new to the stove world have questions ???????

[argus66]

hello looking to get my first wood stove in my house the 3 models the store showed me are jotul f100 witch is a little small but is made of cast iron so it will get real hot witch im not sure i want, the 2 others are by quadra-fire 2100 and the 3100 right now im siding to the quadra 2100 i like the 3100 because it can go on feet but not sure if i have the extra cash, anyone know anything about any of these stoves ? good or bad? anything i should be looking for or aware of? my house is only 953 sq ft and im not looking for a major heating unit i just reall enjoy having fires. is cast iron better then steel? thanks to all who help...

 

[squngel]

hi I am also new & asked the cast vs. steel question on here last year. You'll find fans of both on here. Don't think either is really better, it just depends on what you're looking for. Cast retains heat longer, but also takes longer to heat up. I thought I wanted a cast at first, but ended up buying a steel when I found a great deal on one. My hunch is to suggest a steel stove for you because you said that having fires was more important than heating your home. Don't get me wrong, I am heating my house with a steel stove. But it is also great for "having fires" because it heats up quickly and cools off quickly when it's done, you control the burn time by the type of fire you build. Up till now I've heated mainly with flash fires of small pieces of dogwood.

 

[argus66]

ya i think thats what im gonna do the steel one is bigger and will fit a little better in the room also anything i need to look for or watch for when its being installed? can u burn the compressed logs(duraflame logs) in a stove or do i have to always burn just wood?

 

[squngel]

I don't know the answer to your question about duraflame logs. I've noticed people on here talking about some kind of alternative called biowood or something but don't know what it is.

AFAIKT most folks on this forum are really into heating with wood and make very careful choices when purchasing stoves and related equipment. This is a good place to ask very specific questions about things, so if you did a little research and came back with more specific questions you might get a better response.

Honestly besides what I said before about steel being good for quick fires, the obvious answer to what you should do if you want to build fires but don't want to try to heat your home with wood is to pick out something you like the looks of and leave the rest, including the installation & flue design, etc., to the professionals you're buying from. A general rule about chimneys is that straight up, no bends or turns, is best, but many here have different flue arrangements that are viable. As for specifics, there are many if it is to be safe and to code. If I were you and I could afford it, I'd simply shop around for both stove and install prices and quotes and leave most of it to the pros. If you can't afford it or are not willing to trust them to make your decisions you will have to do a lot more research.

Good luck

 

[thechimneysweep]

Careful, Argus:

There are compressed sawdust fuel logs which are OK to use in an airtight wood stove, and there are Duraflame logs, which are not. The paper-wrapped Duraflame logs are impregnated with chemicals to create lively, colorful flames in an open fireplace: the off-gases produced by those chemicals during the combustion process can be explosive in a closed-combustion environment. The giveaway is the paper wrapper on each Duraflame log, designed to control evaporation of the chemicals during storage: a warning not to burn the log in a wood stove (open fireplace only) is printed on each wrapper.

 

[chad3]

I had a 118 which was a great stove for what I was asking it to do, but may be big for your space. I really like the Jotuls, I now have the Oslo and my father has a quad, so I can say they both work very well. The other thing with cast is even though they take a bit longer to warm up (not much in the big picture esp if you are in a warm house, not like closed up cabins) they retain the heat for longer. You could use the stove and still get some benefits over the nighttime of warmth. Just another thought.
Chad

 

[begreen]

ya i think thats what im gonna do the steel one is bigger and will fit a little better in the room also anything i need to look for or watch for when its being installed? can u burn the compressed logs(duraflame logs) in a stove or do i have to always burn just wood?

Yep, don't burn wax impregnated logs like Duraflame in the stove. You want a compressed log that has nothing added, just tightly compressed sawdust. There is quite a difference between brands. I posted a few reviews in the hearth wiki section last year. Which ever brand, start out slowly, no more than 3 logs in a small stove. Compressed logs have a lot of heat in them, you will be surprised.
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Special:Categories/

As to the question about stoves, either the Jotul F3CB or the Quad 2100 would be fine. You might also want to consider an Englander 13NC if you are trying to save some $$$. They are available at local Home Depots and are good small stoves. Regardless of choice, the stove will still need to be safely and correctly installed by someone.

 

[argus66]

ya gonna be a pro install pipe will be fully stright right up to roof and out, i think ill stick to seasond wood for now till i can get the perfect sawdust burning logs i just said duraflame to get my point across on procssed logs but know i know to stay away from them, so im glad i asked. i think im gonna get the quad havent decided on the model yet eaither the small one or one up. going down to shop again tues.