Questions for Fireview owners

[Builder Bob]

I have some questions for a new house I was going to build for myself and was looking for some help. These questions are for those who heat 1,800 to 2,100 sq. ft. with your Fireview. This is to help with stove size and heating capacity. FYI the house will be in middle TN. and have spray foam insulation and good windows.

1. What style is your house? Ranch, cape cod, contemporary, cabin etc.
2. Where is the stove located in the house?
3. How would you rate your insulation/building envelope?
4. Do you heat your whole house with this stove or do you run central heat or other also?
5. What is the average indoor temp you keep the house during winter?

I have been trying to work between the Fireview and HS Mansfield for heating capacity.

Thanks for all replies.

 

[Slow1]

I have some questions for a new house I was going to build for myself and was looking for some help. These questions are for those who heat 1,800 to 2,100 sq. ft. with your Fireview. This is to help with stove size and heating capacity. FYI the house will be in middle TN. and have spray foam insulation and good windows.

1. What style is your house? Ranch, cape cod, contemporary, cabin etc.

American Mutt Seriously - front is a split cape (?), then we added another bit on the back that is hard for me to classify. We have an open loft looking over the living room in the front, 2br on the first floor, stairwell leading up (and down 1/2 flight to front door, then basement), also on first floor is the living room (front of house) what used to be a small dining room where the stove is now, then back room is what we call the family room (the addition) that is 450 sq ft back there in one room, these three rooms make a horseshoe arrangement around the kitchen. There is an L shaped wall that breaks up the LR and the 'stove space'. Kitchen has 1/2 wall overlooking into the family room, large open space looking at the stove. Then there is a bathroom on the same floor. Upstairs is the loft room (above the kitchen). Above the stove room is a full bath. Then there is another bathroom and master bedroom in the original part of the 2nd floor. The addition upstairs has three kids rooms. All in all it is somewhere between 2000 and 2300 sq. ft. I would say - have not measured it to be sure.

2. Where is the stove located in the house?

Guess I covered that. Except to say that there is basement below all the above of course.. not part of the space calculations and therefore a no-op for the discussion I presume.

3. How would you rate your insulation/building envelope?

Above average. House was built in 2000, addition completed in 2007. We've also air-sealed and improved the insulation in attic recently. Blower-door test showed that air-infiltration is likely well below the 'normal averages' for house of our size and we improved it after that

4. Do you heat your whole house with this stove or do you run central heat or other also?

Aiming to do whole house except for basement. The two bedrooms at far end of the first floor are questionable for effectiveness...

5. What is the average indoor temp you keep the house during winter?

Our target temp is 65 for living areas, cooler for sleeping quarters. Obviously we'll be warmer around the stove.

Last year we were using the VC Encore. It is rated below the FV in all BTU numbers - peak, EPA tests etc. I only expect to have better results this year with the FV (especially given that it generally operates better!). So my working assumption is that my results from last year are reasonably applicable to the future. What I found was that we were able to heat the house to 70 in the kitchen and family room area - far end of family room would be cooler of course. Upstairs would be 68ish in the loft. Our Master BR would be 64 or perhaps cooler - especially if the door was closed for any lenght of time. Kids rooms upstairs lost a lot of heat through windows (no curtains) so if doors were closed then look out there, but once opened we could feel the cold air flow out and warm air go in. The bedrooms at the far end of the first floor were the hardest to heat as basically the heat wanted to flow upstairs and heat all that space first before heading down the hall - not too surprising. There is no line of sight path from stove to that hall or those rooms so it has to be convection/warm air heating to reach those rooms and they are on top of the garage to boot.

I don't know the timeframe for your decision, but I'll be posting my results as time goes one. I tend to be a data junkie so I do track temperatures in different parts of the house so I may be able to give you some objective findings if you would like. I need to build up a data set before I'd consider them to be overly useful. For example, preliminary analysis of today's data suggests that the stove may have reversed an approx .3*/hr heat loss at the center of the house into a .5*/hr or greater gain @20 degree indoor/outdoor delta and stove running at a low temp (approx 400f surface) including the startup time/temps. Not a great stress test - neither a huge inside/outside temp delta nor was the stove running very hot when you consider it can run up to 650f surface temp safely.

