Oversizing

[BrowningBAR]

I don't always need all 9 cu ft of fireboxs rocking, but when I do it sure is nice to have.

It's 9 degrees outside and the 30 is at 750, the Defiant is at a little over 650, and the Encore is at 600. It's not tank top weather in here, but it sure as hell ain't cold in here. This entire cold snap has been a lot easier to deal with than it was in the winter of 2010/2011.

 

[fishingpol]

It is weather like this that shows your stoves' fortitude... or lack thereof.

 

[Dix]

We learned from 2010/2011. Big time.

Way easier this time around.

The 13 is cruising at 650F, and the PE is coming up after the "night load" for the over night shut down. Climbing at 500F and air already 1/2 way down.

And I still have firewood that I loaded by the back door left over, will bring it in tomorrow at lunch time so it doesn't get hit by the snow tomorrow night.

We did OK this time around.

Always learning !

 

[wkpoor]

I've got right at the same but in 2 stoves. This morning my 30 was right at 922 stove top measured from the IR gun.
I'm starting to see much better house temps now. In fact the 2nd floor is warmest in the house leading the 1st floor by about 4 degrees. It was in the lower teens by noon today and I had it 78 (not measured in the stove room) on the whole 1st floor. Even the hardwood floor was nice warm on my bare feet.

 

[BrowningBAR]

It is weather like this that shows your stoves' fortitude... or lack thereof.

Yeah, I learned a lot in 2010/2011. Even with the upgrade from the Intrepid to the Encore, when the temps dipped it pretty much turned into a giant conveyor belt of stove loading to keep stove temps and house temps up.

The worst was in the morning when it would all start again. Getting house temps up in the morning is a LOT easier now.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I've got right at the same but in 2 stoves. This morning my 30 was right at 922 stove top measured from the IR gun.
I'm starting to see much better house temps now. In fact the 2nd floor is warmest in the house leading the 1st floor by about 4 degrees. It was in the lower teens by noon today and I had it 78 (not measured in the stove room) on the whole 1st floor. Even the hardwood floor was nice warm on my bare feet.

I really can't imagine what the heat from a 922 degree stove would feel like.

 

[wkpoor]

I really can't imagine the heat from a 922 degree stove would feel like.​

I think I could cook meat 12" above it honestly.

 

[eclecticcottage]

Yup, this is why we have a stove rated for 1,200-2,000 sq ft in a less than 700 sw ft cottage. Depends on your situation and tightness of your place, but our experiance with two gas stoves and our Old House lead us to believe we'd need more than what the 1250 (smaller stove) could handle. At 11F outside, and 73F inside (night temps), seems we were right.

 

[shoot-straight]

Yup, this is why we have a stove rated for 1,200-2,000 sq ft in a less than 700 sw ft cottage. Depends on your situation and tightness of your place, but our experiance with two gas stoves and our Old House lead us to believe we'd need more than what the 1250 (smaller stove) could handle. At 11F outside, and 73F inside (night temps), seems we were right.

these cold snaps make me wonder if we should upsize our stove. in fact, just yesterday i was surfing craigslist looking for a bigger stove to experiment with. we are in a new, but pretty drafty cape cod. we have vaulted ceilings and live on a hilltop with no protection (till it grows up). as long as the wind doesnt blow, if the temp stays above 20, we are just fine. the wind just kills us. i would say 85% of th winter we do just fine. then the electric heat kicks in.

the past week ive been running the stove as hot as i can, but my elect heat still kicks on and off. in 2010/11 when we had the winter from hell, my highest elect bill was 280$. fall and spring elect bills run about 130-150 so 120$ to heat aint bad i guess in the extreme conditions.

i think i will stick with what i have.

 

[DianeB]

I don't always need all 9 cu ft of fireboxs rocking, but when I do it sure is nice to have.

It's 9 degrees outside and the 30 is at 750, the Defiant is at a little over 650, and the Encore is at 600. It's not tank top weather in here, but it sure as hell ain't cold in here. This entire cold snap has been a lot easier to deal with than it was in the winter of 2010/2011.

