Point me in the right direction, please

[Samiz]

I managed to check out my heat pump today. It's rated for 30,000 btu/hr. Does that mean any stove capable of more than 30,000 btu/hr will be able to heat as well as my central HVAC system?

Is there any harm in buying a stove that's too big? Most of the stoves I've investigated have a peak output much higher than 30k btu.

Thanks for posting those pics of the Keystone. That design is growing on me.

 

[firefighterjake]

I managed to check out my heat pump today. It's rated for 30,000 btu/hr. Does that mean any stove capable of more than 30,000 btu/hr will be able to heat as well as my central HVAC system?

Is there any harm in buying a stove that's too big? Most of the stoves I've investigated have a peak output much higher than 30k btu.

Thanks for posting those pics of the Keystone. That design is growing on me.

Can't help you with your question on the heat pump . . . such things are pretty rare to see up this way.

Yes . . . if you go too big with a stove you will either have way too much heat which means you will have to open windows to cool the place down which is wasting the potential heat (and your wood supply) . . . if the stove is too big and you attempt to build very small fires in it to keep the temps down you may have a problem achieving a sustained secondary combustion or getting long burn times.

And yeah . . . I kind of like the Keystone's look as well . . . I'm eagerly awaiting Todd's report on the heating capacity this year.

 

[begreen]

Stoves can burn in a range of btu outputs. And the btu outputs of stoves are sometimes inconsistent. One mfg might list the max output and another might conservatively list the EPA tested output. The heatpump is the same size as ours is, but that is only the compressor rating. If it gets extra cold, the electric resistance coils kick in. So the btu output of the system when it gets below whatever the set point for the electric resistance coils kick in may be different.

I think you will be fine with a medium sized stove that is well located. The PE Alderlea or Woodstock Keystone both are sized right for this space. You don't have to run the stove with a full charge of wood. A half load will burn fine and once it is burning well, it can be turned down. The Woodstock stove is a catalytic model and works particularly well doing a low burn, yet burning cleanly.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I managed to check out my heat pump today. It's rated for 30,000 btu/hr. Does that mean any stove capable of more than 30,000 btu/hr will be able to heat as well as my central HVAC system?

Is there any harm in buying a stove that's too big? Most of the stoves I've investigated have a peak output much higher than 30k btu.

Thanks for posting those pics of the Keystone. That design is growing on me.

Can't help you with your question on the heat pump . . . such things are pretty rare to see up this way.

Yes . . . if you go too big with a stove you will either have way too much heat which means you will have to open windows to cool the place down which is wasting the potential heat (and your wood supply) . . . [b]if the stove is too big and you attempt to build very small fires in it to keep the temps down you may have a problem achieving a sustained secondary combustion or getting long burn times. [/b]

And yeah . . . I kind of like the Keystone's look as well . . . I'm eagerly awaiting Todd's report on the heating capacity this year.

But if the stove is a cat type stove, there is no worries about that. Another straw in the cap of the folks at Woodstock.

Naturally during early fall and late spring wood burners run into this problem and most folks will simply stop burning a bit early in the Spring. But a stove like the Fireview has no problems burning on low heat and no worries about the creosote problems so long as the fuel is right.

 

[firefighterjake]

I managed to check out my heat pump today. It's rated for 30,000 btu/hr. Does that mean any stove capable of more than 30,000 btu/hr will be able to heat as well as my central HVAC system?

Is there any harm in buying a stove that's too big? Most of the stoves I've investigated have a peak output much higher than 30k btu.

Thanks for posting those pics of the Keystone. That design is growing on me.

Can't help you with your question on the heat pump . . . such things are pretty rare to see up this way.

Yes . . . if you go too big with a stove you will either have way too much heat which means you will have to open windows to cool the place down which is wasting the potential heat (and your wood supply) . . . [b]if the stove is too big and you attempt to build very small fires in it to keep the temps down you may have a problem achieving a sustained secondary combustion or getting long burn times. [/b]

And yeah . . . I kind of like the Keystone's look as well . . . I'm eagerly awaiting Todd's report on the heating capacity this year.

But if the stove is a cat type stove, there is no worries about that. Another straw in the cap of the folks at Woodstock.

Naturally during early fall and late spring wood burners run into this problem and most folks will simply stop burning a bit early in the Spring. But a stove like the Fireview has no problems burning on low heat and no worries about the creosote problems so long as the fuel is right.

Good point on the cat stoves . . . although I've got around the excessive heat by sizing the stove correctly and doing half loads in the shoulder season with my chunks, punks, junks and uglies and only doing one or two fires during the day . . . it works . . . but I must admit it is kind of a pain when you're restarting the fire twice a day after you've done it for a few weeks.

 

[vvvv]

I managed to check out my heat pump today. It's rated for 30,000 btu/hr. Does that mean any stove capable of more than 30,000 btu/hr will be able to heat as well as my central HVAC system?