 

[Builder Bob]

Slow 1,
Thanks for the info. I am trying to get a feel from those that do heat a larger than "recommended 1,600 sq.ft." space based on the Woodstock data/spec sheets. I would be trying to heat a almost 2,000 sq. ft. w/ 9'-0" ceiling contemporary ranch. It is nearly all open at center (great room, kitchen & dining room etc.) with kids bedrooms on one end and our room at the opposite end. The stove would be in the great room with a ceiling fan above, and each of the bedrooms would also have ceiling fans to move air. All exterior would be brick, and insulation would be spray foam and casement windows low-e etc. for the exterior skin. The house would be in middle TN.
I am just a bit concerned about not haing enough stove for the wife, since she likes the house in the low to mid 70's during the heating season.

Bob

 

[Slow1]

How cold is it there generally? i.e. what sort of outside temps do you generally have and/or how many "degree days" do you run during the winter? Our coldest month is January where we average in the 20's with lows normally averaging around 15. Obviously averages only tell part of the story and temps can vary widely. Total degree days for the winter are somewhere around 6500 I believe.

My observation of heat distribution so far is that you have to allow the stove to heat and move a large volume of air - thus you want it to have as few obstructions as possible. We have a ceiling fan in the living room (can see the dust on top of it from the loft, heh) that we have used on and off - it can seriously move air, but I'm not really convinced that it has helped much with heat distribution having it on. Again - I'm working on objective tests to try this winter. The consensus around here seems to be that the best way of moving heat around if you need to help it move is to use fans low to the ground to push the cold air toward the stove. I haven't tried this yet, but it logically makes sense to me. Last year I know I had good convection flowing as the dustbunnies all gathered around the hearthpad requiring me to clean them up a couple times a week (the joys of hardwood floor covering the whole of the first floor - dust migrates). On the bright side I knew where to look for them.

I'm sure if they can find your post in the flood of new posts this week other folks with Fireviews will jump in. I know I read comments by others with 2000 sq ft or more who were heating with the FV. Also look into the reviews section and you may find examples you are looking for. The 1600 sqft is a very conservative estimate in my opinion. It seems to me that your house will be well insulated and 'tight' so you should be well set. How are you insulating your attic space? You foaming it as well? If so that may be far superior to what I have here (I really wanted to do that but just couldn't justify the expense since my builder was unfamiliar with it and gave me a "no thank-you" price to do it).

 

[Todd]

I have some questions for a new house I was going to build for myself and was looking for some help. These questions are for those who heat 1,800 to 2,100 sq. ft. with your Fireview. This is to help with stove size and heating capacity. FYI the house will be in middle TN. and have spray foam insulation and good windows.

1. What style is your house? Ranch, cape cod, contemporary, cabin etc.
2. Where is the stove located in the house?
3. How would you rate your insulation/building envelope?
4. Do you heat your whole house with this stove or do you run central heat or other also?
5. What is the average indoor temp you keep the house during winter?

I have been trying to work between the Fireview and HS Mansfield for heating capacity.

Thanks for all replies.

1. Open floor plan ranch, 1800 sq ft total including finished basement
2. Basement north wall, about 15' from stairwell
3. House was built in 1975 and insulation is above average, still working on more
4. Stove takes care of 90%, but I like to keep the upstairs over 70 and occasionally burn my fireplace to help out.
5. Mid 70's

I think the Fireview would work just fine for your sized house in your climate. For best results try to locate the stove centrally in your new home. Don't be overly concerned with the Fireview's 1600 sq ft heating capacity, it is very conservative and many here have reported great results heating over 2000 sq ft. Have you looked at the stove ratings section?

 

[wendell]

1. What style is your house? ranch built in '59, 2nd story added to 2/3rds of it in '67. Very small rooms
2. Where is the stove located in the house? Basement, near the stairs
3. How would you rate your insulation/building envelope? average but new windows
4. Do you heat your whole house with this stove or do you run central heat or other also? whole house except a space heater on the second floor that only runs on colder nights.
5. What is the average indoor temp you keep the house during winter? Actually, I have just starting using theFireview but last winter with my Morso, which is half as big, I was able to keep the first floor at 68+ until the fire went out at night and the upstairs in the low 60's. This year, I fully expect the Fireview to add a couple degrees to that.

