New guy about to take the plunge, but have several questions...

[closer9]

First of all, this site is great!

I had no idea there was even a place like this, just stumbled on it, by accident, and have already found some great info. Been planning my install for a couple weeks now, and finally decided on a stove thanks to you fine folks. We're going to go with the Summers Heat 50-SNC13LC. So, I'm going to pull a newbie trick, and just start firing away on the questions. I've done some searching and haven't found everything yet, so forgive me if this is already posted. If you would, just post a link or point me in the right direction... Thanks!

Ok, a little background. The family (wife and 4 month old daughter) and I live in Southwest Missouri. Winters tend to be harsh (single digits and lots of ice) for no more than a week or two. We built our house and moved in Feb 08. It's 1800 sqft finished, with a 1200 sqft unfinished walkout basement/garage. We are all electric and have a heat pump with backup strip. It does a good job 99% of the time, but as you can imagine there are times when heat strip does all the work, and electric bill goes up. The finished portion is a large family room/kitchen with vaulted ceiling, and bedrooms/bathrooms on the other end (600 sqft upstairs). We already setup the chimney when building the house, but could never decide on a stove, then kinda forgot about it. Figured it's time to get one going, and the wife really wants it going before Christmas.

Our reasons for installing the stove are to supplement the HP when it's below freezing, to keep the house warm if we lose power (I have a switched generator that will run the whole house MINUS the HVAC), and then just the cozy feeling of having a wood stove. I grew up with a wood stove...

I will be installing the stove in the family room, and building a ceramic tile hearth to sit on the hardwood floor. The bottom of the chimney pipe is roughly 16' off the floor, and I have plenty of clearance from the drywall. However, there is a shelf/structural reinforcement for the wall that sticks out 12" into the room, and I figure I'll have only 9" clearance between the wood face of this shelf and the stove pipe. I was thinking I'd just use single wall with a heat shield attached where the pipe passes the shelf, until I read that single wall pipe can only extend 10'.

So, here are my questions.

As I mentioned we are going with the Summers Heat 50-SNC13LC, and I have downloaded the owner's manual to read through.

1. What is the difference in the SNC13 and SNC13LC
2. Is there any special thinset needed for making a ceramic tile hearth?
3. Is epoxy grout a no-no for the tile of the hearth?
4. The owner's manual says not to exceed 10' of single wall stove pipe. Why? If I go with double wall, draft increases and clearance does too, and I've only got 9" to work with (in one small area 9' off the floor).
5. Is there any advantage to pedestal mount vs legs, or is it just a visual preference.

Hmm... I think that about covers it for now. I'm holding off on the stove until I found out for sure if they'll be included in the Black Friday sale. My gut feeling is no, but I figure it can't hurt to check.

So, any help is greatly appreciated.

thank!

 

[devinsdad]

Welcome to the Hearth Room.Never been able to answer anyones ??'s before as I'm kinda new but here goes. I used three layers of durock on a 2x4 frame for my hearth so it is approx. 5 and 1/2 inches above kitchen floor. The durock was to meet R value requirements for my stove listed in the owners manual. When using durock you need to use a latex/polymer modified thinset. I am unsure about the grout.I think you are backwards on your pipes as double wall reduces clearances to 6" and single wall is 18" minimums. I prefer legs on my stove for the looks and also the pedestal model comes with an ashpan which I despise. Not sure if that is the case with your stove .I hope this helps

 

[DAKSY]

If I go with double wall, draft increases and clearance does too, and I’ve only got 9” to work with (in one small area 9’ off the floor).

Not sure where you got this info...
Clearance is REDUCED with DW connector...
It may go as low as 6"

 

[closer9]

I read the clearance reversal in both the owner's manual and this forum. I'll find the link and post it, along with the info from the manual.

 

[lexybird]

the legs are for aesthetics ,in a open family setting i would use the pedestal feet ..your family will like that little Englander stove ,dont be fooled by its size.. it can pack a powerful punch .it will burn long and HOT plus it can burn clean as a
whistle if you play your cards right.once i have a bed of coals to work with I can put 3 oak splits in mine ,turn it down walk away and it will happily coast along all dang day without babysitting it .

