Questions about the new old Atlantic 228 wood stove I just purchased

[Steveo]

I just purchased a Atlantic 228 airtight wood stove. I believe this stove is 10 to 15 years old except it is brand new in the box still strapped to the pallet. The lady I purchased the stove from said her husband bought two of these about 10 or 15 years ago, she thinks. The other stove was installed at her mothers house and is still working today.

My question is what makes the new stoves more efficient than this stove? I notice there is no bricks in this stove and it has an oval sideways flue that will take an eight inch pipe. The directions also say something about a stovepipe damper. This stove will take a 24" log and can be loaded from the front or the side. It is a really nice looking stove.

I am switching over to wood one way or the other this year. Do you think I should install this stove or get something newer. Will this stove burn more wood than a newer one and if so will it be a huge difference? Any help on this would be appreciated.

 

[BrotherBart]

Since the Portland Stove Foundry in Maine that made the stove closed in 1984 the stove has to be a tad older than 10-15 years. I have seen a Atlantic 224 box stove but haven't ever seen the 228. It will be your standard pre-EPA cast iron stove. You can burn wood in it and it will put out heat but will never be as clean burning or efficient as even the cheapest EPA certified stove out there.

If you install it just be sure to burn good dry well seasoned wood, don't keep it choked down trying to get really long burn times and inspect the stovepipe/chimney at least once a month because it will generate higher accumulations than a modern stove will generate.

And eat a third to half again more wood than a comparably sized modern stove.

 

[savageactor7]

^dittos to what BrotherBart said.

A year ago I was convinced we didn't need a new stove...now that we have our new QF...I would never go back to the old stoves.

 

[fossil]

Use this one as a museum display/ knick-knack shelf/planter/makeshift safe for your valuables...and use a new one to burn your wood and heat your living space. Rick

 

[duboisdl]

I know this is an old post but...I have an old Atlantic (see pic) and before I spend money on a new one, I'd like to know what makes the newer stoves more efficient?

 

[firefighterjake]

I know this is an old post but...I have an old Atlantic (see pic) and before I spend money on a new one, I'd like to know what makes the newer stoves more efficient?

Secondary burn or catalytic combustor technology . . . in the case of secondary burners the stove is designed so that the smoke with several volative compounds in it is ignited once the stove reaches a certain temp -- it is this second burning . . . the burning of the smoke that results in more heat so that less wood is needed to achieve the same amount of heat. You can still turn down the air on these stoves for long burns . . . but now instead of having a slow, smoldering fire that puts out just a bit of heat you get a burn that is cleaner and more efficient.

I'm a bit dense, so it wasn't until a few months ago that I realized that what I was seeing in my woodstove is something that I have seen on training videos at "work" on a smaller scale -- a controlled flashover in a stove . . . which is a good thing since it produces a lot of heat and burns a lot of the bad stuff in the smoke . . . not so good on a house fire since it produces a lot of heat as everything in the room bursts into flame.

Someone smarter than me can explain exactly how the cats work . . . but basically from what I gather once the cat stove reaches a set temp the cat is engaged so it burns cleaner . . . and in the process it allows the fire to burn at an even lower temp than the secondary burners so you get even longer burns . . . and it is burning cleanly at the same time.

 

[mellow]

How many cords a year are you burning in that Atlantic?

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

How many cords a year are you burning in that Atlantic?

and how many sq ft are you heating?

 

[firefighterjake]

Incidentally there are some other perks to selling the ol' Atlantic and buying a new stove now . . . and it's not just about the efficiency, clean burning and less wood used . . . I'm talking about the tax credit and perhaps just as important the view you would get of the fire . . . once you get a view of the fire you'll most likely never want to go back to burning wood without a "window."

 

[duboisdl]

Thanx for the info firefighter....kind of makes sense. I do have an addition question....My Atlantic is cast iron and it stays warm for quite a while after the fire dies down. I've been looking at steel stove and was wondering would those cool down quicker or wood the firebrick inside keeep it warm as long as the cast iron?

I burn about 5 - 6 cord a year with my Atlantic and it heats an approx 1700 sq. ft. home.

 

[firefighterjake]

Thanx for the info firefighter....kind of makes sense. I do have an addition question....My Atlantic is cast iron and it stays warm for quite a while after the fire dies down. I've been looking at steel stove and was wondering would those cool down quicker or wood the firebrick inside keeep it warm as long as the cast iron?

I burn about 5 - 6 cord a year with my Atlantic and it heats an approx 1700 sq. ft. home.

I have a cast iron Jotul myself so I can't really say for sure . . . but I know folks like Brother Bart love their steel Englanders . . . perhaps he will chime in on the residual heat in steel stoves . . . I personally suspect that a lot of the heat that radiates off any stove long after the fire has gone out can be attributed to how much mass it has . . . in other words -- more metal that has sucked up the heat will take longer to heat up . . . and slower to cool.

5-6 cords a year isn't all that bad. I figure I have an 1,800 square foot Cape and in doing some rough figures I figure I use 4-5 cords a year . . . however quite honestly I don't tend to really spend a lot of time fussing on how much wood I use from year to year . . . as long as I have plenty in the woodshed I'm happy with whatever I use to keep the place warm.

 

[duboisdl]

Thanx for the info firefighter....kind of makes sense. I do have an addition question....My Atlantic is cast iron and it stays warm for quite a while after the fire dies down. I've been looking at steel stove and was wondering would those cool down quicker or wood the firebrick inside keeep it warm as long as the cast iron?

I burn about 5 - 6 cord a year with my Atlantic and it heats an approx 1700 sq. ft. home.

I have a cast iron Jotul myself so I can't really say for sure . . . but I know folks like Brother Bart love their steel Englanders . . . perhaps he will chime in on the residual heat in steel stoves . . . I personally suspect that a lot of the heat that radiates off any stove long after the fire has gone out can be attributed to how much mass it has . . . in other words -- more metal that has sucked up the heat will take longer to heat up . . . and slower to cool.

5-6 cords a year isn't all that bad. I figure I have an 1,800 square foot Cape and in doing some rough figures I figure I use 4-5 cords a year . . . however quite honestly I don't tend to really spend a lot of time fussing on how much wood I use from year to year . . . as long as I have plenty in the woodshed I'm happy with whatever I use to keep the place warm.

I have a ranch with an offset addition on 1 end and the way the rooms are laid out, the room with the wood stove get's pretty darn hot (which is expected). I'm OK with 5-6 cord a year but based on what I've read in this forum, would expect a reduction if I got a new stove. If that is not the case then I won't buy a new stove....I just don't want to spend the money for nothing.

Thanx for your input...much appreciated
Dan