So, for your climate, I am sure the Fireview would be sufficient.

Edit: My first and second stories are 1892 sq. ft. with 1,196 additional in the basement.

 

[BrotherBart]

Heck Bob I figured you had that house built and a Mansfield burning in it two years ago.

 

[yanksforever]

I was thinking Fireview also for 2300 sq ft. BUT...I didn't want to buy the stove and find out it wasn't enough
btu's for the house. So I have decided on a Mansfield (soon to be installed) They are both high quality stoves from
what I grasp from friends and this forum. Both are also beautiful soap stone stoves. And we are hearing that Woodstock
may be coming out with a "big one". So i guess you have to weigh all the options and then decide. My vote...Mansfield...but then again we are all
a little biased...right? ;-)

 

[Builder Bob]

Slow 1,
The usual avg. temps are mid 40's for highs and low to mid 20's for lows. Now of course this is an average and usually two to three times a year we dip to low teens or single digits for lows but usually not for more than a few nights.

Todd,
I have checked the stove ratings page and tried to email those who had an address posted but had not heard back from any of them yet.

Brother Bart,
Yeah the plan was to have the house built already, but as the commercial says "life comes at you fast" and sometimes it is a curveball. Still getting all the ducks in a row so to speak!

Bob

 

[Slow1]

Well, my guess is that the FV will be capable of handling the bulk if not all of your heating needs. Distribution of the heat in your home will be the same for any radiant stove you buy, output wise I think the strong steady output of the FV would do you well. But again - check back with me in February and I'll likely have a much better idea of how things are here.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Slow 1,
Thanks for the info. I am trying to get a feel from those that do heat a larger than "recommended 1,600 sq.ft." space based on the Woodstock data/spec sheets. I would be trying to heat a almost 2,000 sq. ft. w/ 9'-0" ceiling contemporary ranch. It is nearly all open at center (great room, kitchen & dining room etc.) with kids bedrooms on one end and our room at the opposite end. The stove would be in the great room with a ceiling fan above, and each of the bedrooms would also have ceiling fans to move air. All exterior would be brick, and insulation would be spray foam and casement windows low-e etc. for the exterior skin. The house would be in middle TN.
I am just a bit concerned about not haing enough stove for the wife, since she likes the house in the low to mid 70's during the heating season.

Bob

Bob, the number one thing I have learned here on hearth.com is the movement of air. It just seems natural to push the warm air where you want it to go. We now do the opposite. Our bedroom is the furthest room from the stove. There is a hallway and we now have a very small fan we sit in the hallway and blow the cooler air into the warmer room. It works like a charm. Heck, I also learned we were using the ceiling fans the opposite as they should go! Warm air rises; cool air falls. Makes sense to draw the warm air from the ceiling to the floor. Well, that is how we used to do it....

Good luck in the new home.

 

[Zimm]

Bob, I'm not too far from you (near Kentucky Lake) and have been heating my house (2800 sqft) for 7 years with a Fireview. I have a older ranch style house with insulation perhaps not as good as yours. On cold nights (below 20) the stove struggles a bit to keep us really toasty, but I don't mind the cold, and my house is significantly bigger than what you describe. With good insulation and a house of your square footage you should be able to heat it just fine. Maybe on those few single digit nights a year you may have to get up during the night to through on an extra log. Good Luck. Z

 

[Builder Bob]

Zimm,
How warm do you typically keep your house during the peak of heating season?

Thanks,

Bob

 

[Zimm]

Bob, We keep the house temperature in the mid 70s during the day, nightime temps drop into the low 60s on cold mornings. We could keep it warmer at night, but like the cooler temperatures for sleeping. During the bitter cold spells we get, occasionally we will fire up our second stove in one of our back rooms. The house was not designed for efficient wood heat, its a rather spawling old farm house, ranched styled for lack of any other term to describe it. The fireview alone nevertheless keeps us nice and warm 98% of the time. It was a real savior last winter during the ice storm. We were out of power for 3 weeks. Z

 

[Wet1]

BB,

With your efficient insulation and mild climate, I would guess the FV should handle all of your heating needs, assuming you're around enough to feed it. The question would be how frequently can you reload the stove? The stove will heat that area w/o a problem, but the reloading times will obviously drop when it's pushed harder. If you're unable to tend to the stove several times a day like some of our retired folks are, I'd think you'll want a larger stove during your coldest weather (if you are only heating with this stove). For the other 98% of the time, I'd think the FV would be a great fit for you.

