New Wood Stove

[Romancommander]

Hey all, I just upgraded my 30 year old Napoleon with a 7 year old Pacific Energy Spectrum. I found a good deal on Kijiji.

My house is 2500sqft open concept bungalow with no basement. It is really well insulated as it is built into a hill. The old Napoleon was not EPA rated but it was pretty massive. I am worried my Spectrum might not be big enough for my home. It gets really cold up in Barrie, Ontario.

What do you guys think? It is rated for 2000sqft homes; but do you think it could work in 2500sqft? Do EPA rated stoves throw off much more heat?

 

[Fsappo]

Not enough stove for that area based on what you told us. But I suppose if you were trying to heat the whole place would have researched first, then bought a stove. in New York weather I would see the PE spectrum as a 12-1500 sf heating stove. Not that this is cut into stone, but that would be the size in mind.

An EPA stove doesn't throw more heat. It should just make more heat and less waste per pound of wood burned.

 

[Romancommander]

Below is an ad for a wood stove similar to the one we are replacing. How many BTUs do you figure this one is throwing off?

(broken link removed to http://www.kijiji.ca/v-buy-sell-other/muskoka/napoleon-wood-stove/1026810754?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true://www.kijiji.ca/v-buy-sell-other/muskoka/napoleon-wood-stove/1026810754?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true)

My old stove was easily heating the home but ate wood really fast.

 

[begreen]

The PE Summit would be a better match for the Napoleon. The Spectrum will need to be pushed harder and reloaded more frequently during seriously cold weather.

 

[Fsappo]

someone else click that! Anyhow, you have your answer. You have an undersized stove most likely. Whats your primary heating system run on?

 

[Bigg_Redd]

What do you guys think?

I think you'll be fine. I think the Spectrum will surprise you with the quantity and duration of it's heat output. I think if it doesn't meet your needs you will be able to sell it for as much or more than you paid.

Hope this helps.

 

[begreen]

Here's a shot of the old Napoleon.

 

[Fsappo]

I think if it doesn't meet your needs you will be able to sell it for as much or more than you paid.

Hope this helps.

That is a good point. How much did you pay for the stove? Was it in good shape?

 

[Fsappo]

I'm guessing from raw heat that that old stove made half again as much as the PE. The PE though is going to be a pleasure to burn.

 

[Sprinter]

So is the Spectrum installed yet? If so, go ahead and use it this year and see how it goes. Or even if not yet installed. But yes, you'll be having to really crank it up for it to work.

The best way to judge relative performance of stoves is by size of the firebox. The Spectrum is 2.1 cf and is quite efficient. It's undersized but it just may be okay.

If it doesn't work out, it should sell easily and you can go from there.

It will help if the stove is centrally located in the house. If it's off to one end, that would be much more difficult.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

The consensus on this board is that it's better to have too much stove and just don't run it all that hard. I do not agree with this consensus. IMO, it's easier (and safer) to run a stove hard than to run one easy. A stove burning hot will smoke less and create less creosote. Also, PEs are built very well and hold up very well being pushed hard. If your home is in fact well insulated, you'll find the Spectrum quite serviceable.

 

[Fsappo]

True, but chances are (and I'll bet a cup of coffee) that in Jan/Feb he will either be running hard with 3 hour burns or using his "other heat source" more than he is used to.

 

[smokedragon]

The consensus on this board is that it's better to have too much stove and just don't run it all that hard. I do not agree with this consensus. IMO, it's easier (and safer) to run a stove hard than to run one easy. A stove burning hot will smoke less and create less creosote. Also, PEs are built very well and hold up very well being pushed hard. If your home is in fact well insulated, you'll find the Spectrum quite serviceable.

I agree with this to a point. You want a stove small enough that you run it to its full potential. BUT, I don't want to have a stove that will not heat my house pushing it full-tilt.

 

[begreen]

It's not a big deal to supplement the heat with central heat when it's very cold out. In some houses this is actually beneficial. It keeps the basement warmer and stops pipes from freezing. Cycling the furnace/boiler once a week or two is a good idea regardless.

 

[Romancommander]

Hey guys, thanks for the comments. I paid $450 cash for the PE spectrum and can resell it for that much if its not big enough. Its hard to get summits on kijiji around here. The old napoleon would burn flue temps at around 400-600 and had an 8 inch flue. I was also looking at Napoleon 1400s but they seem to be close to the same size as the spectrum. I have supplemental heating with baseboards if need be. Crossing my fingers it will work okay. If not I will keep a lookout for a summit.

 

[aansorge]

If you have an eight inch flue look for a Blaze King King or a kuma sequoia or a buck 91. Go big!!

 

[Bigg_Redd]

If you have an eight inch flue look for a Blaze King King or a kuma sequoia or a buck 91. Go big!!

That's actually not a horrible idea.