Newbie To Wood Stoves with MANY Questions

[silverbaygettaway]

Greetings all y'all fire folks!

I am in the research stages of getting a new wood stove. I have been all over the internet looking at various stoves and now I am looking to y'all for your expertise and any advise you might bestow upon me!

I have a home along the North Shore in Northern Minnesota. 960 sq.ft. 3 bedroom slab home that was built in 1954. I have no idea as to the insulation in the walls but do know the attic space could use some additional insulation. New windows 2 1/2 years ago.
Some peeps I know have said that you shouldn't get a small stove, go with a large one. Others have said the exact opposite!
The stoves I really like are both Drolet. The Escape 2100 and the HT3000. Both stoves seem almost identical, almost. There are some slight differences between them. The Osburn stoves are made by SBI which is the manufacturer of Drolet, the only difference is the price! The biggest reason I like these stoves it the ability to run the stove with the door open with the use of a rigid screen.

Now my questions to all y'all learned folks of fire... Am I going to be disappointed with the larger stove? Will I be able to use the stove efficiently and properly so as not to produce much creosote? Or will I be able to damper the stove down enough that I won't be on my front porch in the middle of January in my skivvies?
Being on the North Shore of Lake Superior in January is cold, Cold, COLD!

I should mention that this is a second home for the next 9 years and I just replaced the furnace with a new high efficiency model. When I retire in 9 years, I plan to move to this home and heat the home primarily with the wood stove.

Thank for any advice.
Dave

 

[myth83]

Hi there!

I am also a wood stove / fireplace newbie.

However, I would like to give you my opinion on the sizing matter, because I was also told one thing or another before I have bought and installed my fireplace insert (some votes for get a slightly bigger then needed, some other have warned me not to go too large unless I want my living room to be a sauna).

This is just my opinion, it might not fit for you but it is just to give you my point of view on this.

So here I go, I took the „get exactly what you need for the size of your open space“ advice and sized everything up according to the size of the space to be heated - pretty precisely too!

Not like my fireplace is not heating the space, but looking back - If I’ve had some experience from what I see now, I would have planned a fireplace that is slightly larger than what was „speced“ for the size of space to be heated.

Too small is not good, but maybe also the „exact size“ is not optimal.. but a „slightly larger than needed“ would be ideal.

Could give me more options such as in regarding to the size of logs and capacity (overnight burns), the ability to have more heating capacity should I need it and etc..



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[DAKSY]

I would insulate the house FIRST, then buy a stove.
If you can keep more heat in, then you CAN use a smaller unit.

 

[EbS-P]

my two cents on sizing. My stove is under sized for the 2 coldest weeks of the year. I knew that when installing. I have a heat pump that’s now 10 years old and was top of the line efficient when it was installed. It can’t keep up when it’s really cold by itself but both stove and heat pump together do ok. And I don’t have to get up and reload in the middle of the night nor do I wake up to a 50 degree house. I would have liked a bigger stove but it didn’t come in white. Choices right? Would getting a 4 cu ft stove be excessive for you probably unless it’s a blaze king king which you can thermostatically adjust the heat output.

at the end of the day you have a high efficiency furnace so making the right decision based on heat output isn’t as critical to size up. How big is the room the stove will go it? It’s was 63 here today and I burned a load of sticks and twigs cause I wanted to watch a fire and have some coals to relight from later really didn’t need any heat. Brings me to my last point. Wood selection has a big impact on total heat output. There can be 200% more heat in a load of live oak compared to pine. I should find some live oak for those 2 cold weeks. So many variables so many stove choices. Keep thinking about it and ask questions as they come up.

 

[xman23]

Just a few second house tips. We have done this for years. Drain water from pipes. Leave t,stat at 45. In the early years we would arrive and run the stove real hard for hours to raise the temperature. The house would rise about 3 degrees an hour. Now with a programmable t,stat the heat goes to 65 at noon on friday. The stove is our heat when we are there.

1954 house may not have much insulation. I would check. Is the attic easy to add some? The slab floor may be cold and just sucking up the heat.

 

[moresnow]

Brings back lots of good snowmobiling memories! Kind of miss those days. Really nice area. Are you down on the lake shore or back up hill? The @DAKSY advice is sound! I'd add that your wood supply quality will really affect your burn quality/experience with any modern stove you will be considering. Dry wood (<20% moisture content is the accepted standard generally) is more important than most new guys know. Buying from a local supplier now and expecting it to be seasoned is at very best... Questionable. Not to preach but its a important component.

 

[myth83]

I would insulate the house FIRST, then buy a stove.
If you can keep more heat in, then you CAN use a smaller unit.

That’s optimal, if feasible financially and possible to be properly made.

For me I own an „old“ house (built in the early 60s), the house was built using brick and mortar (including floors and ceilings), insulation was minimal (lack of standards and also very cheap heating oil back than).

so economically I could only add insulation to the roof. Because in order to insulate the outer walls of the house it would require enormous effort and deep pockets (or lose living space by adding insulation boards inside which is not my cup of tea..)

I’d have to agree and say insulation first (if affordable) and choosing a wood stove later.

I'd add that your wood supply quality will really affect your burn quality/experience with any modern stove you will be considering. Dry wood (<20% moisture content is the accepted standard generally) is more important than most new guys know. Buying from a local supplier now and expecting it to be seasoned is at very best... Questionable. Not to preach but its a important component.

I also agree, wood that is sold „seasoned“ is sometimes not really dry - I have already had experience after comparing wood bought in the hardware shop (was expensive and pretty wet) and wood I have got delivered from a reputable local firewood dealer that was sold as seasoned (more likely technical kiln drying), dry it was indeed and burns without many issues.


PS: I think that Even if my house was better insulated I would still consider a „slightly bigger than needed“ solution just to be future proof.
On the other hand- if it is a free standing wood stove then it is very easy to replace if needed (in contrary to a bricked fireplace that is built around exact specs)


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[maple1]

Some assumptions from your post.

You will only be there part time for the next 9 years. Assuming you will be keeping the place just above freezing while not there with gas, then wanting to heat it up when you get there. And it isn't that well insulated.

I would likely tend to go bigger, that horsepower will be appreciated when heating the place up from cold, which sounds like how most of it's next 9 years will be spent.

And of course, improve insulation & heat loss as you are able to.

EDIT: forgot to add, start getting wood & getting it ready now - don't wait until you get a stove.