ (2.1 m). Any openings
in this guard must be smaller than 3/4” (19 mm).
7. Check all local building codes, specifically those
related to mobile homes. Other requirements may
be applicable to chimney system removal for transportation
of the mobile home.
WARNING: Do not install the Aspen in a sleeping
room or hallway.
CAUTION: The structural integrity of the mobile
home roof, floor, walls and ceiling must be maintained.

 

[soupy1957]

"....................but I do hope it to be my main source of joy."

I gotta tell ya, wood stoves ARE a "joy" in many ways, but I don't think I'd go so far as to say it was my MAIN source of "joy." (lol) There are OTHER things in life ya know!!

The other thought I had was......."Florida." Yea, I know you folks have had a much colder winter in Florida than normal; and it WOULD be a tad cooler in the northern part of Florida than in Miami (for example), but you're not gonna need your stove all THAT much, down there! Up here in New England, we burn 3 - 4 cords of wood a season.......down YOUR way, I'd be surprised if you burned a half-cord in any given year. Don't overbuy or overbuild your wood stove.

-Soupy1957

 

[summit]

I would go w/ a plate steel MH approved woodstove w/ the heatshields and close clearance dw pipe... NOT the VC products 4 your trailer

 

[firefighterjake]

I would go w/ a plate steel MH approved woodstove w/ the heatshields and close clearance dw pipe... NOT the VC products 4 your trailer

+1 . . . for the price and amount of use I think you would be happier going with a small mobile home approved woodstove from Lowes or Home Depot . . . and get any available heat shields . . . and as for the installation . . . should be relatively easy . . . and definitely save your money by building your own hearth . . . it's a relatively easy project which can save you a good chunk of change.

 

[ChillyGator]

"
The other thought I had was......."Florida." Yea, I know you folks have had a much colder winter in Florida than normal; and it WOULD be a tad cooler in the northern part of Florida than in Miami (for example), but you're not gonna need your stove all THAT much, down there! Up here in New England, we burn 3 - 4 cords of wood a season.......down YOUR way, I'd be surprised if you burned a half-cord in any given year. Don't overbuy or overbuild your wood stove.

-Soupy1957

It is more than a TAD cooler in North Florida than down in Miami (450 miles south). My father has been burning wood exclusivly for several years and averages 1.5 - 2 cords per year....every year. This year (cooler than normal) he is well into his third cord. I am now 2/3 the way through my second cord burning only at night. Without my stove this year, I would have likely already burned through 600 gallons of propane ($3.00/gal local price). I have used less than 200 gal this winter.

NEW BEE: not sure the dealer you talked with but I had talked with these guys: (broken link removed to http://www.woodstoveflorida.com/index.html) which is located in Gainsville. They are really out of my service area but were willing to talk and even sent their installer over to look at my house. I thought they were straight up with recommendations.

Good luck.

 

[BrowningBAR]

The other thought I had was......."Florida." Yea, I know you folks have had a much colder winter in Florida than normal; and it WOULD be a tad cooler in the northern part of Florida than in Miami (for example)

Super wrong. It's a bit more than a 'tad cooler'. Northern Florida is NOTHING like South Florida.

 

[VCBurner]

SVNET, welcome aboard. You're in the right place to get advice! The members here are knowlegeable and helpful.
The installation of the stove and chimney is very easy, if you can build with LEGO's then you can put together a steel chimney! Look around the web for good deals on parts that comply with the codes you require. There are many threads on chimney instals here. Just search the forum by typing in installation in the advanced search box.

As far as the stove, the Lowe's here has the Summer's Heat stove that was mentioned above for under $700. I've never burned one of these, but I'd be willing to say there are lots of people on this site that are happy with it.

The hearth pad is super easy to build. For $2000 you could have a stove up and running in a week, if you have the time to do it!
Good luck and keep us posted.

Edit: Check out this recent thread, this guy did his entire install him self, not a mobile home and probably different than what you'd have to do but a good example.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/51392/

As far as the stove on CL for $200, that is not a good price. I have one of those installed in my fireplace, just to take the chill out of the living room. It was given to me for free. I only burn it a handfull of times per year. You can buy a similar stove, brand new for $179 or under:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_796_796
However, the one on CL, I believe is an Atlanta Stove Works, which is not mobile home safe. Not to mention the fact that you probably will never find a manual to find out the clearances, etc...

