Hello all, brand new member here, looking for advice on potentially getting a new stove.
I live in Vermont, my house is ~1800 square feet (doesn't include basement footage) total in a two story house. The first floor is kind of open. I have my current stove a Vermont Castings Defiant model 1945 (cat stove) in the basement and it heats the basement and the upper two stories just fine. The problem I have (and I assume everyone is going to say it is user error) is that I heat the stove too high and tend to warp parts. Easy fix right, just don't fire it as hot. I use a thermometer on the top exiting pipe about 12" from the top of the stove. I try to heat it up to ~600 degrees F before closing the damper, if I don't it seems to burn cooler than I assume is good @ ~350 degrees. I usually try to burn @ 400-450 degrees. My chimney has been spotless, I haven't had to clean it once while using this stove and it has been 10 years or so (I bought it used). I like the stove but just don't like to replace parts yearly. It has an 8" top exit and goes into a cinder block and brick chimney. I am in the process of replacing a few parts now due to warpage and I am going to do my best to heat it up to ~500 degrees before I close the damper and maybe that is the solution to my problem. Vermont Castings is also going to stop making parts for my stove so if I continue to have problems it will be harder to get parts. I burn wood exclusively to heat my entire home so in the winter it burns frequently, I would guess 4 to 5 cords per year.
But, if not and I continue to have problems I would like to get a lower maintenance stove, I have been told that steel stoves take heat better. What would you recommend for stoves to look at that would be a good solution for a chronic "over-heater"? I would like it to be decently efficient, the aesthetics don't concern me as it will be in the basement, quality & price would also be a concern. I am also on the frugal side so ideally I could find something nice used but if that is a bad idea I would consider new as well. Please let me know what you think, I want to make the best decision possible. Thank you for your time!
I live in Vermont, my house is ~1800 square feet (doesn't include basement footage) total in a two story house. The first floor is kind of open. I have my current stove a Vermont Castings Defiant model 1945 (cat stove) in the basement and it heats the basement and the upper two stories just fine. The problem I have (and I assume everyone is going to say it is user error) is that I heat the stove too high and tend to warp parts. Easy fix right, just don't fire it as hot. I use a thermometer on the top exiting pipe about 12" from the top of the stove. I try to heat it up to ~600 degrees F before closing the damper, if I don't it seems to burn cooler than I assume is good @ ~350 degrees. I usually try to burn @ 400-450 degrees. My chimney has been spotless, I haven't had to clean it once while using this stove and it has been 10 years or so (I bought it used). I like the stove but just don't like to replace parts yearly. It has an 8" top exit and goes into a cinder block and brick chimney. I am in the process of replacing a few parts now due to warpage and I am going to do my best to heat it up to ~500 degrees before I close the damper and maybe that is the solution to my problem. Vermont Castings is also going to stop making parts for my stove so if I continue to have problems it will be harder to get parts. I burn wood exclusively to heat my entire home so in the winter it burns frequently, I would guess 4 to 5 cords per year.
But, if not and I continue to have problems I would like to get a lower maintenance stove, I have been told that steel stoves take heat better. What would you recommend for stoves to look at that would be a good solution for a chronic "over-heater"? I would like it to be decently efficient, the aesthetics don't concern me as it will be in the basement, quality & price would also be a concern. I am also on the frugal side so ideally I could find something nice used but if that is a bad idea I would consider new as well. Please let me know what you think, I want to make the best decision possible. Thank you for your time!
