new to stoves

[elby]

Hello all. I am brand new to woodburning and am still in the process of deciding on a stove. It is between a Quadrafire 3100 Millenium and a Vermont Castings Dutchwest catalytic stove (large). Also, the prices on the Englander stoves in Home Depot are very tempting. But I don't want to be penny wise and pound foolish. I want to use as little wood possible, but also need to economize on the stove and chimney. We will have to install the chimney, and that is also confusing to me. It will go straight up, through a crawl space attic and out the roof near the eave. I don't know whether I should use double wall or triple wall for the inside portion, or what to use for the attic portion or the outside portion.

Sorry, so many questions! This is a major purchase and I don't want to regret what I purchase. What I would like to hear is from people who know about the three models I mentioned.

Thanks!

 

[fossil]

Addressing just the flue/chimney system: From the stove flue collar to wherever it penetrates the ceiling, you can use either single-wall or double-wall stovepipe (also called connector pipe). At that point, it transitions through an appropriate support box to Class A (double-wall, insulated) chimney for the remainder of the run to daylight. You'll need to comply with the 3-2-10 rule as you exit the roof. The chimney must extend at least three feet above the point at which it penetrates the roof, and then must further extend (if necessary) to a point at least 2 feet above any part of the structure within 10 feet horizontally from it. As for stove selection, a zillion folks here will weigh in on that if you give us some idea of the space you're looking to heat...area, configuration, etc. Oh...also keep in mind the clearances and the hearth requirements as you're stove shopping. Lots to learn! Rick

 

[DAKSY]

IMHO...

Quadrafire 3100 Millenium pretty god unit. Still made. Parts available...

Vermont Castings Dutchwest catalytic stove (large) Pretty good stove. Replacement Cats are available - but costly.
Other replacement parts SHOULD be available, but with VC changing ownership 3 - 4 times in the last decade or so,
I wouldn't recommend this one.

Englander stoves in Home Depot are there for ONE reason. Price. There are others here who swear by them, as they
(as I was harshly corrected) are mfrd in the US. Replacement parts & manuals seem to be hard to find, but this is IMHO...
Somebody must like them, because they sell pretty well.

I would also look into Jotul stoves. No one on the planet has made stoves continuously as long as they have.
They know what they're up to

I want to use as little wood possible, but also need to economize on the stove and chimney. We will have to install the chimney, and that is also confusing to me. It will go straight up, through a crawl space attic and out the roof near the eave. I don't know whether I should use double wall or triple wall for the inside portion, or what to use for the attic portion or the outside portion.

You have TWO choices for connector (inside) single-wall or double-wall. Which one you use will be dependent upon what clearances you have to maintain. From the first penetratio, whetyher it be the wall or ceiling, it will have to be Class A rated chimney. Double, triple-wall or whatever, this will run from the first penetration to your cap - no exceptions.

Sorry, so many questions! This is a major purchase and I don't want to regret what I purchase. What I would like to hear is from people who know about the three models I mentioned.

There are NEVER too many questions when it comes to putting fire into your home!
Fire departments would have a lot more free time if people asked more questions about
stoves, chimneys & the like.

Again, this is my opinion & that & $1.10 can get me a decent cuppa Joe round these parts...
Good luck which ever way you choose to go & welcome to the forum!

 

[jmhpsu93]

Go here:

https://www.hearth.com/what/specific.php

There is a TON of good information and years of knowledge and experience in those pages. It will give you a good background on the whole process, industry, etc.

Read all the opinions (there's a couple here and there ). Take your time and you will be happy, warm, not broke camper! Good luck.

 

[elby]

Thanks for the replies! I have a 2000 sf home, fairly open plan. That means that there are large openings in the walls that divide most of the rooms, so air can flow. Home is single story. there is a 1000 sf addition, but I don't expect the stove to be able to heat that also. I want to see how it goes in the main living area, and if it goes well with wood heat, then I will consider buying a second stove for the addition. Home is heated by two furnaces right now, using propane. The impetus for going with wood was the astronomical prices propane reached this summer. While they are down now, I expect them to go back up sooner or later.

I am slowly reading my way through this site. On other sites, I had heard some good things about Vermont Castings. I also heard good things about quadrafire. One drawback to the quadrafire Millenium is that it is steel and that makes for a quick burn and cools down fast rather than holding heat. Am I right about that? Or does it not make that much difference?

thanks!

 

[Jags]

Rick nailed it on the stove pipe.

On the stoves... you have named a couple of good ones. Also, don't underestimate the utilitarian quality of the Englander 30 (for this application). Lots of bang for your buck, but it is a simple, plate steel stove (epa cert. of course). Looks is in the eye of the beholder.

I would highly recommend looking at stoves above 2.5 cu ft. and more. Yes, it would be possible for a smaller stove to actually heat your area, but keep in mind fire longevity. More wood = more fire. If you believe that heat circ. is not gonna be an issue, then cooking yourself out of one room is not gonna be a problem.

Keep searching, and keep asking questions.

 

[wellbuilt home]

I really liked my VC DW Extra large I burned mine for 14 years + or- changed the cat a few times and some gaskets
My son over fired the stove a few years ago and cracked it in a few places It still worked good but its my only heat and did not want to push my luck so i went with a HS Equinox this year . I would have bought a new DW but I'm going to build a addition and need more heat .