Is there any harm in buying a stove that's too big? Most of the stoves I've investigated have a peak output much higher than 30k btu.

Thanks for posting those pics of the Keystone. That design is growing on me.

Can't help you with your question on the heat pump . . . such things are pretty rare to see up this way.

Yes . . . if you go too big with a stove you will either have way too much heat which means you will have to open windows to cool the place down which is wasting the potential heat (and your wood supply) . . . [b]if the stove is too big and you attempt to build very small fires in it to keep the temps down you may have a problem achieving a sustained secondary combustion or getting long burn times. [/b]

And yeah . . . I kind of like the Keystone's look as well . . . I'm eagerly awaiting Todd's report on the heating capacity this year.

But if the stove is a cat type stove, there is no worries about that. Another straw in the cap of the folks at Woodstock.

Naturally during early fall and late spring wood burners run into this problem and most folks will simply stop burning a bit early in the Spring. But a stove like the Fireview has no problems burning on low heat and no worries about the creosote problems so long as the fuel is right.

Good point on the cat stoves . . . although I've got around the excessive heat by sizing the stove correctly and doing half loads in the shoulder season with my chunks, punks, junks and uglies and only doing one or two fires during the day . . . it works . . . but I must admit it is kind of a pain when you're restarting the fire twice a day after you've done it for a few weeks.

thats why god created cardboard, k2, supercedars & beelzebub! u dont lurn how to dance with the devil by practicing with angels :snake:

 

[Samiz]

What is the EPA test fuel, and how do they decide how much of it to use when testing any given stove?

 

[begreen]

(broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/hobtucmp.htm)
(broken link removed to http://www.woodheat.org/planning/buyright.htm)
EPA test method 28:
7.1 Test Fuel. The test fuel shall conform to the
following requirements:
7.1.1 Fuel Species. Untreated, air-dried, Douglas
fir lumber. Kiln-dried lumber is not permitted. The lumber
shall be certified C grade (standard) or better Douglas fir
by a lumber grader at the mill of origin as specified in the
West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau Standard No. 16
(incorporated by reference - see §60.17).
7.1.2 Fuel Moisture. The test fuel shall have a
moisture content range between 16 to 20 percent on a wet
basis (19 to 25 percent dry basis). Addition of moisture to
previously dried wood is not allowed. It is recommended
that the test fuel be stored in a temperature and
humidity-controlled room.
7.1.3 Fuel Temperature. The test fuel shall be at
the test facility temperature of 18 to 32 EC (65 to 90 EF).
1409
7.1.4 Fuel Dimensions. The dimensions of each test
fuel piece shall conform to the nominal measurements of 2 ×
4 and 4 × 4 lumber. Each piece of test fuel (not including
spacers) shall be of equal length, except as necessary to
meet requirements in Section 8.8, and shall closely
approximate 5/6 the dimensions of the length of the usable
firebox. The fuel piece dimensions shall be determined in
relation to the appliance's firebox volume according to
guidelines listed below:
7.1.4.1 If the usable firebox volume is less than or
equal to 0.043 m3 (1.5 ft3), use 2 × 4 lumber.
7.1.4.2 If the usable firebox volume is greater than
0.043 m3 (1.5 ft3) and less than or equal to 0.085 m3 (3.0
ft3), use 2 × 4 and 4 × 4 lumber. About half the weight of
the test fuel charge shall be 2 × 4 lumber, and the
remainder shall be 4 × 4 lumber.
7.1.4.3 If the usable firebox volume is greater than
0.085 m3 (3.0 ft3), use 4 × 4 lumber.
7.2 Test Fuel Spacers. Air-dried, Douglas fir lumber
meeting the requirements outlined in Sections 7.1.1 through
7.1.3. The spacers shall be 130 × 40 × 20 mm (5 × 1.5 ×
0.75 in.).
(broken link removed to http://www.caslab.com/EPA-Method-28/)

 

[Samiz]

Cool, thanks.

 

[Samiz]

Well, the wife has decided that we don't want a freestanding stove. Apparently we want an "insert". In talking with the fireplace store gurus, we can't use a true wood stove insert due to our pathetic existing prefab fireplace. So that means we actually want a high efficiency zero clearance fireplace. (Right? Something we can mount right in the wall without needing an existing fireplace?)

In researching the ZC fireplaces, we definitely prefer the look of the arch top models like the RSF Opel or BIS Tradition or Fireplace Extrordinare. Problem is, most of these are way too big. They tend to run 3 to 4 cubic feet. From the advice given here and my own research I'm thinking I need 2 cubic feet or less, else I'll have trouble keeping the secondary burn going without overheating the house.

Wise woodburners, is 3 - 4 cubic feet too large for my application? If so, what are my sub 3 ft^3, high efficiency, round top, ZC fireplace options? BIS Tradition CE, RSF Topaz and Chameleon, and...?