New guy...would love input.

[Creekheat]

Hello all. I am new. I live in central KY and my wife and I will be purchasing a wood stove this summer for our home. We are new to wood heat. This seemed like a great resource and would appreciate any input offered.

Our home is all electric with a heat pump. Now you know why im here. Lol we have good windows and really well insulated. The house is 3000 sqft but 1000 of that is basement which we are not concerned with. The main floor is 1100 sqft with a vaulted great room, 18ft ceiling that goes all the way up. The second floor is 800 sqft. Three bedooms off the landing upstairs and master, kitchen dining downstairs etc....

We thought about an indoor wood furnace in basement but like the idea of a woodstove better. With 2000sqft to heat, any ideas?

 

[tekguy]

Buy your stove now if you can swing it while they are going on clearance, come summer the price will be back up
The chimney and stove pipe seems to never go on sale

 

[shoot-straight]

Won't mention specific stoves, but look for a 3 cu ft stove give or take.

First decision you have to make is if you want to go cat or non cat. Do a search and read opinions till your eyeballs hurt.

 

[Wormyone]

I have to agree about buying them now why the prices are lower. For the flue pipe kits and other accessories you may want to look at fireside chimney supply, that's where I got my stuff from and they had the best prices....good luck and welcome to wood burning! I am also new and have learned a lot from these guys on this site

 

[STIHLY DAN]

Get your wood NOW!

 

[Creekheat]

After some research i was thinking all steel. Lopi, quadrafire, countryside, hearthside. I dont want soap or cast.

 

[Creekheat]

Get your wood NOW!

Wood cheaper in winter? Hmmm i have a good dry place to store about 4 cords under deck on concrete pad...ill tarp top too.

 

[BrotherBart]

After some research i was thinking all steel. Lopi, quadrafire, countryside, hearthside. I dont want soap or cast.

Have I ever said I loves me a big honkin steel stove?

 

[Hickorynut]

Hey creekheat, I am in western ky. If you have what I have a living room downstairs with high cathedral ceilings going to a open upstairs, that is hard to heat. All the heat downstairs generated by the stove wants to rise to the upper floor, 90 upstairs 65 downstairs or some fashion. Must have ceiling fans up at the very top trying to push the hot air down. I would get a wood stove before an insert if your floor plan would let you. Wood furnace is great for the real cold weather we have been having but like the previous two winters we have had here in ky they would be way overheating your house much of the time.

 

[ridensnow23]

Get your wood NOW!

Agreed. Get it now so it will be seasoned in time to burn next year. Try to get three years worth stacked and drying. Fill in each year.

 

[Huntindog1]

I would go to your local Menards store right now , you can buy the 3.1 cu ft Myriad stove made by Drolet. its on sale for $689. Or Drolet Austral $649

You can have it shipped free to your local store and save $200 in shipping costs.

There are some guys on this board who can chime in on how they like their Myriad stoves.
http://www.menards.com/main/heating...a-wood-stove-with-blower/p-1448141-c-6884.htm
http://www.menards.com/main/heating...a-wood-stove-with-blower/p-1696718-c-6884.htm

 

[BrotherBart]

Wow!. That would be stealing that Myriad.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

im kinda digging that Austral for $649. 3.1 cubic ft box $200 cheaper than the englander 30 but it doesnt come with a blower i see.

 

[Huntindog1]

im kinda digging that Austral for $649. 3.1 cubic ft box $200 cheaper than the englander 30 but it doesnt come with a blower i see.

The Menards website says with blower.

 

[Hardrockmaple]

My Austral came with a blower. According to the Drolet website, all Australs come with one.

(broken link removed to http://www.drolet.ca/en/products/wood/austral)

 

[btuser]

KY has an average residential electric rate of $.0974 KW/h, Pretty good. How old is your heat pump? If saving money is your primary motivation it may make more sense to upgrade your existing system rather than add another. By the time I was "done" my install I'd spent 5k (chainsaw, welder's gloves, everything from wheelbarrow to chimney sticks) and I still have to feed it if I want it to work.

Do you want a wood stove? Pellets are an option. Just sayin' Lots of people enjoy the work of heating with wood, but they're usually the sick, twisted kind of folks. No? Then welcome to the club and don't say I didn't warn you.