 

[Slow1]

BB,

With your efficient insulation and mild climate, I would guess the FV should handle all of your heating needs, assuming you're around enough to feed it. The question would be how frequently can you reload the stove? The stove will heat that area w/o a problem, but the reloading times will obviously drop when it's pushed harder. If you're unable to tend to the stove several times a day like some of our retired folks are, I'd think you'll want a larger stove during your coldest weather (if you are only heating with this stove). For the other 98% of the time, I'd think the FV would be a great fit for you.

Good point there - I'd like to expand on this a bit. For those who are 'pushing' the stove and heating more space... How often do you reload the stove? part 2 of the question of course is what kind of wood are you using and then... part 3 - do you fill the stove to max capacity or 'add a few at a time'?

The assumption here btw, is that this is during peak heating periods. Obviously during shoulder season it will be far less - down to a 1/2 filled stove being allowed to burn out and not relight for a day or two... (or the whole summer).

 

[Builder Bob]

Wet1,
That is just it, we are normally out of the house for 10-12 hours at a time for work. I would like to have a stove that could go that long and maintain the temps in the house. My other consideration was a Mansfield, it too has approximately the same run time but 25k more btu's to get the temps back up quicker. Will have to do some more research prior to purchasing.
We will have a heat pump backup but would rather not have it running.
Builder Bob

 

[Builder Bob]

Slow1,
You beat me to the question of reloading frequency, because that was going to be the next one asked!

 

[Wet1]

Hmmm, 10 to 12 hours is a long time for a stove that small during the coldest part of winter (in a house that size). I'd guess that you'd want a larger stove. I don't know about the Mansfield, but I'd guess it would be at the end of its limits at 10 to 12 hours on low burn (would this be enough heat at this setting during the coldest weather?). It sounds like you're only interested in soapstone, but have you considered the BK cat stoves? They have larger fireboxes, cats, and built in thermostats so the air doesn't have to be fiddled with throughout the burn. In fact, they function best if they aren't touched for 10+ hours, plus they can be dialed way back for more mild weather and even longer burn times. I'd think the BK Princess would be a great fit for you, assuming the looks are acceptable.

 

[Slow1]

I'm wondering if the question may come quicker if opened in another thread. I'm very curious just what to expect on wood consumption. However, there are so many variables to consider of course that the old "YMMV" clause fits very well here. However, there clearly must be an upper bounds to this - i.e. keeping the stove burning within it's design parameters of temperature etc for an extended period of time there must be a maximum amount of wood that it can burn, thus a maximum rate and re-load frequency. I'm willing to bet in your situation you won't be near that need, but if we had enough data points collected and knew the climate and home sizes/rough heat load requirements then it would give some sort of guidance on which to build a reasonable guess.

Builder Bob - what kind of wood do you have there to burn anyway?

 

[Builder Bob]

Slow1,
Red and white oak, sometimes hickory. I have a friend who has had some trees taken for timber off the family farm and they only take the trunk up to the first branch split so the tops are left in the hay field. I cut all I want from that and use it during the coldest months. During the shoulder season, hackberry, some maple etc. medium woods.

 

[Todd]

When I was working I was frequently gone for 10-11 hours every day and I had no problems. I would load her up to the gills before work and shut her down for a long burn and always came home about 4pm to find enough coals to reload and a warm house. Once home if it was really cold out and wanted to give the house temp a boost I'd fill the stove about 3/4 full and burn her hot and then reload a full load about 10pm for nighty night time. If the outside temps were warmer I can just get away with 2 ea 12 hour full low burn reloads.

Dang it! Andersen Windows just called me back, and now I have to think about those reloading schedules again and it also means less time on Hearth.com. Oh well the vacation is over for now.