I would stay away from any pre EPA or EPA exempt stoves. You'd be better off with an EPA approved stove IMO!

 

[begreen]

The Englander 13NC would be a nice sized, affordable stove for this installation. However, there are some cost caveats. It does not come with side heat shields, they are an option. Whether you need them or not depends on the installation clearances to combustibles. The stove requires a high R value (R = 2.0) insulated hearth which is much greater hearth protection than the Aspen requires. So in the final analysis, it could cost more than budgeted for. In this price range I would also look for a Napoleon 1400 or 1450. The Napoleon has side shielding and just requires ember protection for the hearth. What's the nearest city? Maybe some members can recommend a dealer to you.

Also, in the flue quote, it seems like there is not enough class A (chimney) pipe. Is the price quoted for one or two 36" lengths? The class A pipe must extend at least 3' above the roof and 2' higher than the nearest building structure (usually the roof slope) measured 10 feet away. What type of roof is on the home? Composition, metal? flat or sloped?

I've bought flue system piping from www.dynamitebuys.com and have been please with their service and pricing. They also sell the Napoleon, Osburn and Drolet stoves and may make a package deal for you. Doesn't hurt to ask. Just be sure that you get an EPA stove that qualifies for the 30% tax credit.

 

[SVNET]

Great information that has develop here in the last few days, thank you so much.

I Have decided to do it myself, it will be a fun project, I am going to take my time to do it right.

I live in North Florida, where this week along we have had freeze warning from 2am to 9am every single day of the week. Reading the local paper yesterday, it was predicted that this year we will have a colder rainier spring then usual, so we are looking to be cooler then normal way up until May. So, it does get cold here, specially when you live in a mobile home... It got so cold in January that abandoned the living room altogether, we moved the TV to the bed room and that is where we eat dinner and hang out because it is a smaller room that we can keep toastier with a space heater...

BUT..... I do agree that I do not need the most power and expensive stove for our conditions here, a smaller, not so expensive stove should do well for my needs, so if you know of a particular online store that is having a good deal on any particular stove that could fit my bill, please send me the link because I will be ordering online must likely.... My local lowes and home depot do not carry stoves, I would need to order from their website anyways....

Now, a couple of questions:

I am not too familiar with some of the jargon that is use to describe the different pieces of the puzzle

Part 1 - The stove

Part 2 - The chimney

Part 3 - The base floor pad

-----------------------

With regard to the stove, what is the main difference between a cast iron stove vs a steel stove, what is the advantage of each ?
Why do some stove have brick walls inside the stove ?

-----------------------

The base floor pad or Hearth as you call it, what would be the prefer material to be use on a mobile home, what is the name of the material and can it be obtained from lowes/home depot ?

The Englander 13NC would be a nice sized, affordable stove for this installation. However, there are some cost caveats. It does not come with side heat shields, they are an option. Whether you need them or not depends on the installation clearances to combustibles. The stove requires a high R value (R = 2.0) insulated hearth which is much greater hearth protection than the Aspen requires. So in the final analysis, it could cost more than budgeted for. In this price range I would also look for a Napoleon 1400 or 1450. The Napoleon has side shielding and just requires ember protection for the hearth. What's the nearest city? Maybe some members can recommend a dealer to you.

Also, in the flue quote, it seems like there is not enough class A (chimney) pipe. Is the price quoted for one or two 36" lengths? The class A pipe must extend at least 3' above the roof and 2' higher than the nearest building structure (usually the roof slope) measured 10 feet away. What type of roof is on the home? Composition, metal? flat or sloped?

I've bought flue system piping from www.dynamitebuys.com and have been please with their service and pricing. They also sell the Napoleon, Osburn and Drolet stoves and may make a package deal for you. Doesn't hurt to ask. Just be sure that you get an EPA stove that qualifies for the 30% tax credit.

 

[begreen]

Lot's of good questions and I'm sure there will be more. For starters and a lot of answers there are articles on these topics posted on the site. They're located at:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewannounce/13750_2/
https://www.hearth.com/what/specific.php

and this site has good info as well. There are links on the left covering stoves, stove types, flues, etc.:
http://www.woodheat.org/