I agree with the comments about wood gathering being the priority. The first years is always the hardest, usually due to less than perfectly seasoned wood. I would suggest gathering/purchasing pine/softwoods the first year (and every year!) as well as pallets and other kiln-dried wood to augment your burning. Our first year was a struggle due to unseasoned hardwood. Now I'm 3 years ahead and the wood is no longer an issue.

My insert is only supplemental heat. Lopi Freedom 3cf. All steel and I'm very happy with the stove. t's a space heater on one end of a very long house. I can technically heat the house with it but that's major tending, fans blowing and seasoned hardwood every 4-6hrs. Right now we set the house to 62f and use the wood stove to bump it up whenever I get around to it, which is 2-3 loads a day. It's 65 in the bedrooms, 70 in the kitchen and 75 in the family room with the stove. If I forget or whatever the temp drops and the boiler picks up the slack. Oh well, I'm ok with that. After 6 years I don't set my alarm for a 2am reload.

I harvest about 50% of my own wood from my own land. If I get behind my collection schedule (3yrs supply on hand, about 12 cord) rather than deal with less than seasoned wood I will pay someone. Going rate around here is $200 for a good cord. If I'm buying wood it changes the numbers, but the #1 expense is the time it takes to get a cord of wood from the wood lot to the wood stove. People like to forget about that. It takes A LOT of work to kill a tree, dismember it, drag it out of the woods, chop it up, stack it, wait two years and then burn it in your stove.

The positive effect of having a wood stove in the house is that the TV is no longer the focal point of the home. It's been a most rewarding hobby.

 

[Huntindog1]

Here is my story maybe others can relate:

I havent figured it out real precise but I figure I save around 1200 to 1500 a year from using electric baseboard heat.

I already had a flue in great shape and got my stove and wood splitter onsale, my investment was paid form the savings the first year.
I had a couple chain saws.

You do have to love cutting wood which I do so its a hobby that pays me rather than other hobbies that cost me.

The quality of the heat is priceless!

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

oh yeah, blowers are included, even better. I just might be pulling the trigger on one here soon. Thanks Huntindog for that timely post/links

 

[Huntindog1]

On those drolets can someone tell me how deep the coal bed can be as in how deep from the front lip to bottom of stove?

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

I just ordered the Austral. Couldnt resist the price on that big ol firebox. Sure hope its not too big for me. Kind of nervous hoping i made a good purchase. Will keep you posted as i install it for next winter.

 

[tekguy]

On those drolets can someone tell me how deep the coal bed can be as in how deep from the front lip to bottom of stove?

its not that deep, i did quickly look before running out door this am and I would guess 1.5-2" on the myriad (which is same box as austral and a couple others)
Its a big firebox with a huge ash pan underneath (i haven't used the ash pan yet as I just prefer to scoop it out as needed)

so far I can go 3-4 days burning dry hardwoods before needing to remove ash, not sure if that helps.. the stove does a good job of burning it down, I do on occasion have to burn my coals down when they build up, not an issue though for me

 

[Huntindog1]

its not that deep, i did quickly look before running out door this am and I would guess 1.5-2" on the myriad (which is same box as austral and a couple others)
Its a big firebox with a huge ash pan underneath (i haven't used the ash pan yet as I just prefer to scoop it out as needed)

so far I can go 3-4 days burning dry hardwoods before needing to remove ash, not sure if that helps.. the stove does a good job of burning it down, I do on occasion have to burn my coals down when they build up, not an issue though for me

Thats the same depth as my current stove but with the head room being taller in this larger stove that would help as with my current smaller stove deep coals limits how much wood on reload.

 

[tekguy]

Thats the same depth as my current stove but with the head room being taller in this larger stove that would help as with my current smaller stove deep coals limits how much wood on reload.

I can get 6 good size splits in it no problem, plus with the cast baffle you don't need to worry about hitting it, you wont do any damage (good size being relative)

 

[Huntindog1]

Just bought me the Myriad at Menards ship to store free at $689.


I am joining the club of the 3 cubic foot or larger stoves.

 

[Jags]

I am joining the club of the 3 cubic foot or larger stoves.

Your secret decoder ring and cape should be at your door in a couple days.