 

[Highbeam]

1. What is the difference in the SNC13 and SNC13LC
2. Is there any special thinset needed for making a ceramic tile hearth?
3. Is epoxy grout a no-no for the tile of the hearth?
4. The owner’s manual says not to exceed 10’ of single wall stove pipe. Why? If I go with double wall, draft increases and clearance does too, and I’ve only got 9” to work with (in one small area 9’ off the floor).
5. Is there any advantage to pedestal mount vs legs, or is it just a visual preference.

1) Don't know
2) Nothing special go to home depot and buy the versabond thinset, it has the latex modifier in it so just add water. I use it all over.
3) Ick, just use regular grout from home depot. Pick your color.
4) single wall pipe loses heat so fast that after 10' it seems that your stove company feels it will overdcool the gasses and create creosote. I have seen much much longer runs of internal single wall stove pipe in cabins. The double wall solves your problem with the 10 foot rule and allows you to run the pipe as close as 6" to that shelf. Remember that the double wall pipe is about 7" in diameter.
5) I think the pedestal mount is much less attractive. Ash pans suck. But mostly it is aesthetics.

 

[rustynut]

closer9,
My first stove had the legs.
Could not keep it clean underneath the stove.
Second stove has the pedistal.
Problem solved.
Works for me
enjoy
rn

 

[closer9]

Thanks for the replies.

I did some searching and can't find the post talking about the clearances (I'll look some more tonight), but here is a link to the owner's manual where I found them: It's PDF, and I can't seem to copy/paste the image, but please take a look at the bottom of page 6. Dimension C is my concern. Please tell me I'm reading something wrong here...
http://www.englandsstoveworks.com/manuals/13-NC2004.pdf
That is also where I got the following:
13. Single wall flue pipe assemblies must not exceed 10 feet in overall length.
but sounds like that is an issue with the pipe cooling to fast.

Glad to hear there is nothing to the mount. We prefer the look of the legs. Guess, we'll just have to work a little harder to keep it clean.

Pyro, do you say ick to the grout, because you don't like epoxy, or because epoxy won't work here? I used it in my kitchen/dining area and both bathrooms (plus a couple rooms I did at my mother's house). Don't think I'll ever go back to regular grout (unless I have to here). I kept enough from my kitchen to do the hearth, since it will sit right next to the kitchen tile. I did however, check the manufacturer's site. The epoxy I have is not for high temps, and their industrial is good up to a constant 185F. I assume that's not good enough, but I don't know.

thanks guys...

EDIT: Okay, I just went back and looked over the illistrations on page 6. I'm confused now. What is the difference in Dim E and Dim C? They are both for the pipe, why should it matter how the stove is oriented for the pipe clearance? Plus, Dim C and Dim E are obviously not 18", which is shown in both side views, although it's hard to tell if that's for the stove or the pipe in the side view.

 

[Pagey]

From what I recall, the 13NC is one of the few stoves that actually requires MORE rear clearance to combustibles (CTCs) with the double wall stove pipe. The difference in the dimensions you referenced is that one diagram shows a corner install and the other a 90 degree angle install. At least that's what I make out on those diagrams.

I'm not sure why the 13 requires more CTCs with the double wall. Shoot Mike (stoveguy2esw) a private message. He works for Englander.

 

[Mr. Kelly]

Pagey... How do you like your Lopi? I'm thinking of plunging (sorry to digress here...). What size stove do you have, and how much sq. ft. do you attempt to heat? How is working out?

 

[fossil]

Pagey... How do you like your Lopi? I'm thinking of plunging (sorry to digress here...). What size stove do you have, and how much sq. ft. do you attempt to heat? How is working out?

Mr. Kelly, if you'd be kind enough to start up your own new thread about your specific questions, it will keep this one from being sidetracked (hijacked, as we say). Thanks very much. Rick

 

[closer9]

From what I recall, the 13NC is one of the few stoves that actually requires MORE rear clearance to combustibles (CTCs) with the double wall stove pipe. The difference in the dimensions you referenced is that one diagram shows a corner install and the other a 90 degree angle install. At least that's what I make out on those diagrams.

I'm not sure why the 13 requires more CTCs with the double wall. Shoot Mike (stoveguy2esw) a private message. He works for Englander.

Well, I tried to PM Mike, but his inbox was full. So, I sent him an email, but no reply...