Browning - was if you in older posts mentioning a rear heat shield on a stove and exterior chimney would help throw heat into the room rather than sinking into the fireplace? Have been thinkning of adding the rear shield if this would help. As long as temps in the upper teens we are fine, once into single digits, getting the house to 65 a struggle (we do need more insulation and will be getting this sometime this year)

 

[BrowningBAR]

Browning - was if you in older posts mentioning a rear heat shield on a stove and exterior chimney would help throw heat into the room rather than sinking into the fireplace? Have been thinkning of adding the rear shield if this would help. As long as temps in the upper teens we are fine, once into single digits, getting the house to 65 a struggle (we do need more insulation and will be getting this sometime this year)

That might not have been me. All of my chimneys are technically interior chimneys. But, I was thinking about making a vertical block-off plate that would close off the back half of the fireplace that the Encore is installed in to minimize the amount of heat that gets stuck in the fireplace.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

9 cu ft...I'm jealous. My little 1.7 is barely keeping up in this old drafty place. We never knew how drafty it really was until we installed the stove. It is uncomfortably cold on at floor level as the cold air just swirls around your ankles. The stove blower helps move the hot air around but not much. I am hoping that the repairs to the siding and roof from Sandy will help. We are also going to get a new double storm door so that should help too, I hope. Otherwise, we will be looking for a bigger stove. I'd love a cook stove in my kitchen but at 1100 sq ft, 900 of which we heat, that might be overkill, especially since they are only a room apart

 

[dafattkidd]

I am so glad I oversized my insert for this drafty house. I've made some significant strides towards tightening up the place and just in time, too. This was a hell of a cold snap, and we did just fine.

 

[BrowningBAR]

9 cu ft...I'm jealous. My little 1.7 is barely keeping up in this old drafty place. We never knew how drafty it really was until we installed the stove. It is uncomfortably cold on at floor level as the cold air just swirls around your ankles. The stove blower helps move the hot air around but not much. I am hoping that the repairs to the siding and roof from Sandy will help. We are also going to get a new double storm door so that should help too, I hope. Otherwise, we will be looking for a bigger stove. I'd love a cook stove in my kitchen but at 1100 sq ft, 900 of which we heat, that might be overkill, especially since they are only a room apart

These old places have a lot of spots to produce draft. This spring we start tightening this place up. Should be interesting to see where some of this draft is coming from.

 

[ArsenalDon]

my 30 was right at 922 stove top

Almost 1000 stove top?!

 

[Redlegs]

I bought the biggest insert that would fit in my fireplace opening, and I am glad I did. I think the manufactures over-estimate their square footage so when ever possible I would buy up.

 

[Bub381]

I'm scratching my head Don.

 

[Todd 2]

Hi Browning, When your rocking all three stoves, that sounds like a full time job just bringing wood in man !
But wood heat and no or small heat bill I'm sure is worth it , I have been keeping it 78-82 in here during this cold snap so Aman Brother to a little Oversizing

 

[BrowningBAR]

Hi Browning, When your rocking all three stoves, that sounds like a full time job just bringing wood in man !
But wood heat and no or small heat bill I'm sure is worth it , I have been keeping it 78-82 in here during this cold snap so Aman Brother to a little Oversizing

With the cold blast I was still getting 6-9 hours between burn cycles. Not great, but manageable. I purchased a large wood rack over the summer that holds three to four wheelbarrows of wood. Between the larger stoves and the wood rack, stove tending has been greatly minimized even during the coldest weather.

I still have the urge to pull out the Encore and put in a 30. But insulating is now the focus.

 

[Todd 2]

With the cold blast I was still getting 6-9 hours between burn cycles. Not great, but manageable. I purchased a large wood rack over the summer that holds three to four wheelbarrows of wood. Between the larger stoves and the wood rack, stove tending has been greatly minimized even during the coldest weather.

I still have the urge to pull out the Encore and put in a 30. But insulating is now the focus.

I done new windows and doors & storm doors 2 years ago (still paying for them on the 3 yr plan) my insulation still need alot of help but seemed like getting rid of all the air leaks has made all the difference in the world for me, I had an Old Timer tell me that would help me the most. I can really tell the difference when that wind and low temps hit, prior to that is when I had trouble keeping it warm enough in here without using the oil heat to help alot, now I don't use it at all as long as I'm here every 8 to 12 hrs depending on temps.
Some day maby we'll all have the perfect house & single stove that does the perfect job on 2 cord of wood a year. Ha !
money, money, money, what a nessasary nuisance. All good on here about the 30 except a few replys I'd half to question.
I think I have my buddy talked into one of them, seems like the best bang for the buck. I thought I was out of my mind buying a progress but I did take full advantage of Uncle Sam. The cat side is awesome for the shoulder season, I really liked my steel stoves too but If you ever get the chance to try one of these they are in a class all there own. I thought I might end up returning it after 6 months and get my favorite pick an look in a stove (big, black, cast, with big glass) but I really like this thing (its performance throughout the season) not bragging my friend but its a keeper if you know what I mean. Keep warm, & keep posting, you sure get into some interesting ones

Todd2