quadrafire Isle royal and my old blaze king...

[mm norcal]

hey- i have an 80's blazeking. it burns through wood like crazy and we have enjoyed it. our home is 1300 square feet or so, and we keep bedrooms closed until the main room gets kind of warm, then open doors at perimeter of house.
i was looking at picking up an older quadfire Isle Royal hoping to reduce wood use. i kind of just want a blaze king, but they are quite more than i can afford. the isle royal is less than $500, looks in decent shape. will it significantly reduce our wood use? should i move on to something else? thanks for your help

 

[begreen]

If this is an early 80s BK with no reburn system then yes, the Isle Royale will burn less wood as long as it is in good condition. Do you know the age of the IR?

Another option would be to get a new EPA stove like an Englander 30-NC for under $1000. Not fancy, but a good big heater. Sold by Home Depot.

Any modern stove is going to need fully seasoned wood to perform well. Also, check each stove's firebox dimension. It may be shorter than what your current wood stash is cut to. That's not the end of the world, but something to think about.

And last, a modern stove will want at least 15-16' of flue, preferably straight up. What is the current stove connected to?

 

[mm norcal]

If this is an early 80s BK with no reburn system then yes, the Isle Royale will burn less wood as long as it is in good condition. Do you know the age of the IR?

Another option would be to get a new EPA stove like an Englander 30-NC for under $1000. Not fancy, but a good big heater. Sold by Home Depot.

Any modern stove is going to need fully seasoned wood to perform well. Also, check each stove's firebox dimension. It may be shorter than what your current wood stash is cut to. That's not the end of the world, but something to think about.

And last, a modern stove will want at least 15-16' of flue, preferably straight up. What is the current stove connected to?

Thanks for offering your experience begreen. I don't know the age, but all the gasketing has been replaced. kind of a refurbished stove i guess. my chimney is maybe 6' indoors, and then 4' from the roof to the top.

 

[begreen]

10' is pretty short, especially in a milder climate. Is the current chimney also 8" round? If so, that will further compound the issue.

 

[mm norcal]

10' is pretty short, especially in a milder climate. Is the current chimney also 8" round? If so, that will further compound the issue.

Indeed- we presently have an 8" chimney. so. should i just avoid this stove? do i need to upgrade chimney? i have seen a non-catalytic woodstock that claims 12 hour burns in my area. not sure that is an honest claim however. 12 hours is pretty long and few stoves will claim that...

 

[baseroom]

As you can see in the picture I have been burning an IR for 5 years. The chimney goes up three feet then 2 90's get it out side for a two story chimney. It has always burned great. With good dry hard wood I will still have coals at 12 hours to start the next load. I am heating 2000 sq feet colonial in a cold windy climate. Lots of great stoves out there. The IR is one of them!!

 

[mm norcal]

As you can see in the picture I have been burning an IR for 5 years. The chimney goes up three feet then 2 90's get it out side for a two story chimney. It has always burned great. With good dry hard wood I will still have coals at 12 hours to start the next load. I am heating 2000 sq feet colonial in a cold windy climate. Lots of great stoves out there. The IR is one of them!!

thank you sir. can i just put in half a load, and turn it way down? im wondering if i get it going, maybe it'll cook us out. we're only 12,13 hundred square feet. i think mychimner is 12' tops. if i install the IR, I have to use the rear exit pipe, and immediate up to go through ceiling. that's just like your double 90's in theory i guess

 

[webby3650]

thank you sir. can i just put in half a load, and turn it way down? im wondering if i get it going, maybe it'll cook us out. we're only 12,13 hundred square feet. i think mychimner is 12' tops. if i install the IR, I have to use the rear exit pipe, and immediate up to go through ceiling. that's just like your double 90's in theory i guess

Why would you need to have it exhaust off the rear?

 

[begreen]

IIRC the IR likes to run hot. It sounds like too much stove for 1200 sq ft. in No. Cal. unless the place is uninsulated and at a high altitude.

 

[webby3650]

IIRC the IR likes to run hot. It sounds like too much stove for 1200 sq ft. in No. Cal. unless the place is uninsulated and at a high altitude.

Mine sure did! It’s a serious heater.

 

[mm norcal]

Why would you need to have it exhaust off the rear?

thanks so much for asking! the manifold fits, leaving parallel to the floor. if i rotate it around, following my intuition thinking it is "adjustable", the top panel interferes with it being able to fit flush against the stove. i can't figure it out...