New member and new Princess wood stove

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Update:

I have a Princess stove now, but not yet installed. I took measurements of my chimney. The entire height of the chimney from base to top is 18' 8". From the center of the crock to the top of the liner is just over 14.5 feet. I'm assuming this is the measurement that Blaze King would like to see as 15 feet or larger.

If I were to fit a 6" insulated SS liner, think I can get away with decent performance? If not, what are my options? Can I extend my masonry chimney by somehow adapting to a SS chimney at the top? I have almost a pallet of extra bricks (same as the chimney bricks), so it wouldn't be the end of the world if I must extend the masonry I suppose. I forget the recommended numbers, but the top of the chimney is higher than the roof around it for about 10 feet or so, maybe more.

On a somewhat good note, my 8x8 terra cotta liner has relatively large inside dimensions compared to others - about 7 1/8". It's also a straight run down. What are the odds of fitting an insulated SS liner? I understand the flex liners with wrapped insulation tend to be around 7.25 or 7.5", so that could be a tight squeeze. It sounds like the Duraliner rigid liner might be the smallest OD for 6" ID, though it's significantly more expensive.

As you guys stated, the local "seasoned" firewood is not as dry as advertised. I checked some, and it was mostly between 22-28%. Some of the standing dead ash that I already had cut and split for a few months is actually measuring between 15-20%, which was unexpected but helpful. I checked Tractor Supply for the sawdust bricks as recommended. They don't stock the small bricks, but I can still get a pallet delivered to the store. So that's my backup plan.
 
Hey Professor, another PA burner here and I have the Princess Insert.

First off, the Princess is a great stove, allows me 12 hours burns non-stop. That fits my schedule, load at 7:00am, go to work, return, load at 7:00pm, rinse and repeat. Other stoves can generate more peak heat but may not go 12 hours without a relight. Think about your schedule, your family, your time and effort and your needs. If you have time (retired), then maybe a cheaper stove with more frequent reloads would be fine.

A BK is a substantial investment, they are at the higher end of the unit pricing, but like most products, you also get a higher quality. BK service is unmatched in the industry. If you have a problem it almost always can be solved easily and without trouble on this forum. Their VP is an active participant here, I doubt any other manufacturers have such a relationship with their customers.

You WILL need an insulated liner. My store in Central Bucks said they rarely recommend insulation, then they can stuff a 6" liner down the existing terracotta chimney. That simply is not safe and not best practice for a stove and certainly not a BK. Do not allow any installer to convince you that insulation is not needed. I chose to break out my liner myself, it is possible but you need to be handy and have the time.

The ROI on an woodstove or insert is almost never a break even if you factor in the time to cut, split, stack and carry wood (based on a per hour alternative). However life is not measured that way. If you have the time, money to invest in equipment, space to stack wood, and the physical ability, then it becomes a lifestyle that happens to save you fuel expenses. I dont think about my time to collect wood, I'd rather do that than sit in front of the TV. So it is a savings but that is my way of looking at it.

So give the BK a serious consideration based on your lifestyle, your family and your time. I collected 3 cords of wood the year prior to my installation and got it split and stacked. After 1 year it was close to 20% moisture and burned decently. Now I am well set up and the unit performs magnificently. Cleaned the unit today and with 2.5 cords burnt I had about 3 cups of soot. And with those same 3 cords I had maybe 8-10 gallons of ash to spread on my lawn in total.
 
The insulation on the liner is also required if the outside of your brick chimney is nit 2" or more removed from any combustibles.