I have been heating my 1100 sq. ft. ranch home with my Century Cheapo stove since 2003. It has gotten the job done, but I'd like to upgrade and possibly take advantage of the tax rebate. My stove is located in my basement due to insufficient clearances and room upstairs. I have a furnace blower (next to the stove) that pulls the air from my family room downstairs and blows it into the ductwork. This is perhaps not the most ideal, but it is what I have. I supplement with a forced air gas furnace. Anyway, my wife and I both work, so I get the fire going before work, then dampen it down. Basically, I do a lot of long burning. I don't have a cat now, but think that this would help me achieve cleaner burns. Being a closet treehugger, I'd like to do what's best for the environment. I like the looks of soapstone. The room the stove is in tends to get pretty warm, so perhaps a soapstone would mellow the peaks and valleys of heat I get with the steel stove. The only stove I am aware of that is soapstone and cat is the woodstock fireview. Any opinions or recommendations would be welcome.
New stove in the works, looking for advice
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Woodstock also makes the Classic, Keystone and Palladian models. The last two are slightly smaller and might be a good fit for this application.
You will definitely double your burn times with the Fireview verses the Century and it will be a more even heat. Are you heating 1100 total or double that including basement? Might be better to put the stove on the main floor.
I agree with Todd in that it is best to put the stove where you want the heat. However if you are short on space and concerned about clearances the Woodstock stoves aren't exactly going to fit in tight spaces so if you go with the soapstone cat option that way you would likely have to put it in the basement.
As to model of Woodstock - I tend to argue to go with the larger stove for longest burn times and more heat in general, not a huge difference in cost really once you get all costs (install, flue, etc) added into there.
IF you are looking for other great cat stoves you may want to look at the Blaze King line - perhaps a princess (although rated larger I think than you need) they have much tighter clearances and may be able to go upstairs and they too have excellent reputations as well as great burn times. Even in your basement may be a good option as they are more of a convective heater (i.e. they heat air currents more vs radiating out and heating the things in the room) so may get the air warmed up better to be sucked into your blower for the rest of the house. You don't get the look of the soapstone stove but depending on who you ask that may be good or bad eh?
As to model of Woodstock - I tend to argue to go with the larger stove for longest burn times and more heat in general, not a huge difference in cost really once you get all costs (install, flue, etc) added into there.
IF you are looking for other great cat stoves you may want to look at the Blaze King line - perhaps a princess (although rated larger I think than you need) they have much tighter clearances and may be able to go upstairs and they too have excellent reputations as well as great burn times. Even in your basement may be a good option as they are more of a convective heater (i.e. they heat air currents more vs radiating out and heating the things in the room) so may get the air warmed up better to be sucked into your blower for the rest of the house. You don't get the look of the soapstone stove but depending on who you ask that may be good or bad eh?
I should clarify, I am heating both the basement and upstairs with the stove. The footprint of the house is 1100sq.ft, so I guess I'm heating 2200 sq.ft. I considered a BK, but to me the soapstone is much better looking. Upstairs is not really an option, our living room is very small. Everything is already set up in the basement. I have a wood bin that loads directly from outside about 6 feet from the stove. There is plenty of clearance surrounded by concrete foundation. Plus the area is "fenced off" with wrought iron railing so my little ones won't get too close. I need to stick with the setup I have and upgrade the stove only. I'm seeing the fireview rated as 900-1600 sq. ft., wouldn't that be a decent fit? My century is rated for 2200 sq. ft. and it has done the job nicely.
I'll be the first to agree that the Fireview is under-rated; meaning that you can heat well over the stated "900-1600 sq. ft." with it.
I'm heating somewhere around 2400 sq. ft. with mine but we have been happy enough with temperatures that others would find too cool for their liking (we stop feeding the stove if temps approach 70 and aim to keep things around 65). If temps outside stay in the single digits as the high then I have to supplement with some oil fired central heat if I don't feed the stove in the middle of the night (something I just don't want to do, I'd rather sleep).
So, will it heat your 2200 sq ft in Il to your satisfaction? I don't know - too many factors to know for sure. It is not rated for it, but that doesn't mean you won't be able to do so - it certainly won't be too much for the house.
We love our Fireview - it is so easy to operate and simply does what it is supposed to do.
I'm heating somewhere around 2400 sq. ft. with mine but we have been happy enough with temperatures that others would find too cool for their liking (we stop feeding the stove if temps approach 70 and aim to keep things around 65). If temps outside stay in the single digits as the high then I have to supplement with some oil fired central heat if I don't feed the stove in the middle of the night (something I just don't want to do, I'd rather sleep).
So, will it heat your 2200 sq ft in Il to your satisfaction? I don't know - too many factors to know for sure. It is not rated for it, but that doesn't mean you won't be able to do so - it certainly won't be too much for the house.
We love our Fireview - it is so easy to operate and simply does what it is supposed to do.
This application has BK Princess written all over it in my opinion, but the Fireview would be a close second. Don't underestimate the value of the thermostatic damper control if you don't spend much time in that basement such as during the workday. If you do spend time down there, the soapstone may help with the extra heat in that space. I have the same situation, and found an older BK, and am looking forward to seeing how it performs this winter, compared to my old earth stove.
Good luck and keep us informed with what stove you go with, and how it works out this winter.
Good luck and keep us informed with what stove you go with, and how it works out this winter.
Can't blame you for liking the looks of the Woodstock stoves I own two of them. If that's what you really like go for it, if you don't like it you can always send it back for a full refund. 2200sq ft is usually pushing the limits for the Fireview but I have no doubt that it will in the least do as good heating as your Century (i use to burn one as well) and it will give you the long burns your after. Be aware that when it gets really cold you won't be going for those 12 hour burns and you will want to open her up more to get more heat upstairs. If you have exposed concrete block in your basement consider insulating, it will improve your heating greatly.
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