New member here, but I used Hearth.com last summer to help me decide what stove to purchase, how to configure my chimney, etc. And I'm glad I did. I purchased a Drolet Escape 2100 last September from MFP and installed it along with a 14' DuraBlack/Duraplus chimney in my mancave which has a cathedral ceiling. Stovepipe goes straight out of the top of the stove and up through my roof with no bends or elbows.
My review after a year of burning (starting on second year).
1. MFP- great place to order a stove from. Good customer service. When my stove arrived the vermiculite baffle was broken so they sent me a new one asap. I could not be happier with them.
2. Northline Express- great place to order pipe from. Good customer service. I could not be happier with them.
3. Drolet Escape 2100- I love this stove. Heats my mancave and most of my first floor very well. Like I said in the MFP review above, the vermiculite baffle broke during shipping but it was easy to install the replacement. After burning last fall and winter this was my first year to sweep the chimney and I found that task to be very easy. Removing the air tubes and baffle before cleaning was easy. I do notice some chipping/flaking already on my firebricks inside the stove around the ashpan plug hole but no cracking yet. After a couple months of burning I had to remove my stove door and reinstall it because the pin had gotten messed up but that was no big deal. Cleaning the glass is easy and I have no stains on glass that can't be removed. I found myself not using the ashpan at first but now I do use it when removing ashes. It is less messy than shoveling ashes out the front door into a bucket. Other than the firebricks my stove is showing no wear after 1 season. If I had to list one part of the stove I think I'll have trouble with in the future it would be the door. But that's easy enough to replace if needed, as well as the glass so we'll see.
4. DuraBlack/DuraPlus- great pipe, I had an Amish contractor install all the pipe from the stove to the chimney cap. I used DuraBlack from the stove to the ceiling support box and DuraPlus after that as suggested. He had no problem during installation. I see no wear or anything on any pipe after 1 season. I did have an issue last winter after burning for a few months of creosote caking around the screen of my chimney cap. It actually completely stopped airflow at one point before I figured out what was happening (thanks to Hearth.com)! So now I know to go up and remove the chimney cap and use a wire brush on the screen once a month. My draft is awesome and I never get any smoke inside my house. So the only complaint I have about the DuraPlus is the chimney cap but it's no big deal.
In summary I am 100% happy with my setup and I want to thank the Hearth.com community for being a great resource for new burners. I grew up with both a wood stove and coal stove in my house as my only source of heat so after going 30 years without wood heat, and being cold all the time, I'm back to loving wood heat!
My review after a year of burning (starting on second year).
1. MFP- great place to order a stove from. Good customer service. When my stove arrived the vermiculite baffle was broken so they sent me a new one asap. I could not be happier with them.
2. Northline Express- great place to order pipe from. Good customer service. I could not be happier with them.
3. Drolet Escape 2100- I love this stove. Heats my mancave and most of my first floor very well. Like I said in the MFP review above, the vermiculite baffle broke during shipping but it was easy to install the replacement. After burning last fall and winter this was my first year to sweep the chimney and I found that task to be very easy. Removing the air tubes and baffle before cleaning was easy. I do notice some chipping/flaking already on my firebricks inside the stove around the ashpan plug hole but no cracking yet. After a couple months of burning I had to remove my stove door and reinstall it because the pin had gotten messed up but that was no big deal. Cleaning the glass is easy and I have no stains on glass that can't be removed. I found myself not using the ashpan at first but now I do use it when removing ashes. It is less messy than shoveling ashes out the front door into a bucket. Other than the firebricks my stove is showing no wear after 1 season. If I had to list one part of the stove I think I'll have trouble with in the future it would be the door. But that's easy enough to replace if needed, as well as the glass so we'll see.
4. DuraBlack/DuraPlus- great pipe, I had an Amish contractor install all the pipe from the stove to the chimney cap. I used DuraBlack from the stove to the ceiling support box and DuraPlus after that as suggested. He had no problem during installation. I see no wear or anything on any pipe after 1 season. I did have an issue last winter after burning for a few months of creosote caking around the screen of my chimney cap. It actually completely stopped airflow at one point before I figured out what was happening (thanks to Hearth.com)! So now I know to go up and remove the chimney cap and use a wire brush on the screen once a month. My draft is awesome and I never get any smoke inside my house. So the only complaint I have about the DuraPlus is the chimney cap but it's no big deal.
In summary I am 100% happy with my setup and I want to thank the Hearth.com community for being a great resource for new burners. I grew up with both a wood stove and coal stove in my house as my only source of heat so after going 30 years without wood heat, and being cold all the time, I'm back to loving wood heat!
